[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3151 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3151

  To prohibit United States nationals, permanent resident aliens, or 
 United States Government agencies from entering into agreements with 
 foreign persons who prevent or inhibit a United States business from 
 undertaking a commercial activity, or otherwise discriminate against 
   the business, on the basis of the religious beliefs, practices or 
  associations, sexual orientation, race, or gender of an individual 
  associated with the United States business, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 17, 2001

  Mr. Gilman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committees 
     on Financial Services, and 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit United States nationals, permanent resident aliens, or 
 United States Government agencies from entering into agreements with 
 foreign persons who prevent or inhibit a United States business from 
 undertaking a commercial activity, or otherwise discriminate against 
   the business, on the basis of the religious beliefs, practices or 
  associations, sexual orientation, race, or gender of an individual 
  associated with the United States business, 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 ``Freedom to Trade Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN AGREEMENTS.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a United States 
national, a permanent resident alien, or a United States Government 
agency may not enter into an agreement, including an agreement to 
provide a loan, guarantee, credit, or other financing, with a foreign 
person who directly or indirectly prevents or inhibits a United States 
business from undertaking a commercial activity, or otherwise 
discriminates against the business, on the basis of the religious 
beliefs, practices or associations, sexual orientation, race, or gender 
of an individual with an ownership interest in the United States 
business, an employee of the business, or an agent of the business.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE.

    The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States 
executive director of each international financial institution to use 
the voice and vote of the United States to oppose any assistance from 
that financial institution to any foreign person that engages in any of 
the conduct described in section 2.

SEC. 4. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN ALIENS.

    (a) Exclusion.--The Secretary of State shall deny a visa to, and 
the Attorney General shall exclude from the United States, any alien 
who the Secretary of State determines is a person who, after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, engages in any of the conduct described 
in section 2.
    (b) Effective Date.--Subsection (a) applies to an alien seeking to 
enter the United States on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commercial activity.--The term ``commercial activity'' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 1603(d) of title 28, 
        United States Code.
            (2) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means any 
        foreign person or entity, including the government of a foreign 
        country, a foreign business, or a foreign nongovernmental 
        organization.
            (3) Government of a foreign country.--(A) The term 
        ``government of a foreign country'' includes the government of 
        any political subdivision of the country, and any agency or 
        instrumentality of the government of the country.
            (B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term ``agency or 
        instrumentality of the government of the country'' means an 
        agency or instrumentality of a foreign state as defined in 
        section 1603(b) of title 28, United States Code.
            (4) Permanent resident alien.--The term ``permanent 
        resident alien'' means an alien lawfully admitted for permanent 
        residence into the United States.
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