Sec. 7. Foreign assistance to protect human rights of LGBTI people
637 words·~3 min read·
/bill/116/s/3004/is/section-7A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of State shall establish a fund, which shall be known as the Global Equality Fund and shall be managed by the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The Global Equality Fund shall consist of such sums as may be appropriated to provide grants, emergency assistance, and technical assistance to eligible civil society organizations and human rights defenders working to advance and protect human rights for all including LGBTI persons, by seeking to achieve the goals set forth in paragraph (3).
The Secretary may accept financial and technical contributions to the Global Equality Fund from corporations, bilateral donors, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, and other entities supporting the goals set forth in paragraph (3). The goals set forth in this paragraph are— ensuring the freedoms of assembly, association, and expression; protecting persons or groups against the threat of violence, including medically unnecessary interventions performed on intersex infants; advocating against laws that criminalize LGBTI status, expression, or conduct or discriminate against individuals on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics; ending explicit and implicit forms of discrimination in the workplace, housing, education, and other public institutions or services; and building community awareness and support for the human rights of LGBTI persons.
In providing assistance through the Global Equality Fund, the Secretary shall ensure due consideration and appropriate prioritization of assistance to groups that have historically been excluded from programs undertaken to achieve the goals set forth in paragraph (3). The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall establish a partnership, which shall be known as the LGBTI Global Development Partnership , to leverage the financial and technical contributions of corporations, bilateral donors, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, and universities to support the human rights and development of LGBTI persons around the world by supporting programs, projects, and activities for the purposes set forth in paragraph (2).
The purposes set forth in this paragraph are— strengthening the capacity of LGBTI leaders and civil society organizations; training LGBTI leaders to effectively participate in democratic processes and lead civil institutions; conducting research to inform national, regional, or global policies and programs; and promoting economic empowerment through enhanced LGBTI entrepreneurship and business development. In coordinating programs, projects, and activities through the Global Equality Fund or the Global Development Partnership, the Secretary of State shall consult, as appropriate, with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies.
The Secretary of State shall submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the work of, successes obtained, and challenges faced by, the Global Equality Fund and the LGBTI Global Development Partnership established pursuant to this section. None of the amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to provide United States assistance for any humanitarian, development, or global health programs may be made available to any contractor, grantee, or implementing partner, unless such recipient— ensures that the program, project, or activity funded by such amounts are made available to all elements of the population, except to the extent that such program, project, or activity targets a population because of the higher assessed risk of negative outcomes among such populations; undertakes to make every reasonable effort to ensure that each subcontractor or subgrantee of such recipient complies with the requirement under subparagraph (A); and agrees to return all amounts awarded or otherwise provided by the United States, including such additional penalties as the Secretary of State may determine to be appropriate, if the recipient does not comply with the requirement under subparagraph (A).
The Secretary of State shall submit a quarterly report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the methods by which the Department of State monitors compliance with the requirement under paragraph (1)(A).