Combating Human Rights Abuses Act of 2024

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9772 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9772

 To require the Secretary of Commerce to provide training and guidance 
  relating to human rights abuses, including such abuses perpetrated 
    against the Uyghur population by the Government of the People's 
               Republic of China, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 24, 2024

  Mr. Curtis introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Commerce to provide training and guidance 
  relating to human rights abuses, including such abuses perpetrated 
    against the Uyghur population by the Government of the People's 
               Republic of China, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Combating Human Rights Abuses Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RELATING 
              TO AWARENESS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce shall provide training 
described in subsection (b) to such employees of the Department of 
Commerce who provide counseling services to businesses engaged in 
interstate commerce or foreign direct investment as the Secretary 
considers appropriate.
    (b) Contents of Training.--The training required under subsection 
(a) shall be--
            (1) designed to raise awareness about emerging trends and 
        issues with respect to human rights abuses perpetrated by the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China, including the use 
        of forced labor, against Uyghurs and other ethnic minority 
        populations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; and
            (2) incorporated to the greatest extent possible into 
        existing training provided by the Department of Commerce.
    (c) Timing.--The training required under subsection (a) shall be 
offered and updated at such times as the Secretary considers 
appropriate.

SEC. 3. GUIDANCE FOR UNITED STATES BUSINESSES RELATING TO AWARENESS OF 
              HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce shall--
            (1) offer guidance for United States businesses engaged in 
        interstate commerce or foreign direct investment, including 
        such businesses that are, or are considering, conducting 
        transactions with entities subject to the control or influence 
        of jurisdictions where significant human rights abuses have 
        occurred, such as the People's Republic of China; and
            (2) incorporate the guidance required under paragraph (1) 
        into any counseling services that the Department of Commerce 
        provides to such businesses as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (b) Contents of Guidance.--The guidance required under subsection 
(a) shall--
            (1) provide information about emerging trends and issues 
        involving human rights abuses perpetrated by the Government of 
        the People's Republic of China, consisting of the use of forced 
        labor against Uyghurs and other ethnic minority populations in 
        the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, including information 
        about--
                    (A) risk factors that may be used to identify 
                entities subject to the influence or control of 
                jurisdictions such as the People's Republic of China 
                that may be implicated in human rights abuses;
                    (B) ways to avoid doing business with entities 
                described in subparagraph (A); and
                    (C) potential reputational, economic, legal, and 
                other risks of conducting transactions with an entity 
                described in subparagraph (A); and
            (2) make clear that the guidance is for advisory purposes 
        only.
                                 <all>