I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2491 
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 17, 2017 
Mr. CICILLINE (for himself, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Penn-
sylvania, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. 
CONNOLLY, Mr. DELANEY, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. ELLISON, 
Mr. ENGEL, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, Ms. FRANKEL of 
Florida, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. NORTON, 
Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Miss RICE 
of New York, Mr. KEATING, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. 
KILMER, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. LEE, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. 
LYNCH, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NADLER, 
Mr. PALLONE, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. PETERS, 
Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. RUSH, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, 
Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. SHERMAN, 
Ms. SINEMA, Mr. SIRES, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. 
TAKANO, Ms. TITUS, Mrs. TORRES, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. WALZ, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. WELCH, and Mr. YARMUTH) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons respon-
sible for gross violations of internationally recognized 
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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’’. 
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 human 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 
Kyrgyzstan have recently considered or passed legis-
lation 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. 
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(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-
gion of the world promote negative public attitudes 
and can lead to violence toward LGBT individuals. 
(8) In many instances police, prison, military, 
and civilian government authorities have been di-
rectly 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. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(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’’ has the meaning given that term in section 
595.304 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
in effect on the day before the date of the enactment 
of this Act). 
(3) GROSS VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONALLY 
RECOGNIZED HUMAN RIGHTS.—The term ‘‘gross vio-
lations of internationally recognized human rights’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 
502B(d)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
(22 U.S.C. 2304(d)(1)). 
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(4) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 591.308 of title 
31, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the 
day before the date of the enactment of this Act). 
(5) 
UNITED
STATES
PERSON.—The 
term 
‘‘United States person’’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 595.315 of title 31, Code of Federal 
Regulations (as in effect on the day before the date 
of the enactment of this Act). 
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 torture or 
cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punish-
ment, prolonged detention without charges and trial, 
causing the disappearance of persons by the abduc-
tion and clandestine detention of those persons, and 
other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or 
the security of person based on actual or perceived 
sexual orientation or gender identity; 
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(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. 
(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— 
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(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 
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. 
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(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; 
(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-
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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. 
(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 
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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. 
SEC. 5. INADMISSIBILITY OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS. 
(a) INELIGIBILITY FOR VISAS AND ADMISSION TO 
THE UNITED STATES.—An individual who is a foreign 
person on the list required by section 4(a) is ineligible to 
receive a visa to enter the United States and ineligible to 
be admitted to the United States. 
(b) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED AND REMOVAL FROM 
UNITED STATES.—The Secretary of State shall revoke, in 
accordance with section 221(i) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), the visa or other docu-
mentation of an individual who would be ineligible to re-
ceive such a visa or documentation under subsection (a), 
and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall remove from 
the United States such an individual. 
(c) WAIVER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation 
with the President, may waive the application of 
subsection (a) or (b), as the case may be, in the case 
of an individual if— 
(A) the Secretaries determine that such a 
waiver— 
(i) is necessary to permit the United 
States to comply with the Agreement be-
tween the United Nations and the United 
States of America regarding the Head-
quarters of the United Nations, signed 
June 26, 1947, and entered into force No-
vember 21, 1947, or other applicable inter-
national obligations of the United States; 
or 
(ii) is in the national security interests 
of the United States; and 
(B) before granting the waiver, the Secre-
taries provide to the appropriate congressional 
committees notice of, and a justification for, the 
waiver. 
(2) TIMING
FOR
NOTICE
OF
CERTAIN
WAIV-
ERS.—In the case of a waiver under clause (ii), the 
Secretaries shall submit the notice required by sub-
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paragraph (B) of such paragraph not later than 15 
days before granting the waiver. 
(d) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry 
out this section. 
SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act and annually thereafter, the President, 
acting through the Secretary of State, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on— 
(1) the actions taken to carry out this Act, in-
cluding— 
(A) the number of foreign persons added 
to or removed from the list required by section 
4(a) during the year preceding each report, the 
dates on which those persons were added or re-
moved, and the reasons for adding or removing 
those persons; and 
(B) an analysis that compares increases or 
decreases in the number of such persons year- 
over-year and the reasons therefor; and 
(2) efforts by the executive branch to coordinate 
with the governments of other countries to, as ap-
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propriate, impose sanctions that are similar to the 
sanctions imposed under this Act. 
SEC. 7. DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTA-
TION OR GENDER IDENTITY. 
(a) TRACKING VIOLENCE OR CRIMINALIZATION RE-
LATED
TO SEXUAL ORIENTATION
OR GENDER IDEN-
TITY.—The Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, 
Human Rights and Labor shall designate a Bureau-based 
senior officer or officers who shall be responsible for track-
ing violence, criminalization, and restrictions on the enjoy-
ment of fundamental freedoms, in foreign countries based 
on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender iden-
tity. 
(b) ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
PRACTICES.—The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is 
amended— 
(1) in section 116(d) (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d))— 
(A) in paragraph (11)(C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in paragraph (12)— 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C)(ii), by strik-
ing the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
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(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(13) wherever applicable, violence or discrimi-
nation that affects the fundamental freedoms, in-
cluding widespread or systematic violation of the 
freedoms of expression, association, or assembly of 
an individual in foreign countries that is based on 
actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender 
identity.’’; and 
(2) in section 502B(b) (22 U.S.C. 2304(b)), by 
inserting after the ninth sentence the following new 
sentence: ‘‘Wherever applicable, such report shall 
also include information regarding violence or dis-
crimination that affects the fundamental freedoms, 
including widespread or systematic violation of the 
freedoms of expression, association, or assembly of 
an individual in foreign countries that is based on 
actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender 
identity.’’. 
Æ 
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