Skip to main content
HR 1857 116th Congress House International Affairs Crime prevention Department of State Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad Executive agency funding and structure Foreign aid and international relief Government information and archives Hate crimes Human rights International organizations and cooperation Law enforcement officers Military education and training Public contracts and procurement Refugees, asylum, displaced persons Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination Violent crime

International Human Rights Defense Act of 2019

Introduced: February 26, 2020 See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 25, 2019
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mar 25, 2019
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

International Human Rights Defense Act of 2019

This bill establishes in the Department of State a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or intersex) Peoples who shall serve as the principal State Department advisor regarding human rights for LGBTI people and represent the United States in diplomatic matters relevant to the human rights of LGBTI people.

The special envoy shall periodically provide Congress with a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI people. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development may provide assistance to prevent and respond to such activities against LGBTI people.

The bill also requires that annual country reports on human rights practices include information on criminalization, discrimination, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

What's happening now March 25, 2019

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 861 Identical bill International Human Rights Defense Act of 2019
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 167
All 167 Democratic 131
D
Sewell, Terri A.
Alabama · Oct 20, 2020
 D
Harder, Josh
California · Oct 9, 2020
Delgado, Antonio
· Sep 16, 2020
 D
Clyburn, James E.
South Carolina · Sep 15, 2020
 D
Neal, Richard E.
Massachusetts · Sep 15, 2020
 D
Ruiz, Raul
California · Sep 15, 2020
 D
DeGette, Diana
Colorado · Sep 14, 2020
 D
Veasey, Marc A.
Texas · Sep 14, 2020
 D
Waters, Maxine
California · Sep 14, 2020
Axne, Cynthia
· Sep 11, 2020
Crist, Charlie
· Sep 11, 2020
DOYLE, MIKE
· Sep 11, 2020
 D
Evans, Dwight
Pennsylvania · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Fletcher, Lizzie
Texas · Sep 11, 2020
Fudge, Marcia
· Sep 11, 2020
 D
Garcia, Sylvia R.
Texas · Sep 11, 2020
 D
García, Jesús G. "Chuy"
Illinois · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Golden, Jared F.
Maine · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Gomez, Jimmy
California · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Gottheimer, Josh
New Jersey · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Green, Al
Texas · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Hoyer, Steny H.
Maryland · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Keating, William R.
Massachusetts · Sep 11, 2020
Kirkpatrick, Ann
· Sep 11, 2020
 D
Lee, Susie
Nevada · Sep 11, 2020
Loebsack, David
· Sep 11, 2020
LOWEY, NITA
· Sep 11, 2020
 D
McBath, Lucy
Georgia · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria
New York · Sep 11, 2020
Pascrell, Bill
· Sep 11, 2020
 D
Scott, Robert C. "Bobby"
Virginia · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Slotkin, Elissa
Michigan · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Underwood, Lauren
Illinois · Sep 11, 2020
 D
Blunt Rochester, Lisa
Delaware · Sep 1, 2020
 D
Courtney, Joe
Connecticut · Sep 1, 2020
 D
Crow, Jason
Colorado · Sep 1, 2020
 D
Dean, Madeleine
Pennsylvania · Sep 1, 2020
Sarbanes, John
· Sep 1, 2020
 D
Case, Ed
Hawaii · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Chu, Judy
California · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Costa, Jim
California · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Davids, Sharice
Kansas · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Levin, Mike
California · Aug 28, 2020
McNerney, Jerry
· Aug 28, 2020
 D
Norcross, Donald
New Jersey · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Pressley, Ayanna
Massachusetts · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Schrier, Kim
Washington · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Stevens, Haley M.
Michigan · Aug 28, 2020
 D
Cisneros, Gilbert Ray
California · Aug 18, 2020
 D
Hayes, Jahana
Connecticut · Aug 18, 2020
Page 1 of 4 Next
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1857: International Human Rights Defense Act of 2019. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1857/
MLA
"H.R. 1857: International Human Rights Defense Act of 2019." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1857/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1857, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1857/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1857: International Human Rights Defense Act of 2019](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1857/)
Report a problem