,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #djjg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ah1     
#bjbj,mr4 ,casey 7for himself and ,ms4  
,cortez ,masto7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,finance  ,a      
,,bill  ,to amend the ,trade ,act of    
#aigd to modify the eligibility         
requirements for the ,generalized       
,system of ,preferences to strengthen   
worker protections and to ensure that   
beneficiary developing countries afford 
equal rights and protection under the   
law1 regardless of gender1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,women's ,economic  
,empowerment in ,trade ,act of #bjbj4   
#b4 ,modification of eligibility        
requirements for ,generalized ,system of
 ,preferences  7a7 ,in general ,section 
#ejb of the ,trade ,act of #aigd 7#ai   
,u4,s4,c4 #bdfb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in   
subsection 7b77#b7-- 7,a7 in            
subparagraph 7,g71 by striking has not  

taken or is not taking steps to and     
inserting does not substantially2  7,b7 
by inserting after subparagraph 7,h7 the
 following3  7,i7 ,such country does not
 substantially afford equal rights and  
protection under the law1 regardless of 
gender1 in the country 7including in any
 designated zone in that country74  7,j7
 ,such country engages in gross         
violations of internationally recognized
 human rights in that country 7including
 any designated zone in that country74  
2 and  7,c7 in the flush text1 by       
striking and 7,h7 7to the extent        
described in section #ejg7f77;,d77 and  
inserting 7,h7 7to the extent described 
in section #ejg7f77;,d771 and 7,i72 and 
7#b7 in subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 in        
paragraph 7#f77;,b71 by striking 2 and  
and inserting a semicolon2 and  7,b7 by 
striking paragraph 7#g7 and inserting   
the following3  7#g7 the extent to which
 such country affords to workers in that
 country 7including any designated zone 
in that country7 internationally        

recognized worker rights2 and  7#h7 the 
extent to which such country affords    
equal rights and protection under the   
law1 regardless of gender1 in that      
country 7including any designated zone  
in that country74  4  7b7 ,collection   
and dissemination of information on     
eligibility criteria ,section #ejb of   
the ,trade ,act of #aigd 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 
#bdfb7 is amended by adding at the end  
the following3  7g7 ,collection and     
dissemination of information on         
eligibility criteria ,the ,president    
shall-- 7#a7 collect1 from the ,united  
,states embassy in each country         
designated as a beneficiary developing  
country for purposes of this title1     
information on the extent to which the  
country meets the eligibility criteria  
described in subparagraphs 7,g71 7,h71  
and 7,i7 of subsection 7b77#b72 and     
7#b7 publish on a publicly accessible   
internet website of the ,office of the  
,united ,states ,trade ,representative--
 7,a7 the information collected under   

paragraph 7#a72 and  7,b7 information on
 the process for filing a petition for  
the review of the eligibility of a      
country for designation as a beneficiary
 developing country4  7h7 ,publication  
of determinations relating to petitions 
for review ,the ,united ,states ,trade  
,representative shall publish in the    
,federal ,register a notice of1 and the 
rationale for1 any determination of the 
,trade ,representative with respect to a
 petition for review of the eligibility 
of a country for designation as a       
beneficiary developing country1         
including a determination-- 7#a7 to     
accept or deny such a petition2  7#b7 to
 continue to review the eligibility of  
the country2 or  7#c7 to withdraw1      
suspend1 or limit the application of    
duty-free treatment under this title    
with respect to the country4  4  7c7    
,definitions ,section #ejg of the ,trade
 ,act of #aigd 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #bdfg7 is 
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#d7-- 7,a7 
in subparagraph 7,d71 by striking 2 and 

and inserting a semicolon2  7,b7 in     
subparagraph 7,e71 by striking the      
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7,c7 by adding at the end the      
following3  7,f7 the elimination of all 
forms of discrimination with respect to 
occupation and employment2 and  7,g7 the
 elimination of all forms of violence   
and harassment in the world of work1    
including gender-based violence and     
harassment4  2 and  7#b7 by adding at   
the end the following3  7#g7 ,equal     
rights and protection under the law ,the
 term equal rights and protection under 
the law refers to measures that provide 
the same rights1 privileges1 and        
protections to all citizens1 including  
legal protections to ensure equal access
 and protections on the basis of gender 
regardless of marital status1 including 
with respect to-- 7,a7 all              
internationally recognized worker       
rights2  7,b7 mobility1 including       
obtaining identification that allows for
 mobility2  7,c7 employment conditions1 

including opportunities1 remuneration   
including benefits and equal treatment  
and pay in respect of work of equal     
value and protections from dismissal and
 other adverse employment actions on the
 grounds of pregnancy2  7,d7 access to  
financial services1 including bank      
accounts1 loans1 mortgages1 and credit2 
7,e7 assets1 including property and     
inheritance rights2  7,f7 access to     
education2  7,g7 access to public       
institutions1 including courts2  7,h7   
protections from violence and           
harassment1 including gender-based      
violence and harassment2  7,i7 marriage1
 divorce1 and child custody2 and  7,j7  
participation in all levels of          
government and nongovernmental          
organizations and associations concerned
 with the public and political life of  
the country4  4  #c4 ,supplemental      
review and reporting  7a7 ,policy of the
 ,united ,states ,it is the policy of   
the ,united ,states to support gender   
equality and worker rights by promoting 

legal reforms that address legal1       
structural1 and social barriers that    
constrain the full and free economic    
participation of all workers in the     
global economy4  7b7 ,review of         
compliance  7#a7 ,in general ,title ,v  
of the ,trade ,act of #aigd 7#ai        
,u4,s4,c4 #bdfa et seq47 is amended by  
inserting after section #ejd the        
following3  #ejd;,a4 ,review of         
compliance relating to internationally  
recognized worker rights and equal      
rights and protection under the law  7a7
 ,in general ,not less frequently than  
annually1 the ,united ,states ,trade    
,representative and the ,deputy         
,undersecretary of ,labor for           
,international ,affairs1 in consultation
 with the policy advisory committee on  
labor established under section         
#ace7;c77#a71 shall jointly-- 7#a7      
review the laws of each beneficiary     
developing country related to the       
compliance of the country with          
internationally recognized worker rights

 and the affording of equal rights and  
protection under the law1 regardless of 
gender1 in each of the categories       
described in subsection 7b72  7#b7      
assess the legal rights and protections 
afforded in such counties and the extent
 to which the country continues to meet 
the eligibility criteria described in   
subparagraphs 7,g71 7,h71 and 7,i7 of   
section #ejb7;b77#b72 and  7#c7 submit  
to ,congress a report on the laws of and
 legal rights and protections afforded  
in such countries4  7b7 ,categories     
described ,the categories described in  
this subsection are the following3 7#a7 
,internationally recognized worker      
rights4  7#b7 ,mobility4  7#c7          
,employment conditions1 benefits and    
pay1 including equal pay for equal work 
and removal of employment restrictions4 
7#d7 ,entrepreneurship4  7#e7 ,assets1  
including property and inheritance      
rights4  7#f7 ,equal access to          
education4  7#g7 ,access to             
institutions4  7#h7 ,protections from   

violence and harassment1 including      
gender-based violence and harassment4   
7#i7 ,marriage1 divorce1 and child      
custody4  7c7 ,failure ,to comply ,if1  
in the report required by subsection 7a7
 for #e consecutive years1 the ,trade   
,representative and the ,deputy         
,undersecretary1 in consultation with   
the policy advisory committee on labor  
established under section #ace7;c77#a71 
determine that the laws of and legal    
rights and protections afforded in a    
beneficiary developing country fail to  
meet the eligibility criteria described 
in subparagraphs 7,g71 7,h71 and 7,i7 of
 section #ejb7;b77#b71 the benefits     
provided to that country under this     
title shall be reduced by such amount   
and in such manner as the ,trade        
,representative considers appropriate4  
7d7 ,metrics ,the ,trade ,representative
 and the ,deputy ,undersecretary shall  
establish metrics for the conduct of    
reviews and assessments under subsection
 7a74  7e7 ,measurement of women's      

economic empowerment ,to support the    
measurement of women's economic         
empowerment1 the ,trade ,representative 
shall encourage and support the         
reporting by beneficiary developing     
countries of sex-disaggregated economic 
and business data1 including the        
gathering of information consistent with
 the ,united ,nations ,sustainable      
,development ,goals1 particularly the   
goals relating to gender equality and   
decent work4  4  7#b7 ,clerical         
amendment ,the table of contents for the
 ,trade ,act of #aigd is amended by     
inserting after the item relating to    
section #ejd the following3  ,sec4      
#ejd;,a4 ,review of compliance relating 
to internationally recognized worker    
rights and equal rights and protection  
under the law4  4