I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6151 
To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons responsible for violations 
of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and 
intersex (LGBTQI) individuals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 19, 2025 
Ms. MCBRIDE (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. 
AMO, Ms. ANSARI, Ms. BALINT, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. BEYER, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. BUDZINSKI, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. CAR-
SON, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. CASAR, Mr. CASE, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. 
CASTRO
of Texas, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Ms. CHU, Mr. 
CISNEROS, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CORREA, Mr. COSTA, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. DAVIS 
of Illinois, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. DELBENE, 
Mr. DELUZIO, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. DEXTER, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. 
ESPAILLAT, Mr. EVANS
of Pennsylvania, Mrs. FLETCHER, Mrs. 
FOUSHEE, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. FROST, Mr. GARCIA of 
California, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. GOLDMAN 
of New York, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HIMES, 
Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. HOULAHAN, Ms. HOYLE of Oregon, Mr. HUFFMAN, 
Mr. IVEY, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. 
KAMLAGER-DOVE, Mr. KEATING, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. KENNEDY 
of New York, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LARSEN of 
Washington, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. LATIMER, Ms. LEGER 
FERNANDEZ, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. LIEU, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. 
MAGAZINER, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGARVEY, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Mrs. MCIVER, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. MENG, Mr. MIN, Ms. MOR-
RISON, Mr. MOSKOWITZ, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. NORCROSS, 
Ms. NORTON, Ms. OMAR, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. PETERS, Ms. PETTERSEN, 
Ms. PINGREE, Mr. POCAN, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mrs. RAMIREZ, Mr. RASKIN, 
Ms. SALINAS, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Ms. 
SCHOLTEN, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. SHERRILL, Ms. SIMON, Mr. SORENSEN, 
Mr. STANTON, Mr. SWALWELL, Mrs. SYKES, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. 
THANEDAR, Ms. TITUS, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. TONKO, Mr. 
TORRES of New York, Mr. TRAN, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. 
VEASEY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. WILSON of 
Florida, and Mr. NADLER) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
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the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To impose sanctions with respect to foreign persons respon-
sible for violations of the human rights of lesbian, gay, 
bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) in-
dividuals, 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) Many countries are making positive develop-
ments in the protection of the basic human rights of 
LGBQTI individuals. 
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(4) The alarming trend of increasing violence 
directed at LGBTQI individuals around the world 
continues. 
(5) Approximately 1⁄3 of all countries have laws 
criminalizing consensual same-sex relations, and 12 
countries carry the possibility of the death penalty. 
(6) Laws criminalizing consensual same-sex re-
lations severely hinder access to HIV/AIDS treat-
ment, information, and preventive measures for 
LGBTQI individuals and families. 
(7) Celebrations of LGBTQI individuals and 
communities, 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. 
(8) Every year, countless individuals around the 
world are targeted for discrimination, harassment, 
arbitrary arrest and detention, physical attack, and 
murder on the basis of their actual or perceived sex-
ual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteris-
tics. 
(9) Those who commit crimes against LGBTQI 
individuals often do so with impunity, and are not 
held accountable for their crimes. 
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(10) Homophobic and transphobic statements 
by government officials in many countries in every 
region of the world promote negative public attitudes 
and can lead to increased discrimination and vio-
lence toward LGBTQI individuals. 
(11) In many instances, police, prison, military, 
and civilian government authorities have been di-
rectly complicit in abuses aimed at LGBTQI citi-
zens, including arbitrary arrest, extortion, cruel, in-
human, or degrading treatment, torture, and sexual 
abuse. 
SEC. 3. SANCTIONS ON INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR 
VIOLATIONS 
OF 
HUMANRIGHTS 
AGAINST 
LGBTQI PEOPLE. 
(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 the 
President determines, based on credible information, in-
cluding information obtained by other countries or by non-
governmental organizations that monitor violations of 
human rights— 
(1) is responsible for, or complicit in, with re-
spect to persons based on actual or perceived sexual 
orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics— 
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(A) torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrad-
ing treatment or punishment; 
(B) prolonged detention without charges 
and a trial; 
(C) causing the disappearance of such per-
sons by the abduction and clandestine detention 
of such persons; or 
(D) other flagrant denial of the right to 
life, liberty, or the security of such persons; or 
(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). 
(b) FORM; UPDATES; REMOVAL.— 
(1) FORM.—The list required by subsection (a) 
shall be transmitted in unclassified form and pub-
lished in the Federal Register, except that the Presi-
dent may include a foreign person in a classified, 
unpublished annex to such list if the President— 
(A) determines that— 
(i) it is vital for the national security 
interests of the United States to do so; and 
(ii) the use of such annex, and the in-
clusion of such person in such annex, 
would not undermine the overall purpose of 
this section to publicly identify foreign per-
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sons engaging in the conduct described in 
subsection (a) in order to increase account-
ability for such conduct; and 
(B) not later than 15 days before including 
such person 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 such 
annex despite the existence of any publicly 
available credible information indicating that 
each such foreign person engaged in an activity 
described in subsection (a). 
(2) UPDATES.—The President shall transmit to 
the appropriate congressional committees an update 
of the list required by subsection (a) as new infor-
mation becomes available. 
(3) REMOVAL.—A foreign person may be re-
moved from the list required by subsection (a) if the 
President determines and reports to the appropriate 
congressional committees, not later than 15 days be-
fore the removal of such person from such list, 
that— 
(A) new, credible information is discovered 
confirming that such person did not in fact en-
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gage in the activity for which the person was 
included in such list; 
(B) such person has been prosecuted ap-
propriately for the activity in which such person 
engaged; 
(C) such person has credibly demonstrated 
a significant change in behavior, has paid an 
appropriate consequence for the activities in 
which such person engaged, and has credibly 
committed to not engage in an activity de-
scribed in subsection (a); or 
(D) removal of such sanctions is in the 
vital national security interests of the United 
States. 
(c) PUBLIC SUBMISSION
OF INFORMATION.—The 
President shall issue public guidance, including through 
United States diplomatic and consular posts, setting forth 
the manner by which the names of foreign persons that 
may meet the criteria to be included on the list required 
by subsection (a) may be submitted to the Department 
of State for evaluation. 
(d) REQUESTS FROM CHAIR AND RANKING MEMBER 
OF APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
(1) CONSIDERATION OF INFORMATION.—In ad-
dition to the guidance issued pursuant to subsection 
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(c), the President shall also consider information 
provided by the Chair or Ranking Member of each 
of the appropriate congressional committees in de-
termining whether to include a foreign person in the 
list required by subsection (a). 
(2) REQUESTS.—Not later than 120 days after 
receiving a written request from the Chair or Rank-
ing Member of one of the appropriate congressional 
committees with respect to whether a foreign person 
meets the criteria for being included in the list re-
quired by subsection (a), the President shall trans-
mit a response to such Chair or Ranking Member, 
as the case may be, with respect to the President’s 
determination relating to such foreign person. 
(3) REMOVAL.—If the President removes from 
the list required by subsection (a) a foreign person 
that had been included in such list pursuant to a re-
quest under paragraph (2), the President shall pro-
vide to the relevant Chair or Ranking Member of the 
appropriate congressional committees any informa-
tion that contributed to such decision. 
(4) FORM.—The President may transmit a re-
sponse required by paragraph (2) or paragraph (3) 
in classified form if the President determines that it 
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is necessary for the national security interests of the 
United States to do so. 
(e) INADMISSIBILITY OF CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.— 
(1) VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.—An alien 
who the Secretary of State or the Secretary of 
Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such 
Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe, is de-
scribed in subsection (a) is— 
(A) inadmissible to the United States; 
(B) ineligible for a visa or other docu-
mentation to enter the United States; and 
(C) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or 
paroled into the United States or to receive any 
other benefit under the Immigration and Na-
tionality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.). 
(2) CURRENT VISAS REVOKED.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The issuing consular 
officer, the Secretary of State, or the Secretary 
of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of 
such Secretaries) shall, in accordance with sec-
tion 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality 
Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any visa or other 
entry documentation issued to an alien de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) regardless of when 
the visa or other entry documentation is issued. 
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(B) EFFECT OF REVOCATION.—A revoca-
tion under clause (i)— 
(i) shall take effect immediately; and 
(ii) shall automatically cancel any 
other valid visa or entry documentation 
that is in the alien’s possession. 
(3) SENSE OF CONGRESS WITH RESPECT TO 
ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the President should impose additional 
targeted sanctions with respect to foreign persons on 
the list required by subsection (a) to push for ac-
countability for flagrant denials of the right to life, 
liberty, or the security of the person, through the 
use of designations and targeted sanctions provided 
for such conduct under other existing authorities. 
(4) EXCEPTIONS.— 
(A) EXCEPTION
WITH
RESPECT
TO
NA-
TIONAL
SECURITY.—This section shall not 
apply with respect to— 
(i) activities subject to the reporting 
requirements under title V of the National 
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et 
seq.); or 
(ii) any authorized intelligence or law 
enforcement activities of the United States. 
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(B) EXCEPTION TO COMPLY WITH INTER-
NATIONAL
OBLIGATIONS.—Sanctions 
under 
paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply with re-
spect to a person if admitting or paroling the 
person into the United States is necessary to 
permit the United States to comply with the 
Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the 
United Nations signed at Lake Success June 
26, 1947, and entered into force November 21, 
1947, between the United Nations and the 
United States or other applicable international 
obligations. 
(C) EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN IMMEDIATE 
FAMILY MEMBERS.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—A covered indi-
vidual shall not be subject to sanctions 
under this section if the President certifies 
to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees, in accordance with clause (ii), that 
such individual has a reasonable fear of 
persecution based on— 
(I) actual or perceived sexual ori-
entation, gender identity, or sex char-
acteristics; 
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(II) race, religion, or nationality; 
or 
(III) political opinion or member-
ship in a particular social group. 
(ii) DETERMINATION
AND
CERTIFI-
CATION.—A certification under clause (i) 
shall be made not later than 30 days after 
the date of the determination required by 
such clause. Any proceedings relating to 
such determination shall not be publicly 
available. 
(iii) COVERED INDIVIDUAL.—For pur-
poses of this subparagraph, the term ‘‘cov-
ered individual’’ means an individual who 
is an immediate family member of foreign 
person on the list required by subsection 
(a). 
(5) WAIVER.—The President may waive the ap-
plication of sanctions or restrictions imposed with 
respect to a foreign person under this section if the 
President certifies to the appropriate congressional 
committees, not later than 15 days before such waiv-
er is to take effect, that the waiver is vital to the 
national interest of the United States. 
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(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the President, acting through the Secretary of 
State, shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report on— 
(1) the actions taken to carry out this section, 
including— 
(A) the number of foreign persons added 
to or removed from the list required by sub-
section (a) during the year preceding each such 
report, the dates on which such persons were so 
added or removed, and the reasons for so add-
ing or removing such persons; and 
(B) an analysis that compares increases or 
decreases in the number of such persons added 
or removed year-over-year and the reasons 
therefor; 
(2) any efforts by the President to coordinate 
with the governments of other countries, as appro-
priate, to impose sanctions that are similar to the 
sanctions imposed under this section; 
(3) the impact of the sanctions imposed under 
this section with respect to altering the behavior of 
each of the foreign persons included, as of the date 
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of submission of the report, in the list required by 
subsection (a); and 
(4) steps the Department can take to improve 
coordination with foreign governments, civil society 
groups, and the private sector, to prevent the com-
mission of the human rights violations described in 
section 3(a)(1) against persons based on actual or 
perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex 
characteristics. 
(g) FORM; PUBLICATION.—The report required by 
subsection (f) shall be submitted in unclassified form but 
may include a classified annex. The unclassified portion 
of such report shall be published on a publicly available 
website of the Department of State. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(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-
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mittee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs, and the Committee on the Judi-
ciary of the Senate. 
(2) IMMEDIATE
FAMILY
MEMBER.—The term 
‘‘immediate family member’’ has the meaning given 
such term for purposes of section 7031(c) of division 
K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. 
(i) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to allow the imposition of sanctions 
with respect to, or otherwise authorize any other action 
against, any foreign person based solely upon religious be-
lief. 
SEC. 4. DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO SEXUAL ORIENTA-
TION, GENDER IDENTITY, OR SEX CHARAC-
TERISTICS. 
(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 1 or more bu-
reau-based senior officer or officers, who shall be respon-
sible for tracking violence, criminalization, and restrictions 
on the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms in foreign 
countries based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, 
gender identity, or sex characteristics. 
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