S. 1846Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

SPEECH Act of 2021

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 3:38 AM UTC

The SPEECH Act of 2021 directs the Commerce Secretary, together with the State Department, intelligence officials, and other agencies, to review and potentially tighten U.S. export controls on items that have critical capabilities that could be used for human‑rights abuses. A review must be finished within 180 days of enactment, and within 60 days after that the agencies must decide whether new controls are needed. The bill applies to exporters, re‑exporters, and in‑country transfers of such items and seeks cooperation from other governments.

Key Provisions

Requires a review of items subject to export controls for crime‑control reasons, focusing on those that could enable human‑rights abuses, to be completed within 180 days.
Mandates that, within 60 days after the review, the Commerce Secretary may add export controls on additional items, especially those used for censorship, surveillance, internet restriction, biometric identification, or DNA sequencing.
Allows the Secretary to impose end‑use and end‑user restrictions when the exporter knows, or is informed, that the item will be used for human‑rights abuses.
Requires other federal agencies to cooperate with the Commerce Secretary in carrying out the review and controls.
Calls for the United States to seek similar export‑control measures from foreign governments.
Amends the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to add “serious human rights abuses” as a reason for control.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

May 26, 2021

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 26, 2021

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

May 26, 2021

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 1846 on the floor

2 Democrats

Sen. Tim KaineD-VA · May 26, 2021

Mr. President, amid high unemployment rates across the Country exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses continue to face challenges in hiring the skilled workers they need to grow and thrive. Simultaneously, individuals looking for work may not have the skills and support that they need to enter or renter--and remain--in the workforce. Unfortunately the pandemic has slowed the number of students attending some form of postsecondary education, but even prior to the pandemic the supply of middle-skilled workers, whose work requires more than a high school diploma but not a four-year degree, fell short of industry demand. It's important that States make strategic investments now to set students up for success in the constantly-evolving labor market, and the best training for high-wage, high-skill, or in-demand jobs is often offered by community colleges.

For many people seeking a job, attending a community college is the most affordable and accessible pathway to higher paying employment opportunities. In Virginia, we have 23 community colleges that serve an estimated 400,000 people across the state, providing them opportunities to earn an associate's degree, certifications or licensures in some of the most cutting-edge and in-demand fields in our workforce. The impact of community colleges nationwide is even greater, and our rapidly changing economy demands increased investment in the pathways these institutions provide to keep up with changing skill demands. The rapidly changing U.S. economy demands agile education and workforce development systems that can keep up with changing skill demands.

Today, I am proud to reintroduce the Assisting Community Colleges in Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act with Senator Young. This bill builds on lessons learned from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program (TAACCCT), and provides grants to community colleges to partner with private and public sector entities to create innovative career pathways directly between two-year institutions and employers. The ACCESS to Careers Act also provides grants to states and community colleges to scale evidence-based strategies that will help prepare our students with the skills necessary to succeed in our in-demand industry sectors and occupations. These grants can be used to expand dual enrollment, work-based learning opportunities, apprenticeships, and other pathways to best meet the skill needs of students and employers in our evolving workforce. The bill also emphasizes the importance of student services to ensure that students have the support they need to complete their programs.

As our Country begins to recover from the widespread job losses we've seen over the last year, the success of our economy will depend on our ability to provide people with the resources they need to quickly enter or reenter the workforce. This legislation makes strategic investments in students to ensure they have access to programs that properly prepare them for good-paying, in-demand jobs as we continue to build back better. The ACCESS to Careers Act represents a necessary step to take the evidence-based innovations we've seen on the local level to scale in order to fill jobs in high-needs industries. I strongly encourage my colleagues in the Senate to consider this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.

Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · May 26, 2021

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 26, 2021

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1846

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 26, 2021

Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Warner, and Mr. Rubio) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

A BILL

To require a review and controls on the export of items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Surveillance and free speech Protection Enhancement in Export controls for Censorship and Human rights Act of 2021 or the SPEECH Act of 2021.

Review and controls on export of items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses

(a)

Statement of policy

It is the policy of the United States to use export controls to the extent necessary to further the protection of internationally recognized human rights.

(b)

Review of items with critical capabilities To enable human rights abuses

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and as appropriate thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Director of National Intelligence, and the heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall conduct a review of items subject to controls for crime control reasons pursuant to section 742.7 of the Export Administration Regulations.

(c)

Controls

In furtherance of the policy set forth in subsection (a), not later than 60 days after completing the review required by subsection (b), the Secretary, in coordination with the heads of other Federal agencies as appropriate, shall determine whether additional export controls are needed to protect human rights, including whether—

(1)

controls for crime control reasons pursuant to section 742.7 of the Export Administration Regulations should be imposed on additional items, including items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses involving—

(A)

censorship or social control;

(B)

surveillance, interception, or restriction of communications;

(C)

monitoring or restricting access to or use of the internet;

(D)

identification of individuals through facial or voice recognition or biometric indicators; or

(E)

DNA sequencing; or

(2)

end-use and end-user controls should be imposed on the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of certain items with critical capabilities to enable human rights abuses that are subject to the Export Administration Regulations if the person seeking to export, reexport, or transfer the item has knowledge, or the Secretary determines and so informs that person, that the end-user or ultimate consignee will use the item to enable human rights abuses.

(d)

Cooperation of other agencies

Upon request from the Secretary, the head of a Federal agency shall provide full support and cooperation to the Secretary in carrying out this section.

(e)

International coordination on controls To protect human rights

It shall be the policy of the United States to seek to secure the cooperation of other governments to impose export controls that are consistent, to the extent possible, with the controls imposed under this section.

(f)

Conforming amendment

Section 1752(2)(A) of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4811(2)(A)) is amended—

(1)

in clause (iv), by striking ; or and inserting a semicolon;

(2)

in clause (v), by striking the period and inserting ; or; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(vi)

serious human rights abuses.

(g)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

End-user; knowledge; ultimate consignee

The terms end-user, knowledge, and ultimate consignee have the meanings given those terms in section 772.1 of the Export Administration Regulations.

(2)

Export; export administration regulations; in-country transfer; item; reexport

The terms export, Export Administration Regulations, in-country transfer, item, and reexport have the meanings given those terms in section 1742 of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801).

(3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce.