I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2368 
To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons responsible for gross 
violations of internationally recognized human rights against lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2015 
Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 
TAKANO, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. KEATING, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Ms. 
FRANKEL of Florida, Ms. LEE, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 
Mr. POCAN, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, and Mr. RANGEL) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons respon-
sible for gross violations of internationally recognized 
human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender (LGBT) individuals, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Respect Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The dignity, freedom, and equality of all 
human beings are fundamental to a thriving global 
community. 
(2) The rights to life, liberty, and security of 
the person, the right to privacy, and the right to 
freedom of expression and association are funda-
mental rights. 
(3) An alarming trend of violence directed at 
LGBT individuals around the world continues. 
(4) More than one-third of all countries have 
laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relations, 
and countries such as Nigeria, Russia, Uganda, and 
Ukraine have recently considered or passed legisla-
tion that would further target LGBT individuals. 
(5) Every year thousands of individuals around 
the world are targeted for harassment, attack, ar-
rest, and murder on the basis of their sexual ori-
entation or gender identity. 
(6) Those who commit crimes against LGBT 
individuals often do so with impunity, and are not 
held accountable for their crimes. 
(7) Homophobic and transphobic statements by 
government officials in many countries in every re-
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gion of the world promote negative public attitudes 
and can lead to violence toward LGBT individuals. 
(8) There are too many instances in which po-
lice, prison, military, and civilian government au-
thorities have been directly complicit in abuses 
aimed at LGBT citizens, including arbitrary arrest, 
torture, and sexual abuse. 
(9) Celebrations of LGBT individuals and com-
munities, such as film festivals, Pride events, and 
demonstrations are often forced underground due to 
inaction on the part of, or harassment by, local law 
enforcement and government officials, in violation of 
freedoms of assembly and expression. 
(10) Laws criminalizing consensual same-sex 
relations severely hinder access to HIV/AIDS treat-
ment, information, and preventive measures for 
LGBT individuals and families. 
(11) Many countries are making positive devel-
opments in the protection of the basic human rights 
of LGBT individuals. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
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(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee 
on Homeland Security, and the Committee on 
the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; 
and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations, the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs, and the Committee on the Judi-
ciary of the Senate. 
(2) FOREIGN PERSON.—The term ‘‘foreign per-
son’’ means a person that is not a United States 
person. 
(3) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means an in-
dividual or entity. 
(4) 
UNITED
STATES
PERSON.—The 
term 
‘‘United States person’’ means— 
(A) a United States citizen or an alien law-
fully admitted for permanent residence to the 
United States; or 
(B) an entity organized under the laws of 
the United States or of any jurisdiction within 
the United States, including a foreign branch of 
such an entity. 
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SEC. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF FOREIGN PERSONS RESPON-
SIBLE FOR GROSS VIOLATIONS OF HUMAN 
RIGHTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and biannually there-
after, the President shall transmit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a list of each foreign person that 
the President determines, based on credible information— 
(1) is responsible for or complicit in the 
extrajudicial killing, torture, or other gross violation 
of internationally recognized human rights, including 
widespread or systematic violation of the funda-
mental freedoms of expression, association, or as-
sembly, committed against an individual in a foreign 
country based on actual or perceived sexual orienta-
tion or gender identity; 
(2) acted as an agent of or on behalf of a for-
eign person in a matter relating to an activity de-
scribed in paragraph (1); or 
(3) is responsible for or complicit in inciting a 
foreign person to engage in an activity described in 
paragraph (1). 
(b) UPDATES.—The President shall transmit to the 
appropriate congressional committees an update of the list 
required by subsection (a) as new information becomes 
available. 
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(c) GUIDANCE RELATING TO SUBMISSION OF CER-
TAIN INFORMATION.—The Secretary of State shall issue 
public guidance, including through United States diplo-
matic and consular posts, relating to how names of foreign 
persons who may be included on the list required by sub-
section (a) may be submitted to the Department of State. 
(d) FORM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The list required by sub-
section (a) shall be transmitted in unclassified form. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—The name of a foreign person 
to be included in the list required by subsection (a) 
may be transmitted in a classified annex only if the 
President— 
(A) determines that it is vital for the na-
tional security interests of the United States to 
do so; 
(B) uses the annex in a manner consistent 
with congressional intent and the purposes of 
this Act; and 
(C) not later than 15 days before transmit-
ting the name in a classified annex, provides to 
the appropriate congressional committees notice 
of, and a justification for, including or con-
tinuing to include each foreign person in the 
classified annex despite any publicly available 
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credible information indicating that the foreign 
person engaged in an activity described in para-
graph (1) or (2) of subsection (a). 
(3) CONSIDERATION
OF
CERTAIN
INFORMA-
TION.—In preparing the list required by subsection 
(a), the President shall consider— 
(A) information provided by the Chair-
person or Ranking Member of each of the ap-
propriate congressional committees; and 
(B) credible information obtained by other 
countries and nongovernmental organizations 
that monitor violations of human rights. 
(4) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The unclassified 
portion of the list required by subsection (a) shall be 
made available to the public and published in the 
Federal Register. 
(e) REMOVAL FROM LIST.—A foreign person may be 
removed from the list required by subsection (a) if the 
President determines and reports to the appropriate con-
gressional committees not later than 15 days before the 
removal of the foreign person from the list that— 
(1) credible information exists that the foreign 
person did not engage in the activity for which the 
foreign person was added to the list; 
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(2) the foreign person has been prosecuted ap-
propriately for the activity in which the foreign per-
son engaged; or 
(3) the foreign person has credibly dem-
onstrated a significant change in behavior, has paid 
an appropriate consequence for the activities in 
which the foreign person engaged, and has credibly 
committed to not engage in an activity described in 
paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a). 
(f) REQUESTS BY CHAIRPERSON OR RANKING MEM-
BER OF APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 
after receiving a written request from the Chair-
person or Ranking Member of one of the appropriate 
congressional committees with respect to whether a 
foreign person meets the criteria for being added to 
the list required by subsection (a), the President 
shall transmit a response to that Chairperson or 
Ranking Member, as the case may be, with respect 
to the status of the foreign person at issue. 
(2) FORM.—The President may transmit a re-
sponse required by paragraph (1) in classified form 
if the President determines that it is necessary for 
the national security interests of the United States 
to do so. 
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(3) REMOVAL.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—If the President re-
moves from the list required by subsection (a) 
a foreign person that has been placed on the 
list, the President shall provide the Chair-
persons and Ranking Members of the appro-
priate congressional committees with any infor-
mation that contributed to such removal deci-
sion. 
(B) FORM OF INFORMATION.—The Presi-
dent may transmit the information requested by 
subparagraph (A) in classified form if the 
President determines that it is necessary to the 
national security interests of the United States 
to do so. 
(g) NONAPPLICABILITY OF CONFIDENTIALITY RE-
QUIREMENT WITH RESPECT TO VISA RECORDS.—The 
President shall publish the list required by subsection (a) 
without regard to the requirements of section 222(f) of 
the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1202(f)) 
with respect to confidentiality of records pertaining to the 
issuance or refusal of visas or permits to enter the United 
States. 
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