BILL NUMBER: SR 18 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 28, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Senators Leno,
Corbett,
Correa, De León,
Galgiani,
Hancock,
Hill, Jackson,
Lara,
Lieu, Liu,
Roth,
Steinberg, and Wolk
Senator Leno
( Coauthors: Senators Block,
Corbett, Correa, De León,
Evans, Galgiani, Hancock, Hill,
Jackson, Lara, Lieu, Liu,
Roth, Steinberg, Wolk,
and Yee )
AUGUST 12, 2013
Relative to the government of Russia.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HOUSE OR SENATE RESOLUTIONS DO NOT CONTAIN A DIGEST
WHEREAS, The government of Russia has recently undertaken an
aggressive course of action on both the local and national level to
pass laws targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
(LGBT) community; and
WHEREAS, The government of Russia has enacted a law banning the
adoption of Russian-born children by LGBT couples and also by any
couple or single parent living in a country where marriage equality
exists in any form; and
WHEREAS, The government of Russia has enacted a law banning
"propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" that penalizes
LGBT-affirming and positive messages or actions, including, but not
limited to, messages on the Internet, and violates the fundamental
human rights of freedom of speech, assembly, expression, and
equality, all under the guise of protecting children; and
WHEREAS, The Russian Federation Russia
is the host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games; and
WHEREAS, The government of Russia has enacted a vaguely worded law
allowing police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals
who violate the new "gay propaganda" law and detain them for up to 15
days and expel them from Russia; and
WHEREAS, Representatives of the Russian government have indicated
they intend to enforce the new law against visitors and athletes
during the XXII Olympic Winter Games; and
WHEREAS, Representatives of the International Olympic Committee,
rather than condemning the new laws, have indicated their view that
statements in support of LGBT people and LGBT rights would violate
Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits demonstrations or
political, religious, or racial propaganda; and
WHEREAS, Other international events are scheduled to occur in
Russia this year, including the Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow on
November 9, 2013, which is seen by billions of people across the
globe; and
WHEREAS, These laws have already resulted in a significant
increase in homophobia and targeted violence against LGBT people and
caused millions of Russians to live in fear that their government
will target them or remove their children from their homes simply
because of who they are; and
WHEREAS, History repeatedly instructs us that despotic rulers who
scapegoat classes of their own citizens and then legislate their
status as outlaws often move on to initiate genocide against those
same people, especially if the rest of the world remains silent; and
WHEREAS, President Barack Obama has publicly stated that he is
offended by the anti-LGBT laws; and
WHEREAS, Hillary Clinton, as the 67th United States Secretary of
State, stated in a December 2011 Human Rights Day address to the
United Nations, "Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are
gay rights"; and
WHEREAS, Equity shareholders in publicly traded companies can be
instrumental in encouraging responsible corporate citizenship, and
the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California
State Teachers' Retirement System have joined 1,200 other
institutional investors from 50 countries who manage more than $34
trillion in assets to develop and become a signatory to the
Principles for Responsible Investment; and
WHEREAS, Californians expect companies with equity securities held
in a public employee retirement fund's portfolio to be conducted
with integrity and a view toward supporting and protecting
internationally proclaimed human rights; and
WHEREAS, California's history of leadership in socially
responsible public investing serves as a model followed by other
governments and includes divesting in shares of tobacco and gun
companies and banning investments in countries that violate ethical,
labor, and human rights standards, such as South Africa, Iran, and
Sudan; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate
condemns the Russian government's attacks on the LGBT community and
laws targeting LGBT people and their supporters, including tourists,
athletes, and other participants in the XXII Olympic Winter Games;
and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate deplores and condemns all laws and acts
of violence, in both word and in action, that use the government as
an instrument of discrimination, persecution, and legislation against
the LGBT community and its supporters; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate calls upon the President, the United
States Congress, and the United States Department of State to
increase efforts to encourage the decriminalization of homosexuality
in every country and to use all means possible to increase the number
of countries supporting decriminalization, including, but not
limited to, the United Nations, trade and diplomatic relationships,
and the implementation of international treaties and declarations on
human rights; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate urges the International Olympic
Committee to withdraw their statements expressing that support
for LGBT people and their rights is a violation of Rule 50 and to
seek written agreement from the Russian government that the new
"gay propaganda" law will not affect those attending, participating,
or competing in the XXII Olympic Winter Games; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate urges NBCUniversal, as broadcaster of
the XXII Olympic Winter Games in the United States, to increase
awareness of Russia's homophobic laws and the threat they pose to
participating athletes and visitors by discussing them on air at
every opportunity, including during the opening and closing
ceremonies when millions of Americans will be watching; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Senate urges other organizations holding large
internationally televised events in Russia, including the Miss
Universe Organization and its owner Donald Trump, to move their
events to countries without such virulently antigay laws; and be it
further
Resolved, That the Senate strongly encourages the California
Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers'
Retirement System, whenever feasible and consistent with their
fiduciary responsibilities, to cease making direct investments in
Russia and to encourage companies in which employee retirement funds
are invested and that are doing business in Russia not to take
actions that promote or otherwise enable human rights violations in
Russia; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.