Text of US HB 6056 (2025)

I 119TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 6056 To establish in the Department of State a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Peoples, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 17, 2025 Mr. GARCIA of California (for himself, Ms. JACOBS, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. PETERS, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. TLAIB, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. TONKO, Mr. AMO, Mr. MAGAZINER, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. POCAN, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. NADLER, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Mr. LIEU, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mrs. CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. COHEN, Mr. BEYER, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. DOG- GETT, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. COSTA, Mr. SWALWELL, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. SORENSEN, Mr. GOLDMAN of New York, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. LAR- SEN of Washington, Ms. MCBRIDE, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. BELL, Ms. TITUS, Ms. ROSS, Mr. NEAL, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. MANNION, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. CARSON, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. CHU, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. MCCLELLAN, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. MENG, Mr. THANEDAR, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. MOSKOWITZ, Ms. SCHOLTEN, Ms. ANSARI, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. PETTERSEN, Ms. DEXTER, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To establish in the Department of State a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Peoples, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6056 IH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘International Human 4 Rights Defense Act of 2025’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress makes the following findings: 7 (1) Around the world, LGBTQI+ people face 8 criminalization, violence, discrimination, and stigma 9 based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or 10 sex characteristics. 11 (2) 64 countries have national laws that crim- 12 inalize same-sex relations and at least 42 United 13 Nations member states have legal barriers for free- 14 dom of expression on issues related to sexual and 15 gender diversity. That is equal to roughly 35 percent 16 of United Nations member states. 17 (3) 12 countries have jurisdictions in which the 18 death penalty can be imposed for private, consensual 19 same-sex sexual activity. 20 (4) Despite recent progress made toward de- 21 criminalization, marriage equality, and legal gender 22 recognition, several countries have introduced anti- 23 LGBTQI+ legislation that would further criminalize 24 or stigmatize LGBTQI+ people. This includes a 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6056 IH draconian bill under review in Ghana that would 1 outlaw not only LGBTQI+ relationships and identi- 2 ties, but also advocacy on behalf of the human rights 3 of LGBTQI+ persons. 4 (5) Human Rights Watch and other human 5 rights organizations have documented the use of the 6 forensically discredited practice of forced anal exams 7 to try to substantiate allegations of same-sex sexual 8 activity. This humiliating practice is typically con- 9 ducted by law enforcement officials working in tan- 10 dem with medical personnel. The United Nations 11 Special Rapporteur on Torture has described forced 12 anal examinations as a form of torture or cruel, in- 13 human, and degrading treatment, and the United 14 Nations Office of the High Commissioner for 15 Human Rights issued a report in 2015 calling for 16 governments to ban the practice. 17 (6) Across the world, freedom of association is 18 increasingly under attack, with the passage and en- 19 forcement of laws that prevent or revoke the reg- 20 istration of non-governmental organizations, particu- 21 larly those working to advance and defend the 22 human rights of LGBTQI+ persons. 23 (7) Extreme violence and insecurity in Latin 24 America has driven LGBTQI+ people to flee their 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6056 IH countries of origin to the United States for protec- 1 tion. Yet LGBTQI+ asylum seekers are routinely 2 denied entry and face additional violence, and many 3 have been returned to face persecution in their home 4 countries or in third countries that are not safe. 5 (8) Laws, policies, and practices that crim- 6 inalize and stigmatize LGBTQI+ people deter indi- 7 viduals and communities from seeking health care. 8 Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men 9 and transgender people are particularly vulnerable to 10 discrimination and exclusion in health care settings, 11 thereby increasing risk of HIV transmission. De- 12 criminalization and stigma reduction are necessary 13 to achieve global targets for epidemic control of 14 HIV. 15 (9) The Trans Murder Monitoring Project, 16 which monitors homicides of transgender individuals, 17 documented at least 350 trans and gender-diverse 18 people killed between October 1, 2023, and Sep- 19 tember 30, 2024. Of these cases, 73 percent of mur- 20 ders occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean, 21 with 30 percent of the total occurring in Brazil. 22 (10) Intersex people are subject to medically 23 unnecessary surgeries, often without prior and in- 24 formed consent, leading to lifelong medical complica- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 6056 IH tions and increased mistrust of health care pro- 1 viders. Intersex people experience widespread dis- 2 crimination and lack of understanding about their 3 medical needs. 4 (11) Violence and discrimination based on sex- 5 ual orientation, gender identity (including gender ex- 6 pression), and sex characteristics are documented in 7 the Department of State’s annual Country Reports 8 on Human Rights Practices. The report covering 9 2023 continues to show a clear pattern of human 10 rights violations or abuses in every region of the 11 world based on sexual orientation, gender identity, 12 or sex characteristics. These violations or abuses in- 13 clude murder, rape, torture, death threats, extortion, 14 and imprisonment, as well as loss of employment, 15 housing, access to health care, and other forms of 16 societal stigma and discrimination. The reports fur- 17 ther document LGBTQI+-specific restrictions on 18 basic freedoms of assembly, press, and speech in 19 every region of the world. 20 (12) On December 6, 2011, President Barack 21 Obama released the ‘‘Presidential Memorandum— 22 International Initiatives to Advance the Human 23 Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender 24 Persons’’. The memorandum directed all Federal 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 6056 IH agencies engaged abroad to ensure that United 1 States diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and 2 protect the human rights of LGBTI+ persons. 3 (13) On February 4, 2021, President Joe Biden 4 issued a similar memorandum, the ‘‘Memorandum 5 on Advancing the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, 6 Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Persons 7 Around the World’’, to promote and protect the 8 human rights of LGBTQI+ persons and establish 9 that it is the ‘‘policy of the United States to pursue 10 an end to violence and discrimination on the basis 11 of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, 12 or sex characteristics, and to lead by the power of 13 our example in the cause of advancing the human 14 rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world’’. 15 (14) On February 23, 2015, Secretary of State 16 John Kerry appointed senior diplomat Randy Berry 17 as the Department of State’s first-ever Special 18 Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons. 19 No person was named to that position during the 20 Trump Administration. 21 (15) On June 25, 2021, President Joe Biden 22 announced the appointment of Jessica Stern to serve 23 as the United States Special Envoy to Advance the 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 6056 IH Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons. She joined 1 the Department of State on September 27, 2021. 2 (16) On June 30, 2016, the United Nations 3 Human Rights Council passed a resolution cospon- 4 sored by the United States that established an Inde- 5 pendent Expert on violence and discrimination based 6 on sexual orientation and gender identity to help 7 monitor and track discrimination and violence expe- 8 rienced by LGBTQI+ persons around the world. 9 (17) In May 2020, the United Nations Inde- 10 pendent Expert on protection against violence and 11 discrimination based on sexual orientation and gen- 12 der identity released a report on so-called ‘‘conver- 13 sion therapy’’, which is an umbrella term used to de- 14 scribe interventions based on a belief that a person’s 15 sexual orientation or gender identity can and should 16 be changed. The report concluded that such prac- 17 tices represent significant violations of rights to per- 18 sonal autonomy, health, and free expression and are 19 ‘‘by their very nature degrading, inhuman and cruel 20 and create a significant risk of torture’’. The Inde- 21 pendent Expert noted ‘‘the psychological pain and 22 suffering inflicted by practices of ‘conversion ther- 23 apy’ are deep and long-lasting and often exacerbate 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 6056 IH the risk of suicide’’, and called for a global ban on 1 conversion therapy. 2 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 3 It is the policy of the United States— 4 (1) to take effective action to prevent and re- 5 spond to discrimination and violence against all peo- 6 ple on any basis internationally, including sexual ori- 7 entation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, 8 and that human rights policy includes attention to 9 criminalization, violence, and other discrimination 10 against LGBTQI+ people; 11 (2) to systematically integrate and coordinate 12 into United States foreign policy efforts to prevent 13 and respond to criminalization, discrimination, and 14 violence against LGBTQI+ people internationally; 15 (3) to support and build local capacity in coun- 16 tries around the world, including of governments at 17 all levels and nongovernmental organizations, to pre- 18 vent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, 19 and violence against LGBTQI+ people internation- 20 ally; 21 (4) to consult, cooperate, coordinate, and col- 22 laborate with a wide variety of nongovernmental 23 partners, including faith-based organizations and 24 LGBTQI+-led organizations, with demonstrated ex- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 6056 IH perience in preventing and responding to criminal- 1 ization, discrimination, and violence against 2 LGBTQI+ people internationally; 3 (5) to employ a multisectoral approach to pre- 4 venting and responding to criminalization, discrimi- 5 nation, and violence against LGBTQI+ people inter- 6 nationally, including activities in the economic, edu- 7 cation, health, nutrition, legal, and judicial sectors; 8 (6) to work at all levels, from the individual to 9 the family, community, local, national, and inter- 10 national levels, to prevent and respond to criminal- 11 ization, discrimination, and violence against 12 LGBTQI+ people internationally; 13 (7) to enhance training by United States per- 14 sonnel of professional foreign military and police 15 forces and judicial officials to include appropriate 16 and thorough LGBTQI+-specific instruction on pre- 17 venting and responding to criminalization, discrimi- 18 nation, and violence based on sexual orientation, 19 gender identity, and sex characteristics; 20 (8) to engage non-LGBTQI+ people as allies 21 and partners, as an essential element of making sus- 22 tained reductions in criminalization, discrimination, 23 and violence against LGBTQI+ people internation- 24 ally; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 6056 IH (9) to require that all recipients of United 1 States Government Federal funding, including all 2 contractors, grants, and cooperative agreements for 3 both acquisition and assistance, establish appro- 4 priate nondiscrimination policies that are inclusive of 5 sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex charac- 6 teristics, among other characteristics and protected 7 statuses, and take effective measures to ensure the 8 protection and safety of employed and contracted 9 staff, as well as protection of the program bene- 10 ficiaries; 11 (10) to exert sustained international leadership, 12 including in bilateral and multilateral fora, to pre- 13 vent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, 14 and violence against LGBTQI+ people internation- 15 ally; 16 (11) to ensure that international efforts to com- 17 bat HIV/AIDS take all appropriate measures to sup- 18 port at-risk communities, including LGBTQI+ peo- 19 ple, and to create enabling legal environments for 20 these communities; 21 (12) to work with governments and nongovern- 22 mental organizations around the world to develop 23 and implement regional strategies to decriminalize 24 homosexuality and to counteract other restrictions 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 6056 IH on the human rights of LGBTQI+ people, including 1 restrictions on LGBTQI+ organizations and so- 2 called LGBTQI+ propaganda laws; and 3 (13) to ensure that individuals who have a well- 4 founded fear of persecution on account of being 5 LGBTQI+ or supporting LGBTQI+ rights have 6 the opportunity to seek protection in the United 7 States. 8 SEC. 4. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF 9 LGBTQI+ PEOPLE. 10 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 11 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall 12 establish in the Department of State a permanent 13 Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ 14 People (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Special 15 Envoy’’), who shall be appointed by the President. 16 (2) RANK.—The President may appoint the 17 Special Envoy at the rank of Ambassador, by and 18 with the advice and consent of the Senate. 19 (b) PURPOSE.—In addition to the duties described in 20 subsection (c) and those duties determined by the Presi- 21 dent and the Secretary of State, the Special Envoy shall 22 direct efforts of the United States Government relating 23 to United States foreign policy, as directed by the Presi- 24 dent and the Secretary, regarding human rights abuses 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 6056 IH against LGBTQI+ people and communities internation- 1 ally and the advancement of human rights for LGBTQI+ 2 people, and shall represent the United States internation- 3 ally in bilateral and multilateral engagement on such mat- 4 ters. 5 (c) DUTIES.—The Special Envoy— 6 (1) shall serve as the principal advisor to the 7 Secretary of State regarding the human rights of 8 LGBTQI+ people internationally; and 9 (2) at the direction of the Secretary of State— 10 (A) shall, notwithstanding any other provi- 11 sion of law, direct activities, policies, programs, 12 and funding relating to the human rights of 13 LGBTQI+ people and the advancement of 14 LGBTQI+ human rights and social inclusion 15 initiatives internationally, for all bureaus and 16 offices of the Department of State, and shall 17 lead the coordination of relevant United States 18 Government policies and international programs 19 for all other Federal agencies relating to such 20 matters; 21 (B) shall represent the United States in 22 diplomatic matters, including in bilateral and 23 multilateral forums, relevant to the human 24 rights and social inclusion of LGBTQI+ people, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 13 •HR 6056 IH including addressing criminalization, discrimi- 1 nation, and violence against LGBTQI+ people 2 internationally; 3 (C) shall direct, as appropriate, United 4 States Government resources to respond to 5 needs for protection, integration, resettlement, 6 and empowerment of LGBTQI+ people in 7 United States Government policies and inter- 8 national programs, including to prevent and re- 9 spond to criminalization, discrimination, and vi- 10 olence against LGBTQI+ people internation- 11 ally; 12 (D) shall lead interagency coordination on 13 the foreign policy, humanitarian, and develop- 14 ment priorities related to the human rights of 15 LGBTQI+ people internationally; and 16 (E) shall conduct regular consultation with 17 nongovernmental organizations working to pre- 18 vent and respond to criminalization, discrimina- 19 tion, and violence against LGBTQI+ people 20 internationally. 21 (d) BRIEFINGS AND ASSESSMENTS.—Not later than 22 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 23 annually thereafter, the Special Envoy shall provide to the 24 appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 14 •HR 6056 IH status of the human rights and social inclusion of 1 LGBTQI+ people internationally, as well as on the status 2 of programs and response strategies of the United States 3 Government to address criminalization, discrimination, 4 and violence against LGBTQI+ people internationally. 5 (e) UNITED STATES POLICY TO PREVENT AND RE- 6 SPOND TO CRIMINALIZATION, DISCRIMINATION, AND VIO- 7 LENCE AGAINST LGBTQI+ PEOPLE GLOBALLY.— 8 (1) GLOBAL STRATEGY REQUIREMENT.—Not 9 later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 10 of this Act, and bi-annually thereafter, the Special 11 Envoy shall develop or update, as the case may be, 12 a United States global strategy to prevent and re- 13 spond to criminalization, discrimination, and violence 14 against LGBTQI+ people internationally. The Spe- 15 cial Envoy shall submit the global strategy to the 16 appropriate congressional committees and, if prac- 17 ticable, make the global strategy available to the 18 public. 19 (2) COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.—In 20 developing the global strategy required under para- 21 graph (1), the Special Envoy shall consult with— 22 (A) mid- and high-level officials of relevant 23 Federal agencies; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 15 •HR 6056 IH (B) representatives of nongovernmental or- 1 ganizations with demonstrated experience in ad- 2 dressing criminalization, discrimination, and vi- 3 olence against LGBTQI+ people internation- 4 ally, or promoting equal rights and social inclu- 5 sion for LGBTQI+ people internationally. 6 (f) MONITORING THE UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO 7 PREVENT AND RESPOND TO CRIMINALIZATION, DISCRIMI- 8 NATION, AND VIOLENCE AGAINST LGBTQI+ PEOPLE 9 AND COMMUNITIES INTERNATIONALLY.—In each global 10 strategy submitted under subsection (e), the Special 11 Envoy shall include an analysis of promising practices for 12 preventing and addressing criminalization, discrimination, 13 and violence against LGBTQI+ people and communities 14 internationally, including— 15 (1) a description of successful efforts by foreign 16 governments and nongovernmental organizations to 17 prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimina- 18 tion, and violence against LGBTQI+ people and 19 communities internationally; 20 (2) recommendations related to promising prac- 21 tices, effective strategies, and improvements to en- 22 hance the impact of such prevention and response 23 efforts; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 16 •HR 6056 IH (3) the impact of activities funded by the global 1 strategy in preventing and reducing criminalization, 2 discrimination, and violence against LGBTQI+ peo- 3 ple. 4 SEC. 5. DOCUMENTING AND RESPONDING TO BIAS-MOTI- 5 VATED VIOLENCE AGAINST LGBTQI+ PEOPLE 6 ABROAD. 7 (a) INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED IN 8 ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRAC- 9 TICES.— 10 (1) SECTION 116.—Section 116(d) of the For- 11 eign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)) 12 is amended— 13 (A) in paragraph (11)(C), by striking ‘‘; 14 and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 15 (B) in paragraph (12)(C)(ii), by striking 16 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 17 and 18 (C) by adding at the end the following new 19 paragraph: 20 ‘‘(13) wherever applicable, the nature and ex- 21 tent of criminalization, discrimination, and violence 22 by state and non-state actors based on sexual ori- 23 entation or gender identity, as those terms are de- 24 fined in section 7 of the International Human 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 17 •HR 6056 IH Rights Defense Act of 2025, or sex characteristics, 1 including an identification of those countries that 2 have adopted laws or constitutional provisions that 3 criminalize or discriminate based on such sexual ori- 4 entation, gender identity, or sex characteristics, in- 5 cluding descriptions of such laws and provisions.’’. 6 (2) SECTION 502B.—Section 502B of the For- 7 eign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304) is 8 amended— 9 (A) by redesignating the second subsection 10 (i) (relating to child marriage status) as sub- 11 section (j); and 12 (B) by adding at the end the following new 13 subsection: 14 ‘‘(k) SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, 15 AND SEX CHARACTERISTICS.—The report required under 16 subsection (b) shall include, wherever applicable, the na- 17 ture and extent of criminalization, discrimination, and vio- 18 lence by state and non-state actors based on sexual ori- 19 entation or gender identity, as those terms are defined in 20 section 7 of the International Human Rights Defense Act 21 of 2025, or sex characteristics, including an identification 22 of those countries that have adopted laws or constitutional 23 provisions that criminalize or discriminate based on such 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 18 •HR 6056 IH sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics, 1 including descriptions of such laws and provisions.’’. 2 SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNITED STATES STRAT- 3 EGY TO PREVENT AND RESPOND TO CRIM- 4 INALIZATION, DISCRIMINATION, AND VIO- 5 LENCE AGAINST LGBTQI+ PEOPLE AND COM- 6 MUNITIES INTERNATIONALLY. 7 The Secretary of State is authorized to provide assist- 8 ance to prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimi- 9 nation, and violence against LGBTQI+ people inter- 10 nationally. Such assistance may include the following ac- 11 tivities: 12 (1) Development and implementation of assist- 13 ance programs that respond to human rights abuses 14 against, and the social and economic exclusion of, 15 LGBTQI+ people. 16 (2) Support and capacity building for the devel- 17 opment and enforcement of the laws of foreign gov- 18 ernments pertaining to relevant civil and criminal, 19 legal and judicial sanctions, protection, and training. 20 (3) Enhancement of health sector capacity to 21 detect, prevent, and respond to violence against 22 LGBTQI+ people and communities internationally, 23 and to combat HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQI+ commu- 24 nity internationally, in close coordination with the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 19 •HR 6056 IH Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator and Health 1 Diplomacy of the Department of State. 2 (4) Development of a leadership program for 3 international LGBTQI+ activists that will foster 4 collaboration and knowledge sharing across the 5 world. 6 SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 7 In this Act: 8 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT- 9 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com- 10 mittees’’ means— 11 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations 12 and the Committee on Appropriations of the 13 Senate; and 14 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 15 the Committee on Appropriations of the House 16 of Representatives. 17 (2) GENDER IDENTITY.—The term ‘‘gender 18 identity’’ means the gender-related identity, appear- 19 ance, or mannerisms, or other gender-related charac- 20 teristics of an individual, regardless of the individ- 21 ual’s designated sex at birth. 22 (3) INTERSEX.—The term ‘‘intersex’’ means in- 23 dividuals born with sex characteristics (including 24 genitals, gonads, or chromosome patterns) that vary 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 20 •HR 6056 IH from typical binary notions of male or female bodies 1 and is an umbrella term used to describe a wide 2 range of natural bodily variations. 3 (4) LGBTQI+.—The term ‘‘LGBTQI+’’ 4 means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or 5 intersex. 6 (5) SEXUAL ORIENTATION.—The term ‘‘sexual 7 orientation’’ means actual or perceived homosex- 8 uality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 Nov 24, 2025 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6056.IH H6056 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS