HR 2116
Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act
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Bill overview
This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to launch a public service announcement campaign to educate the public and international allies about transnational repression and terrorism threats related to it. It also mandates research and development into technologies and techniques to support law enforcement efforts in countering transnational repression, defining key terms like ‘agent of a foreign government’ and ‘transnational repression’ for clarity. The campaign will be conducted in languages deemed relevant by the Secretary.
Key provisions
- Creates a public service announcement campaign to raise awareness about transnational repression.
- Requires research and development of technologies to support counter-transnational repression efforts.
- Defines ‘agent of a foreign government’ and ‘transnational repression’ for legal purposes.
- Directs the Department of Homeland Security to conduct the campaign and research.
- Specifies that the campaign should be conducted in relevant languages.
- Establishes a timeframe for the research and development activities.
- Includes protections for constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
- Clarifies the definition of a ‘United States person’.
Who is affected
- Department of Homeland Security
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies
- International Allies
- United States Persons
Notable changes
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Primary sponsor
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 2116
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to conduct a law enforcement support and counter transnational repression public service announcement campaign, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act
.
Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
The Secretary shall direct the Office of Partnership and Engagement of the Department to conduct a public service announcement campaign educating the public and international allies on the issue of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression and the resources available to victims of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression, including the appropriate manners of contacting the Federal Bureau of Investigation to anonymously report suspected acts of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression.
Public service announcement campaigns under paragraph (1) should be carried out in languages determined relevant by the Secretary.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department, shall, to the extent practicable, carry out research and development, including operational testing, of technologies and techniques for enhancing the Department’s support to Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials relating to countering transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression, in accordance with applicable constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections.
In this section:
The term agent of a foreign government
means an individual or entity that operates subject to the direction or control of—
a foreign government; or
an official or entity of such foreign government.
The term foreign government
means the government of a foreign country.
The term transnational repression
means an action of a foreign government or an agent of a foreign government that satisfies each of the following:
The action involves—
any effort intended to coerce, harass, or digitally or physically threaten, including by force or reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury or imprisonment of a person or an immediate family member of a person, a person to take an action in the interest of such a foreign government;
any effort intended to harass or coerce, including by force or fear, a person to forebear from exercising their First Amendment rights or any other right guaranteed to the person by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to retaliate against a person for having exercised such a right;
an extrajudicial killing; or
any act intended to further the efforts specified in clause (i), (ii), or (iii).
The action is engaged in for or in the interests of such a foreign government.
The action—
occurs, in whole or in part, in the United States; or
is committed against a United States person.
The term United States person
has the meaning given such term in section 1637(d)(10) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. Buck
McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2015 (50 U.S.C. 1708(d)(10)).
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 890D the following new item: