text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Lavender Offense Victim Exoneration 
  Act of 2017'' or the ``LOVE Act of 2017''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress makes the following findings:
              (1) During the so-called ``Lavender Scare'', at least 1,000 
          people were wrongfully dismissed from the Department of State 
          for alleged homosexuality during the 1950s and well into the 
          1960s.
              (2) According to the Department of State's Bureau of 
          Diplomatic Security, Department of State employees were forced 
          out of the Department on the grounds that their sexual 
          orientation ostensibly rendered them vulnerable to blackmail 
          and made them security risks.
              (3) In addition to those wrongfully dismissed, many other 
          patriotic Americans were prevented from joining the Department 
          due to a screening process that was put in place to prevent the 
          hiring of those who, according to the findings of the Bureau of 
          Diplomatic Security, ``seemed like they might be gay or 
          lesbian''.
              (4) Congress bears a special measure of responsibility as 
          the Department's actions were in part in response to 
          congressional investigations into ``sex perversion of Federal 
          employees'', reports on the employment of ``moral perverts by 
          Government Agencies'', hearings and pressure placed on the 
          Department through the appropriations process and congressional 
          complaints that Foggy Bottom was ``rampant with homosexuals who 
          were sympathetic to Communism and vulnerable to blackmail''.
              (5) Between 1950 and 1969, the Department of State was 
          required to report on the number of homosexuals fired each year 
          as part of their annual appeals before Committees on 
          Appropriations.
              (6) Although the worst effects of the ``Lavender Scare'' 
          are behind us, as recently as the early 1990s, the Department 
          of State's security office was investigating State personnel 
          thought to be gay and driving them out of government service as 
          ``security risks''.
              (7) In 1994, Secretary of State Warren Christopher issued a 
          prohibition against discrimination in the Department of State, 
          including that based on sexual orientation.
              (8) In 1998, President William Jefferson Clinton signed 
          Executive Order 13087 barring discrimination on the basis of 
          sexual orientation.
              (9) On January 9, 2017, Secretary of State John Kerry 
          issued a statement regarding the ``Lavender Scare'', saying, 
          ``On behalf of the Department, I apologize to those who were 
          impacted by the practices of the past and reaffirm the 
          Department's steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion 
          for all our employees, including members of the LGBTI 
          community.''.
  
  SEC. 3. DIRECTOR GENERAL REVIEW.
  
      (a) Review.--The Director General of the Foreign Service and 
  Director of Human Resources of the Department of State, in consultation 
  with the Historian of the Department of State, shall review all 
  employee terminations that occurred after January 1, 1950, to determine 
  who was wrongfully terminated owing to their sexual orientation, 
  whether real or perceived.
      (b) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Director General shall, consistent with 
  applicable privacy regulations, compile the information compiled under 
  subsection (a) in a publicly available report. The report shall include 
  historical statements made by officials of the Department of State and 
  Congress encouraging and implementing policies and tactics that led to 
  the termination of employees due to their sexual orientation.
  
  SEC. 4. REPORTS ON REVIEWS.
  
      (a) Reviews.--The Secretary of State shall conduct reviews of the 
  consistency and uniformity of the reviews conducted by the Director 
  General under section 3.
      (b) Reports.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 2 years, the 
  Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the reviews conducted 
  under section 3. Each report shall include any comments or 
  recommendations for continued actions.
  
  SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF RECONCILIATION BOARD.
  
      (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish, within 
  the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of State, an independent 
  Reconciliation Board to review the reports released by the Director 
  General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Services under 
  section 3(b).
      (b) Duties.--The Reconciliation Board shall--
              (1) consistent with applicable privacy regulations, contact 
          all employees found to be fired due to the ``Lavender Scare'' 
          or, in the case of deceased former employees, the family 
          members of the employees, to inform them that their termination 
          from the Department of State has been deemed inappropriate and 
          that, if they wish, their employment record can be changed to 
          reflect these findings;
              (2) designate a point of contact at a senior level position 
          within the Office of the Director General of the Foreign 
          Service and Director of Human Resources to receive oral 
          testimony of any employees or family members of deceased 
          employees mentioned in the report who personally experienced 
          discrimination and termination because of the actual or 
          perceived sexual orientation in order that such testimony may 
          serve as an official record of these discriminatory policies 
          and their impact on United States lives; and
              (3) provide an opportunity for any former employee not 
          mentioned in the report to bring forth a grievance to the Board 
          if they believe they were terminated due to their sexual 
          orientation.
      (c) Review of Claims.--
              (1) In general.--The Board shall review each claim 
          described in subsection (b) within 150 days of receiving the 
          claim. Lack of paperwork may not be used as a basis for 
          dismissing any claims.
              (2) Cooperation.--The Department of State shall be 
          responsible for producing pertinent information regarding each 
          claim to prove the employee was not wrongfully terminated.
      (d) Termination.--The Board shall terminate 5 years after the date 
  of the enactment of this Act.
  
  SEC. 6. ISSUANCE OF APOLOGY.
  
      (a) Finding.--Secretary of State Kerry delivered the following 
  apology on January 9, 2017:
      ``Throughout my career, including as Secretary of State, I have 
  stood strongly in support of the LGBTI community, recognizing that 
  respect for human rights must include respect for all individuals. 
  LGBTI employees serve as proud members of the State Department and 
  valued colleagues dedicated to the service of our country. For the last 
  several years, the Department has pressed for the families of LGBTI 
  officers to have the same protections overseas as families of other 
  officers. In 2015, to further promote LGBTI rights throughout the 
  world, I appointed the first ever Special Envoy for the Human Rights of 
  LGBTI Persons.
      ``In the past--as far back as the 1940s, but continuing for 
  decades--the Department of State was among many public and private 
  employers that discriminated against employees and job applicants on 
  the basis of perceived sexual orientation, forcing some employees to 
  resign or refusing to hire certain applicants in the first place. These 
  actions were wrong then, just as they would be wrong today.
      ``On behalf of the Department, I apologize to those who were 
  impacted by the practices of the past and reaffirm the Department's 
  steadfast commitment to diversity and inclusion for all our employees, 
  including members of the LGBTI community.''
      (b) Congressional Apology.--Congress hereby offers a formal apology 
  for its responsibility in encouraging the ``Lavender Scare'' and 
  similar policies at the Department of State, as these policies were in 
  part a response to congressional investigations into ``sex perversion 
  of Federal employees'', reports on the employment of ``moral perverts 
  by Government Agencies'', and hearings or pressure otherwise placed on 
  the Department of State through the appropriations process.
  
  SEC. 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF PERMANENT EXHIBIT ON THE LAVENDER SCARE.
  
      (a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall work with the current 
  public-private partnership associated with the Department of State's 
  new United States Diplomacy Center to establish a permanent exhibit on 
  the ``Lavender Scare'' in the museum to assure that the history of this 
  unfortunate episode is not brushed aside.
      (b) Specifications.--The exhibit--
              (1) shall be installed at the museum not later than one 
          year after the date of enactment of this Act;
              (2) should provide access to the reports compiled by the 
          Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human 
          Resources under section 3(b); and
              (3) shall readily display material gathered from oral 
          testimony received pursuant to section 5(b)(2) from employees 
          or family members of deceased employees who were subject to 
          these discriminatory policies during the ``Lavender Scare''.
  
  SEC. 8. GUIDANCE ON ISSUING VISAS.
  
      To demonstrate the Department of State's commitment to ensuring 
  fairness for current employees, not later than 100 days after the date 
  of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to 
  Congress a report on countries not issuing visas to the spouses of all 
  Foreign Service personnel posted overseas due to their sexual 
  orientation. This report shall include any comments or recommendations 
  for actions, including eliminating visa reciprocity with countries 
  found to be instituting these practices against the spouses of Foreign 
  Service personnel, that will lead to ensuring that all spouses of 
  Foreign Service personnel receive visas for the country their spouse is 
  assigned, regardless of sexual orientation.
  
  SEC. 9. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADVANCEMENT BOARD.
  
      (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish, within 
  the Office of the Director General of the Department of State, a board 
  comprised of senior-level officials to address the issues faced by 
  LGBTQI Foreign Service employees and their families.
      (b) Hearing of Testimony.--The Advancement Board shall hear 
  testimony from any willing LGBTQI Foreign Service employees and their 
  families regarding any discrimination they have faced due to their 
  sexual orientation.
      (c) Report.--
              (1) In general.--Not later than 100 days after completing 
          collection of testimony described under subsection (b), and 
          annually thereafter for 5 years, the Advancement Board shall 
          submit to Congress a report based on the testimony.
              (2) Content.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall 
          include any comments or recommendations for continued actions 
          to improve the Department of State to ensure that no employee 
          or their family members experience discrimination due to their 
          sexual orientation.
              (3) Privacy.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall 
          remain private and will only be accessible to Members of 
          Congress, their appropriate staff, and members of the 
          Advancement Board.
target: Lavender Offense Victim Exoneration Act of 2017 or&nbsp;the LOVE Act of 2017 This bill requires the Department of State to review employee terminations at the State Department in the 1950s and 1960s to determine who was wrongfully terminated due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation (known as the Lavender Scare). The bill contains an apology from Congress for its role in encouraging the termination of State Department employees based on sexual orientation. The State Department is required to:  create&nbsp;a reconciliation board to change the employment records of those affected, to receive oral testimony of those affected, and to allow former employees to bring a grievance if they believe their termination was due to their sexual orientation;  create an advancement board to address employment issues of current LGBTQI Foreign Officers;  establish a permanent exhibit about the terminations in the State Department's U.S.&nbsp;Diplomacy Center;  report to Congress about countries refusing to issue visas to spouses of Foreign Service personnel because of&nbsp;&nbsp;their sexual orientation.
feat_title: Lavender Offense Victim Exoneration Act of 2017