H.R. 6151: Global Respect Act

The Global Respect Act would require the president to create and regularly update a public list of foreign people responsible for serious human rights abuses against LGBTQI individuals. The bill covers acts like torture, forced disappearances, prolonged detention without charges, and other severe denials of life, liberty, or personal security tied to a person's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. It also reaches people who act on behalf of abusers.

The core enforcement tool in the visible text is exposure and sanctions. The bill says the list must generally be public and published in the Federal Register, though some names could be kept in a classified annex if the administration says that is necessary for national security and does not defeat the purpose of public accountability. That structure matters: the bill is trying to make anti-LGBTQI persecution a specific trigger for U.S. action, not just a concern raised in speeches or annual reports.

The measure also builds in several accountability steps. The administration would have 180 days after enactment to send Congress the first list, then update it twice a year and whenever new information emerges. Members of Congress could press the administration to evaluate specific foreign people, and the president would have to respond within 120 days. The bill also tells the executive branch to create a public process for outside groups and individuals to submit evidence, including information gathered by nongovernmental organizations.

Politically, the bill signals that LGBTQI rights remain part of the broader U.S. human rights agenda, even as many countries have moved in the opposite direction with criminal penalties, state harassment, and inflammatory official rhetoric. The bill had a large number of House cosponsors at introduction, showing significant support, but it would still need committee action, House and Senate passage, and presidential approval. The text provided cuts off before the sanctions section is fully shown, but the bill clearly centers on naming abusers, restricting their access to the United States, and increasing pressure for accountability.