Combating Human Rights Abuses Act of 2023 (S.484)
The Combating Human Rights Abuses Act of 2023 (S.484) was introduced by Senator Gary C. Peters (D-MI), cosponsored by Senator Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY), on February 16, 2023.
The bill mandates the Department of Commerce to provide human rights counsel and training to U.S. firms, particularly those considering dealings with entities under the influence of governments where substantial human rights violations have occurred. Such guidelines must address concerns such as (1) the human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese government, (2) risk indicators that can be used to identify entities exposed to the influence of governments implicated in human rights violations, and (3) strategies to avoid doing business with such firms.
The bill would:
- Require the Secretary of Commerce to provide training designed to raise awareness about emerging trends and issues with respect to human rights abuses occurring worldwide, such as human rights abuses perpetrated by the Government of the People’s Republic of China against Uyghurs and other ethnic minority populations in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
- Would require the Secretary of Commerce to offer guidance on the reputational, economic, legal and other risks of doing business with such entities
- And would require the Secretary of Commerce to offer guidance on ways to avoid doing business where significant human rights abuses have occurred, such as the People’s Republic of China; and provide information that describes human rights abuses perpetrated by them.