I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1018 
To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require the submission 
by issuers of data relating to diversity and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 6, 2019 
Mr. MEEKS (for himself and Ms. ADAMS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require 
the submission by issuers of data relating to diversity 
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 ‘‘Improving Corporate 
Governance Through Diversity Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. SUBMISSION OF DATA RELATING TO DIVERSITY BY 
ISSUERS. 
Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(15 U.S.C. 78m) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
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‘‘(s) SUBMISSION OF DATA RELATING TO DIVER-
SITY.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘executive officer’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 230.501(f) of 
title 17, Code of Federal Regulations, as in ef-
fect on the date of enactment of this subsection; 
and 
‘‘(B) the term ‘veteran’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 101 of title 38, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(2) 
SUBMISSION
OF
DISCLOSURE.—Each 
issuer required to file an annual report under sub-
section (a) shall disclose in any proxy statement and 
any information statement relating to the election of 
directors filed with the Commission the following: 
‘‘(A) Data, based on voluntary self-identi-
fication, on the racial, ethnic, and gender com-
position of— 
‘‘(i) the board of directors of the 
issuer; 
‘‘(ii) nominees for the board of direc-
tors of the issuer; and 
‘‘(iii) the executive officers of the 
issuer. 
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‘‘(B) The status of any member of the 
board of directors of the issuer, any nominee 
for the board of directors of the issuer, or any 
executive officer of the issuer, based on vol-
untary self-identification, as a veteran. 
‘‘(C) Whether the board of directors of the 
issuer, or any committee of that board of direc-
tors, has, as of the date on which the issuer 
makes a disclosure under this paragraph, 
adopted any policy, plan, or strategy to promote 
racial, ethnic, and gender diversity among— 
‘‘(i) the board of directors of the 
issuer; 
‘‘(ii) nominees for the board of direc-
tors of the issuer; or 
‘‘(iii) the executive officers of the 
issuer. 
‘‘(3) ALTERNATIVE
SUBMISSION.—In any 1- 
year period in which an issuer required to file an an-
nual report under subsection (a) does not file with 
the Commission a proxy statement relating to the 
election of directors or an information statement, the 
issuer shall disclose the information required under 
paragraph (2) in the first annual report of issuer 
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that the issuer submits to the Commission after the 
end of that 1-year period. 
‘‘(4) BEST PRACTICES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the 
Office of Minority and Women Inclusion of the 
Commission shall, not later than the end of the 
3-year period beginning on the date of the en-
actment of this subsection and every three 
years thereafter, and in consultation with the 
advisory council established pursuant to sub-
paragraph (C), publish best practices for com-
pliance with this subsection. 
‘‘(B) COMMENTS.—The Director of the Of-
fice of Minority and Women Inclusion of the 
Commission may, pursuant to subchapter II of 
chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code, solicit 
public comments related to the best practices 
published under subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The Direc-
tor of the Office of Minority and Women Inclu-
sion of the Commission shall, pursuant to the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, establish an 
advisory council, that includes issuers and in-
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vestors, to advise on the best practices pub-
lished under subparagraph (A).’’. 
Æ 
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