An Act To make technical changes and other improvements to the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017.

Dec. 18, 2017

[S. 371]

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act.

SECTION 1.

22 USC 2651 note.

SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the “Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act”.

SEC. 2. REPORTS.(a) Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986.—Section 104(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986, as added by section 101 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323),

22 USC 4803.

is amended by inserting “and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives” after “appropriate congressional committees”. (b) Annual Report on Embassy Construction Costs.—Section 118(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

22 USC 304.

is amended by inserting “and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives” after “appropriate congressional committees”. (c) Oversight of and Accountability for Peacekeeper Abuses.—Section 301(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

22 USC 287 note.

is amended by inserting “and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives” after “appropriate congressional committees”. (d) Workforce Rightsizing Report.—Section 405(c) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1929.

is amended by inserting “and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives” after “appropriate congressional committees”. (e) Consular Immunity.—Subsection (b)(2) of section 4 of the Diplomatic Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 254c), as added by section 501 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323), is amended by striking “of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations” and inserting “and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations”. (f) Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Report.—Section 602(c) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1937.

is amended—(1) by inserting “and the Committee on Appropriations” after “Committee on Foreign Affairs”; and (2) by inserting “and the Committee on Appropriations” after “Committee on Foreign Relations”;

SEC. 3. PEACEKEEPING TRAINING. Section 301 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

22 USC 287 note.

is amended—(1) in subsection (e)—(A) in paragraph (1), by striking “enhance the discovery” and inserting “investigate allegations”; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking “adequately respond to complaints about such offenses by carrying out swift and effective disciplinary action against the personnel” and inserting “appropriately hold accountable personnel”; and (C) in paragraph (3), by inserting “, including compensation to victims, as appropriate” after “responses to such offenses”; (2) in subsection (f)(2), by striking “any individual who commits an act” and inserting “personnel who are found to have committed acts”; and (3) in subsection (g)(1), by striking “noteworthy”.

SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL. Section 310 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

22 USC 287 note.

is amended—(1) in subsection (b), by striking “The descriptions referred to in subsection (a) shall include the following elements” and inserting “In addition to the descriptions referred to in subsection (a), each such candidate shall be urged to describe the following”; and (2) in subsection (c), by striking “such l” and inserting “such agenda”.

SEC. 5. POLICY REGARDING THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. Section 311(a)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1924.

is amended—(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking “or” at the end; (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking “and” at the end; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:“(E) which has been designated as a Tier 3 country in the annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107); or “(F) which is identified as having failed to prevent or address gross violations of human rights in the annual Department of State Human Rights Report under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974; and” .

SEC. 6. COMPARATIVE REPORT ON PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS. Section 313 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1926.

is amended—(1) by inserting “and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives” after “appropriate congressional committees”; (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:“(1)

Cost estimate.

a comparison of the costs of current United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the costs incurred by the United States for such operations, and the estimated cost of such operations if implemented unilaterally by the United States;” ; (3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (4) by inserting after paragraph (1), as amended by paragraph (2) of this section, the following new paragraph:“(2)

Assessment.

an assessment of the operational, structural, and doctrinal differences between the military and civilian infrastructures of the United States and United Nations and other assumptions that impact cost estimates; and” .

SEC. 7. LATERAL ENTRY INTO THE FOREIGN SERVICE. Section 404(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1928.

is amended by striking “outstanding”.

SEC. 8. COMBATING INTOLERANCE. The section heading of section 419 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1935.

is amended by striking “anti-semitism” and inserting “intolerance”.

SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS REGARDING COMPLETION OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY COMMISSION REPORT. Section 603 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1937.

is amended—(1) in subsection (f)(1), by striking “section 362” and inserting “section 602(c)”; and (2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:“(h) Compensation.—Members of the Commission shall serve without pay or benefits.” .

SEC. 10. TECHNICAL CORRECTION REGARDING POWERS OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY COMMISSION. Section 604 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1938.

is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:“(f) Gifts, Bequests, and Devises.—The Commission may solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money, services, or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of carrying out any duty, power, or authority of the Commission.” .

SEC. 11. BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS. Section 703(b)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

22 USC 1465b note.

is amended by striking “any significant restructuring,”.

SEC. 12. RANSOMS TO FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. Section 709(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323)

130 Stat. 1943.

is amended by inserting “, to the extent practicable,” before “transmit”.

SEC. 13. RESTORATION OF TIBET REPORT. Section 613 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228, 22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as amended by section 715(b)(1) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323), is further amended—(1) in subsection (a), by striking “In General” and inserting the following: “Policy.—“(1) In general.—” ; (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as paragraph (2) and moving such paragraph, as so redesignated, two ems to the right; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:“(b)

President.

Periodic Reports.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act, and annually thereafter until December 31, 2021, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on—“(1) the steps taken by the President and the Secretary in accordance with subsection (a)(1) to implement the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002; and “(2) the status of any discussions between the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or a successor selected by a method of the 14th Dalai Lama’s own choosing or the representatives of such successor.” .

SEC. 14.

Reports.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE REORGANIZATIONS. The report required under subsection (l) of section 7034 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115–31) shall also be provided to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate concurrent with the submission of such report to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate pursuant to such subsection.

Approved December 18, 2017.