H.R. 2116: Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act

This bill, known as the Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act, aims to enhance efforts against transnational repression, which refers to actions taken by foreign governments to intimidate, threaten, or harm individuals, especially those who oppose their regimes. Here is an overview of its main components:

Public Service Announcement Campaign

The bill requires the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to oversee the creation of a public service announcement campaign. This campaign is intended to:

• Educate the public and international allies about transnational repression and related terrorism threats.
• Inform victims about resources available to them, including how to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to report suspected acts of transnational repression and related threats anonymously.
• Distribute these announcements in languages deemed relevant by the Secretary.

Research and Development

Within one year of the bill's enactment, the Secretary, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology, will be tasked with conducting research and development. This includes:

• Operational testing of technologies and techniques aimed at supporting various law enforcement agencies (federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial) in countering transnational repression.
• Ensuring that such research and efforts comply with constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections.

Definitions

The bill includes specific definitions related to the topics it addresses:

• Agent of a foreign government: An individual or entity acting under the direction or control of a foreign government.
• Foreign government: The government of any foreign country.
• Transnational repression: Actions by a foreign government or its agents that aim to coerce or threaten individuals in a way that infringes on their rights, including:
  • Coercion or harassment that includes threats of violence.
  • Actions that suppress individuals' rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
  • Extrajudicial killings.
• United States person: Defined according to specific provisions in existing law.

Clerical Amendment

The bill also includes a clerical amendment to update the table of contents of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reflect the new section on the public service announcement campaign.

Relevant Companies

None found.