HR 590 · 114th Congress 2015–2017, ended

International Human Rights Defense Act of 2015

Introduced Jan 28, 2015 Originated House Sponsor Alan S. Lowenthal D-CA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Feb 11, 2015 Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedJan 28, 2015
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

International Human Rights Defense Act of 2015

Directs the Secretary of State to establish in the Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Peoples who shall:

  • direct U.S. government efforts regarding the human rights of LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender);
  • represent the United States in diplomatic matters relevant to the human rights of LGBT people, including discrimination and violence against LGBT people;
  • serve as the principal advisor to the Secretary of State regarding human rights for LGBT people; and
  • implement activities regarding support, education, resettlement, and empowerment of LGBT people.

Directs the Special Envoy to develop or update annually for five years a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to discrimination and violence against LGBT people.

Authorizes the Secretary and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide assistance to prevent and respond to discrimination and violence against LGBT people.

Cosponsors 64

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 28, 2015 to Dec 1, 2016; 44 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-WAAdam SmithOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-FLAlan GraysonOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-FLAlcee L. HastingsOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CAAnna G. EshooOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CABarbara LeeOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-MNBetty McCollumOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CABrad ShermanOriginalJan 28, 2015
R-NYChristopher P. GibsonOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-RIDavid N. CicillineOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-WADerek KilmerOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-NVDina TitusOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-TXEddie Bernice JohnsonOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-DCEleanor Holmes NortonOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-NYEliot L. EngelOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CTElizabeth H. EstyOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-FLFrederica S. WilsonOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-VAGerald E. ConnollyOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-GAHenry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.OriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CAJackie SpeierOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CTJames A. HimesOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-MAJames P. McGovernOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-COJared PolisOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-WAJim McDermottOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-MNKeith EllisonOriginalJan 28, 2015
I-AZKyrsten SinemaOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-ILLuis V. GutierrezOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-WIMark PocanOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CAMark TakanoOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-PAMatt CartwrightOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CAMichael M. HondaOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-ILMike QuigleyOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-NYNydia M. VelázquezOriginalJan 28, 2015
R-NYRichard L. HannaOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CAScott H. PetersOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-NYSean Patrick MaloneyOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-TXSheila Jackson LeeOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-TNSteve CohenOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CASusan A. DavisOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-WASuzan K. DelBeneOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CATed LieuOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-FLTheodore E. DeutchOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-CATony CárdenasOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-MAWilliam R. KeatingOriginalJan 28, 2015
D-NYJerrold NadlerJan 30, 2015
D-CAJudy ChuFeb 2, 2015
D-NYGrace MengFeb 5, 2015
D-OREarl BlumenauerFeb 12, 2015
D-CODiana DeGetteFeb 24, 2015
D-AZRaúl M. GrijalvaFeb 24, 2015
D-NYSteve IsraelFeb 24, 2015
D-CAAdam B. SchiffFeb 25, 2015
D-NYKathleen M. RiceFeb 26, 2015
D-MANiki TsongasApr 21, 2015
D-CALucille Roybal-AllardApr 28, 2015
D-ILBobby L. RushMay 12, 2015
D-VADonald S. Beyer, Jr.May 26, 2015
D-CADoris O. MatsuiJun 1, 2015
D-AZAnn KirkpatrickOct 6, 2015
D-CAZoe LofgrenOct 9, 2015
D-ILTammy DuckworthOct 20, 2015
D-NJDonald NorcrossMar 1, 2016
D-PAMichael F. DoyleMar 23, 2016
D-WADenny HeckDec 1, 2016

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseForeign Affairs Committee
Referred Jan 28, 2015
Africa Subcommittee
Referred Feb 11, 2015

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Feb 11, 2015Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.
  2. Jan 28, 2015Introduced in House
  3. Jan 28, 2015Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 8.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 14, January 28, 2015, page H663.

Related bills 1

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 302International Human Rights Defense Act of 2015Identical billJan 29, 2015

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To establish in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Department of State a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Peoples.
Short Titles as Introduced
International Human Rights Defense Act of 2015

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: International Affairs.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Jan 28, 2015Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.