GLOBE Act of 2025

Bill Number

H.R. 4245

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

International Affairs

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-06-27: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Last Updated

2026-01-10T06:41:05Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2025 (GLOBE Act of 2025), or H.R. 4245, aims to position the United States as a global leader in protecting the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) people. It addresses violence, discrimination, and criminalization faced by LGBTQI individuals worldwide by enhancing U.S. diplomatic efforts, foreign aid, sanctions, health programs, and immigration protections. The act emphasizes accountability for human rights abuses, inclusive development, and international cooperation to promote equality.

Key Provisions

The legislation includes findings on global LGBTQI challenges (Sec. 2) and outlines several mechanisms to advance protections:

• Documenting and Responding to Violence (Sec. 3):
• Requires annual U.S. State Department human rights reports to detail criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQI people, including specific laws in offending countries.
• Mandates diplomatic posts to gather data on incidents, analyze causes, and develop strategies like capacity-building for civil society and governments.
• Establishes an interagency group, chaired by the Secretary of State, to coordinate responses to threats, advise on sanctions, and share U.S. equality policies with foreign officials.
• Creates a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI Peoples in the State Department to lead international efforts, coordinate programs, and engage in diplomacy.
• Requires training on LGBTQI rights at U.S.-supported international law enforcement academies, focusing on hate crimes.
• Establishes a Senior LGBTQI Coordinator at USAID for inclusive development programming.

• Sanctions for Human Rights Violations (Sec. 4):
• Directs the President to compile and update a public list of foreign individuals responsible for or complicit in abuses like torture, detention, or denial of life/liberty based on sexual orientation, gender identity (a person's internal sense of gender, which may differ from assigned sex at birth), or sex characteristics (physical traits related to biological sex).
• Imposes visa ineligibility, revocation, and inadmissibility on listed individuals and their immediate family members, with exceptions for national security or humanitarian reasons.
• Encourages additional sanctions under existing laws and requires annual reports on implementation, international coordination, and impacts.

• Combating Criminalization (Sec. 5):
• Requires annual State Department reviews of global progress toward decriminalizing LGBTQI status, expression, or conduct, including obstacles and U.S. strategies.
• Prioritizes Department of Justice programs for legal reforms and U.S.-sponsored exchanges to promote LGBTQI rights through education.

• Foreign Assistance and Funds (Sec. 6):
• Establishes the Global Equality Fund for grants to civil society organizations advancing LGBTQI rights, such as protecting freedoms and ending discrimination; accepts contributions from various donors.
• Creates the LGBTQI Global Development Partnership at USAID to build leadership capacity, support research, and promote economic empowerment.
• Prohibits U.S. aid to entities discriminating in access to programs based on gender identity or sexual orientation (attraction to the same, opposite, or both sexes); requires monitoring and reporting.
• Tracks and reports on U.S. aid spending for LGBTQI programs.

• Global Health Inclusivity (Sec. 7):
• Ensures PEPFAR (U.S. program to fight HIV/AIDS globally) equitably serves LGBTQI people through training and notifications of implementation barriers.
• Requires reports on misuse of U.S.-funded health commodities in prosecutions for sex work or consensual activity, impacts of index testing (partner notification for HIV), and the "global gag rule" (Mexico City Policy restricting abortion-related aid).
• Removes eligibility restrictions on foreign NGOs providing certain health services with non-U.S. funds, amending laws like the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS Act.

• Immigration Reforms (Sec. 8):
• Recognizes persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity as grounds for asylum or refugee status via "particular social group" membership.
• Repeals the one-year asylum filing deadline and requires reporting on LGBTQI-based applications.
• Defines "permanent partners" (committed, non-marital relationships) for immigration benefits like spouses.
• Mandates government-appointed counsel for indigent aliens in removal proceedings.
• Grants Priority 2 refugee processing for LGBTQI individuals from persecutory countries and ensures safe resettlement.
• Establishes training for immigration interviewers on LGBTQI sensitivity.
• Presumes release from detention for vulnerable groups (including LGBTQI people) unless alternatives fail; limits detention duration and requires weekly reviews.
• Prohibits involuntary segregation of LGBTQI detainees except for protection, with factors for safe housing.

• Passports and Citizenship (Sec. 9):
• Allows self-selection of sex markers (e.g., nonbinary "X") on passports and birth reports.
• Clarifies U.S. citizenship transmission to children born abroad via assistive reproductive technology, without requiring biological links if legally recognized.

• International Engagement (Sec. 10):
• Urges U.S. leadership in UN, World Bank, and regional bodies to include LGBTQI protections in norms and programs.
• Promotes coordination via the Equal Rights Coalition and other multilateral mechanisms.

• U.S. Personnel Abroad (Sec. 11):
• Directs diplomatic efforts to secure visas for LGBTQI U.S. diplomats and families; requires a list of non-compliant countries and actions.
• Ensures post information includes LGBTQI considerations for adults and children; mandates nondiscrimination in U.S.-supported overseas schools.

• Definitions (Sec. 12):
• Clarifies terms like "gender identity," "sexual orientation," "LGBTQI," and "vulnerable group" (e.g., LGBTQI individuals, trauma survivors).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Foreign Assistance Act of 1961: Adds LGBTQI-specific reporting requirements to annual human rights reports (Secs. 116 and 502B).
• Immigration and Nationality Act: Deems sexual orientation/gender identity persecution as "particular social group" basis for asylum; repeals one-year filing deadline; expands "marriage" to include permanent partnerships; mandates counsel for indigent aliens; limits detention for vulnerable groups.
• U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003: Removes restrictions on foreign NGOs providing reproductive health services; eliminates anti-prostitution pledge requirements.
• Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000: Strikes similar NGO eligibility limits.
• Introduces new entities (e.g., Special Envoy, funds) and sanctions mechanisms not previously targeted at LGBTQI abuses.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: Increases workload for State Department (new envoy, reporting, diplomacy), USAID (coordinator, partnerships, tracking), DHS (training, detention limits, resettlement), and DOJ (prosecutorial aid). Requires interagency coordination and budgeting for funds/training.
• Citizens: Enhances protections for U.S. LGBTQI diplomats abroad (visa advocacy, post info) and immigrants/asylum seekers (easier asylum, counsel, release presumptions), potentially reducing trauma in detention/refugee processes.
• International Relations: Could strain ties with countries criminalizing LGBTQI conduct (e.g., via sanctions, aid conditions), but strengthen alliances with rights-supportive nations through multilateral engagement. Promotes U.S. soft power by exporting equality models, potentially influencing global norms and trade agreements.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• LGBTQI Individuals: Globally (protection from violence/criminalization, access to aid/health/asylum); U.S.-based (safer diplomatic service, inclusive citizenship/passports).
• U.S. Government Agencies: State Department, USAID, DHS, DOJ (new roles, compliance, reporting).
• Foreign Governments and Entities: Targeted by sanctions/reports; eligible for U.S. training/exchanges but face aid restrictions if discriminatory.
• Civil Society and NGOs: Recipients of funds/partnerships; partners in monitoring/abuse response.
• International Organizations: UN, World Bank, Equal Rights Coalition (increased U.S. advocacy for inclusivity).
• U.S. Businesses/Diplomats: Private sector visa support; diverse personnel deployment.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Expands human rights enforcement via targeted sanctions and aid conditions, potentially facing challenges under international law (e.g., sovereignty interference). Aligns domestic immigration with Supreme Court precedents like Bostock v. Clayton County (prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation/gender identity). Removes unconstitutional barriers (e.g., anti-prostitution oath, per 2013 Supreme Court ruling).
• Constitutional: Supports equal protection under the 14th Amendment by promoting nondiscrimination in U.S. programs; enhances due process in immigration via counsel and detention limits, reducing risks of arbitrary deprivation of liberty.
• Political: Reinforces U.S. human rights leadership, building on executive actions (e.g., Obama/Biden memos), but may polarize foreign policy in conservative regimes. Bipartisan sponsorship signals domestic consensus, though implementation could spark debates on aid allocation and diplomatic priorities.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1]

Cosponsors (56)

Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42], Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15], Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9], Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6], Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10], Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8], Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26], Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7], Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35], Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1], Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6], Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-6], Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7], Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32], Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10], Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31], Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5] and 6 more

Recent Actions

• 2025-06-27: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-06-27: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• 2025-06-27: Introduced in House
• 2025-06-27: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2025 — issued 2025-06-27 — PDF (57 pages)

Related Bills

• S. 2231 (119th Congress)