[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5846 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5846

To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the 
  ability of the United States to protect religious freedom globally 
  through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign 
 assistance efforts, and through stronger and more timely and flexible 
political responses to religious freedom violations worldwide, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 10, 2014

   Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 
 Committees on Financial Services and Oversight and Government Reform, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the 
  ability of the United States to protect religious freedom globally 
  through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign 
 assistance efforts, and through stronger and more timely and flexible 
political responses to religious freedom violations worldwide, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Frank R. Wolf International 
Religious Freedom Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; POLICY.

    Section 2 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6401) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (4), in the fourth sentence, by 
                inserting ``prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter, 
                male infant circumcision, censorship of religious 
                content, or worship on the Internet,'' after 
                ``confiscations of property,'';
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by amending the second 
                sentence to read as follows: ``In many countries, 
                religious believers are forced to meet secretly, and 
                religious leaders and believers are targeted by 
                national security forces, violent nonstate actors, and 
                hostile mobs.'';
                    (C) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph 
                (9); and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following 
                new paragraphs:
            ``(7) There is growing evidence that demonstrates a 
        connection between the absence of religious freedom and 
        increased levels of persecution of religious minorities, 
        religiously motivated conflict, violent extremism, and 
        terrorism, including the kind of terrorism that has reached the 
        United States.
            ``(8) It is increasingly clear that understanding religion 
        and the political and security implications of religious 
        motivation and conviction is critical to the success of United 
        States diplomacy and foreign policy initiatives as there are 
        studies that show--
                    ``(A) 75 percent of the world's population lives in 
                countries where the right to the freedom of religion 
                and belief is severely restricted, either by the 
                government or violent nonstate actors; and
                    ``(B) 84 percent of the world's population 
                identifies strongly with a specific religious group.''; 
                and
            (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following 
        new paragraph:
            ``(6) Because the promotion of international religious 
        freedom is a foreign policy strategy that protects other, 
        related human rights, advances democracy abroad, and is linked 
        directly to United States interests in stability, security, and 
        development globally, the promotion of international religious 
        freedom requires new and evolving policies, religion engagement 
        strategies, and diplomatic responses that are drawn from the 
        expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic 
        services, Congress, and other governmental agencies and 
        nongovernmental organizations, and are coordinated across and 
        carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies that are 
        engaged with or conduct negotiations or United States 
        Government funded programs with governments or violent nonstate 
        actors that engage in or tolerate violations of religious 
        freedom.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6402) is amended--
            (1) by amending paragraph (12) to read as follows:
            ``(12) Senior director.--The term `Senior Director' means 
        the Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and 
        International Religious Freedom Promotion described in section 
        101 of the National Security Act of 1947.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end, the following new paragraphs:
            ``(14) Special watch list.--The term `Special Watch List' 
        means the Special Watch List described in section 
        102(b)(1)(F)(iii).
            ``(15) Violent nonstate actor.--The term `violent nonstate 
        actor' means a nonsovereign entity or group that exercises 
        significant political power or influence at a national or 
        international level and which, through violence or the threat 
        of violence, destabilizes existing government structures or 
        gains defacto or actual control over large territories within 
        existing countries and which engages in or tolerates violations 
        of religious freedom.
            ``(16) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001)''.

SEC. 4. OFFICE ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM; AMBASSADOR AT LARGE 
              FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6411) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following 
        new sentence: ``The Office shall be located in the Office of 
        the Secretary of State.'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the before the 
        period the following: ``, and shall report directly to the 
        Secretary of State.'';
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``responsibility'' and 
                        inserting ``responsibilities'';
                            (ii) by striking ``shall be to advance'' 
                        and inserting the following: ``shall be to--
                    ``(A) advance'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (A), as so added, by 
                        striking the period at the end and inserting 
                        ``; and''; and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following new 
                        subparagraph:
                    ``(B) integrate United States international 
                religious freedom policies and religious engagement 
                strategies into democracy, civil society, conflict 
                prevention and mitigation, and development efforts 
                funded by the United States and into the 
                counterterrorism policies of Federal agencies, 
                including the Department of Defense, the Department of 
                Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the 
                Department of the Treasury.'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``a principal 
                adviser'' and inserting ``the principal adviser'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``and'' at the end;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) contacts with nongovernmental organizations 
                that have an impact on the state of religious freedom 
                in their respective societies or regions, or 
                internationally.'';
                    (D) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
                (5); and
                    (E) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(4) Coordination responsibilities.--In order to promote 
        religious freedom as an interest of United States foreign 
        policy, the Ambassador at Large shall seek to coordinate 
        religious freedom policies and religious engagement strategies 
        across all programs, projects, and activities of the United 
        States, including the programs, projects, and activities of the 
        Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the 
        Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the 
        United States Agency for International Development.''; and
            (4) in subsection (d), by striking ``staff for the Office'' 
        and all that follows through the period at the end and 
        inserting ``individuals to fill at least 15 full-time 
        equivalent staff positions, under the direct supervision of the 
        Ambassador at Large, including a senior advisor, for the 
        Office, for the conduct of investigations by the Office, and 
        for necessary travel to carry out the provisions of this 
        section. The Secretary of State shall also provide to the 
        Ambassador at Large representation funds equal to the amount of 
        representation funds provided to other Ambassadors at Large in 
        the Department of State.''.

SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    Paragraph (1) of section 102(b) of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) in clause (iii), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(v) any action taken by a government or 
                        other entity to censor religious content, 
                        communications, or worship activities online, 
                        including descriptions of the targeted 
                        religious group, the content, communication, or 
                        activities censored, the means used, and 
                        government or other entity engaged in such 
                        online censorship activities.'';
            (2) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause 
        (i)--
                    (A) by inserting ``persecution of lawyers, 
                politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to 
                defend targeted religious groups or highlight religious 
                freedom violations, prohibitions on ritual animal 
                slaughter or male infant circumcision,'' after ``entire 
                religions,''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``policies that ban or restrict 
                the public manifestation of religious belief and the 
                peaceful involvement of religious groups or their 
                members in the political life of each such foreign 
                country,'' after ``such groups,'';
            (3) in subparagraph (C)--
                    (A) by striking ``A description'' and inserting ``A 
                comprehensive description'';
                    (B) by striking ``policies in support'' and 
                inserting ``religious engagement policies in support''; 
                and
                    (C) by adding at the end before the period the 
                following: ``, and a unique, comprehensive, and 
                country-specific analysis of the impact of actions by 
                the United States on the status of religious freedom in 
                each such country.''; and
            (4) in subparagraph (F), by adding at the end the following 
        new clause:
                            ``(iii) Special watch list.--A list, to be 
                        known as the `Special Watch List', which shall 
                        identify any country or violent nonstate actor 
                        that has engaged in or tolerated systematic, 
                        egregious, or ongoing violations of religious 
                        freedom during the previous reporting year but 
                        which the Secretary determines does not meet, 
                        at the time of the publication of the Annual 
                        Report, the criteria for designation as a 
                        country of particular concern for religious 
                        freedom under section 402(b)(1).''.

SEC. 6. TRAINING FOR FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS; REPORT.

    (a) Amendment to Foreign Service Act of 1980.--Section 708 of the 
Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4028) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
        (d) and (e), respectively;
            (2) in subsection (d), as redesignated, by striking ``The 
        Secretary of State'' and inserting ``Refugees.--The Secretary 
        of State'';
            (3) in subsection (e), as redesignated, by striking ``The 
        Secretary of State'' and inserting ``Child Soldiers.--The 
        Secretary of State'';
            (4) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
    ``(a) Development of Curriculum.--The Secretary of State, with the 
assistance of other relevant officials, including the Ambassador at 
Large for International Religious Freedom appointed under section 
101(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the Director 
of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, and 
other Federal officials as appropriate, and in consultation with the 
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom established 
in section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, 
shall develop a curriculum for training United States Foreign Service 
officers in the meaning and strategic value of religious freedom, how 
violations of religious freedom harm fundamental United States 
interests, how the advancement of religious freedom can advance such 
interests, how United States international religious freedom policy 
should be carried out in practice by United states diplomats and other 
Foreign Service officers, and the relevance and relationship of 
religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and 
public affairs efforts.
    ``(b) Training Program.--Not later than the date that is one year 
after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International 
Religious Freedom Act of 2014, the Director of the George P. Shultz 
National Foreign Affairs Training Center shall begin mandatory training 
on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers, including all 
entry level officers and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and 
ambassadors. Such training shall, at minimum, be a separate, 
independent, and required segment of each of the following:
            ``(1) The A-100 course attended by all Foreign Service 
        officers.
            ``(2) The courses required of every Foreign Service officer 
        prior to a posting outside the United States, with segments 
        tailored to the particular religious demography, religious 
        freedom conditions, and United States strategies for advancing 
        religious freedom, in each receiving country.
            ``(3) The courses required of all outgoing deputy chiefs of 
        mission and ambassadors.
    ``(c) Information Sharing.--The curriculum and training materials 
developed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) shall be shared with the 
United States Armed Forces and intelligence community to provide 
training and particularized instruction on United States religious 
freedom policies, religious traditions, and religious and cultural 
issues for the countries the Armed Forces and intelligence community 
are responsible.''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, with the assistance of 
the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, and the 
Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training 
Center, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
a report containing a comprehensive plan for undertaking training for 
Foreign Service officers as required under section 708 of the Foreign 
Services Act of 1980, as amended by subsection (a) of this section.

SEC. 7. PRISONER LISTS AND ISSUE BRIEFS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONCERNS.

    Section 108 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6417) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the heading, by striking ``Sense of the 
                Congress'' and inserting ``Increased Diplomatic 
                Advocacy''; and
                    (B) by striking ``it is the sense of the Congress 
                that officials of the executive branch of Government 
                should promote'' and inserting ``appropriate officials 
                of the executive branch, including the Secretary of 
                State, the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom, 
                and State Department officials from regional bureaus, 
                shall promote'';
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``, as appropriate, 
        provide'' and insert ``make available''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Victims List Maintained by the Commission.--The Commission 
shall compile, maintain, and make publicly available online and in 
official publications, regularly updated lists of persons it determines 
are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, 
tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith by a foreign 
government that the Commission recommends for designation as a country 
of particular concern for religions freedom under section 402(b) or a 
violent nonstate actor and include information on the conditions and 
circumstances of such individuals. In compiling such lists, the 
Commission shall exercise appropriate discretion, including 
consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the 
persons who may be included on the lists and their families.''.

SEC. 8. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    Subsection (a) of section 202 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6432) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
        ``responsibility'' and inserting ``responsibilities'';
            (2) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
            ``(3) by making annual recommendations on countries, and 
        violent nonstate actors, as appropriate, which commit 
        particularly severe violations of religious freedom and issuing 
        reports on any other countries and violent nonstate actors that 
        the Commission believes to have engaged in or tolerated 
        violations of religious freedom; and
            ``(4) recommending specific policy responses or actions 
        that may be taken under section 405(a), including any 
        commensurate actions that may be taken.''.

SEC. 9. REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    Subsection (a) of section 205 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6433) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) In General.--The Commission shall--
            ``(1) not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        submission of the report required of the Secretary of State 
        under section 102(b), submit an annual report to the President, 
        the Secretary of State, and the appropriate congressional 
        committees setting forth its recommendation for United States 
        policy options based on evaluations of country conditions under 
        paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 202(a); and
            ``(2) submit recommendations required under paragraphs (3) 
        and (4) of section 202(a) sufficiently prior to the annual 
        designation of each country of particular concern for religious 
        freedom under section 402(b) to allow for presidential 
        consideration of such recommendations.''.

SEC. 10. SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR GLOBAL RELIGION ENGAGEMENT AND 
              INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PROMOTION; INTERAGENCY 
              POLICY COMMITTEES.

    (a) Amendments to National Security Act of 1947.--Section 101 of 
the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (k)--
                    (A) in the first sentence,
                            (i) by striking ``It is the sense of that 
                        there should be'' and inserting ``The President 
                        shall appoint''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``Special Adviser to the 
                        President on International Religious Freedom'' 
                        and inserting ``Senior Director for Global 
                        Religion Engagement and International Religious 
                        Freedom Promotion''; and
                    (B) by striking the second and third sentences and 
                inserting the following: ``The Senior Director, shall 
                develop and coordinate religious freedom policies and 
                religion engagement strategies throughout the Executive 
                Branch, serve as a resource for executive branch 
                officials, compile and maintain information on the 
                facts and circumstances of violations of religious 
                freedom, assist in coordinating all programs, projects, 
                and activities of the United States to promote 
                religious freedom and religious engagement outside the 
                United States, and make policy recommendations relevant 
                to the programs, projects, activities of the Department 
                of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the 
                Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, 
                and the United States Agency for International 
                Development, and carry out all other applicable duties, 
                responsibilities, and coordination activities 
                enumerated in the International Religious Freedom Act 
                of 1998. The Senior Director shall serve as liaison 
                with the Ambassador at Large for International 
                Religious Freedom and the United States Commission on 
                International Religious Freedom described in the 
                International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, Congress, 
                religious and nongovernmental organizations, and, as 
                appropriate, Cabinet-level agencies.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end, the following new subsections:
    ``(m) Interagency Policy Committee on Religious Freedom and 
Engagement.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        National Security Council a permanent interagency policy 
        committee to be known as the `Interagency Policy Committee on 
        Religious Freedom and Engagement' (in this subsection referred 
        to as the `Committee').
            ``(2) Membership.--The Committee shall be co-chaired by the 
        Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and 
        International Religious Freedom Promotion and the Ambassador at 
        Large for Religious Freedom described in section 101 of the 
        International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
            ``(3) Functions.--The Committee shall develop a religion 
        engagement strategy globally and coordinate international 
        religious freedom policy across the Executive Branch.
    ``(n) Interagency Policy Committee on Religion, Human Rights, and 
National Security.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        National Security Council a permanent interagency policy 
        committee to be known as the `Interagency Policy Committee on 
        Religion, Human Rights, and National Security' (in this 
        subsection referred to as the `Committee').
            ``(2) Membership.--The Committee shall be chaired by the 
        Deputy National Security Advisor, the Assistant Secretary of 
        State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and the 
        Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom described in section 
        101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
            ``(3) Functions.--The Committee shall coordinate policy on 
        the intersection of religion, human rights, and United States 
        interests in preventing terrorism, countering violent 
        extremism, and mitigating and preventing conflict.''.
    (b) Regulations.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall promulgate regulations to 
carry out subsections (k), (m), and (n) of section 101 of the National 
Security Act of 1947 as amended by subsection (a) of this section.

SEC. 11. PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS 
              FREEDOM.

    Section 401(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6441(b)) is amended,
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Special Adviser'' and 
        inserting ``Senior Director''; and
            (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) Deadline for actions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), not later than 90 days after the date 
                on which each of the Annual Reports is submitted under 
                section 102(b), the President shall take 1 or more of 
                the actions referred to in section 405(a) or a 
                commensurate action with respect to each foreign 
                country and violent nonstate actor that has engaged in 
                or tolerated violations of religious freedom at any 
                time since the previous such report was submitted.
                    ``(B) Additional prerequisite.--The President may 
                not take any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) 
                through (15) of section 405(a) or a commensurate action 
                with respect to a foreign country or violent nonstate 
                actor until the President certifies that the 
                requirements under sections 403 and 404 have been 
                satisfied with respect so such country or actor.''.

SEC. 12. PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO PARTICULARLY SEVERE 
              VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    Section 402 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6442) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as 
                        follows:
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the 
                date on which each Annual Report is submitted under 
                section 102(b), the President shall--
                            ``(i) review the status of religious 
                        freedom in each foreign country to determine 
                        whether the government of that country has 
                        engaged in or tolerated particularly severe 
                        violations of religious freedom in each such 
                        country during the preceding 12 months or 
                        longer; and
                            ``(ii) designate each country the 
                        government of which has engaged in or tolerated 
                        violations described in clause (i) as a country 
                        of particular concern for religious freedom 
                        under section 402(b).''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``prior to September 1 of the respective year'' 
                        and inserting ``before the date on which each 
                        Annual Report is submitted under section 
                        102(b)'';
                    (B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
            ``(3) Congressional notification.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Whenever the President 
                designates a country as a country of particular concern 
                for religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A), the 
                President shall, not later than 120 days after the 
                designation is made, transmit to the appropriate 
                congressional committees--
                            ``(i) the designation of the country, 
                        signed by the President;
                            ``(ii) the identification, if any, of 
                        responsible parties determined under paragraph 
                        (2); and
                            ``(iii) a description of the actions taken 
                        under subsection (c), the purposes of the 
                        actions taken, and the effectiveness of the 
                        actions taken.
                    ``(B) Removal of designation.--A country that is 
                designated as a country of particular concern for 
                religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A) shall retain 
                such designation until the President determines and 
                reports to the appropriate congressional committees 
                that the country should no longer be so designated.
                    ``(C) Explanation for nondesignation.--If the 
                President does not designate a country as a country of 
                particular concern for religious freedom under 
                paragraph (1)(A) after the Commission has recommended 
                such designation, the President shall provide an 
                explanation for the nondesignation to the appropriate 
                congressional committees.''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end, the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) Treatment of countries on special watch list.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The President shall designate as 
                a country of particular concern for religious freedom 
                under paragraph (1)(A) any country that appears on the 
                Special Watch List--
                            ``(i) in more than 2 consecutive Annual 
                        Reports;
                            ``(ii) in any 4 Annual Reports;
                            ``(iii) in more than 1 Annual Report after 
                        the expiration of a waiver issued under 
                        subparagraph (B); and
                            ``(iv) in more than 1 Annual Report if the 
                        President has previously designated such 
                        country as a country of particular concern for 
                        religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A).
                    ``(B) Exercise of waiver authority.--The President 
                may waive the application of clauses (i) or (ii) of 
                subparagraph (A) with respect to a country for up to 2 
                years if the President certifies to the appropriate 
                committees of Congress that--
                            ``(i) the country has entered into an 
                        agreement with the United States to carry out 
                        specific and credible actions to improve 
                        religious freedom conditions and end religious 
                        freedom violations;
                            ``(ii) the country has entered into an 
                        agreement with the United Nations, the European 
                        Union, or other ally of the United States, to 
                        carry out specific and credible actions to 
                        improve religious freedom conditions and end 
                        religious freedom violations; or
                            ``(iii) waiver is in the national security 
                        interests of the United States.
                    ``(C) Effect on designation as country of 
                particular concern.--The presence or absence of a 
                country from the Special Watch List in any given year 
                shall not preclude the designation of such country as a 
                country of particular concern for religious freedom 
                under paragraph (1)(A) in any such year.''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)(5), in the second sentence, by 
        inserting ``and include a description of the impact of the 
        designation of such sanction or sanctions that exist in each 
        country'' after ``determines satisfy the requirements of this 
        subsection''.

SEC. 13. CONSULTATIONS.

    Subsection (a) of section 403 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6443) is amended by striking ``As soon 
as practicable'' and inserting ``Not later than 90 days''.

SEC. 14. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Subsection (a) of section 404 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6444) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``decides to take action under section 
        401'' and inserting ``takes action under section 401'';
            (2) by striking ``decides to take action under paragraphs'' 
        and inserting ``takes the required action under paragraphs''; 
        and
            (3) in paragraph (4)(A)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
                ``Special Adviser'' and inserting ``Senior Director'';
                    (B) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
                    (C) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(iv) the impact on other policy tools, 
                        and a description of policy tools being applied 
                        in the country, including programs that target 
                        democratic stability, economic growth, and 
                        counterterrorism.''.

SEC. 15. PRESIDENTIAL WAIVER.

    Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6447) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``, for a 180-day 
        period beginning on the date of the initial designation,'' 
        after ``may waive''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that ongoing 
and persistent waivers for any country designated as a country of 
particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b) for 
engaging in particularly severe violations of religious freedom do not 
fulfill the purposes of this Act, and, given that promotion of 
religious freedom is a compelling United States foreign policy 
priority, the President, the Secretary of State, and other executive 
branch officials, in consultation with Congress, should seek to find 
ways to address existing violations, on a country-by-country basis, 
through the actions specified in section 405 or other commensurate 
actions, possibly including through the actions described in section 
605, or by some other action that addresses the specific religious 
freedom violations of each country designated.''.

SEC. 16. TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS.

    Section 409 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6449) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 409. TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS.

    ``Any Presidential action taken under this Act with respect to a 
foreign country shall terminate after a determination by the President, 
in consultation with the Commission, and written certification to 
Congress that the foreign government has ceased or taken substantial 
and verifiable steps to cease the particularly severe violations of 
religious freedom''.

SEC. 17. COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN DESIGNATION FOR VIOLENT NONSTATE 
              ACTORS.

    Title IV of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6441 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 405 the 
following new section:

``SEC. 405A. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN 
              DESIGNATION FOR VIOLENT NONSTATE ACTORS.

    ``It is the sense of Congress that the country of particular 
concern for religious freedom designation described in section 402(b) 
and the Presidential actions described in 405 should be applicable to 
violent nonstate actors. The President should include, in the report to 
Congress required by section 404, any reasons why such violent nonstate 
actors were not so designated (if the Council recommended doing so) and 
whether any presidential actions described in section 405 were taken 
against such violent nonstate actors''.

SEC. 18. ASSISTANCE FOR PROMOTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    Section 501 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(c) Availability of Amounts.--Of the amounts made available for 
fiscal years 2016 through 2021 for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund 
established under section 664 of the Freedom Investment Act of 2002 
(subtitle E of title VI of Public Law 107-228), the Secretary of State 
shall provide to the Office--
            ``(1) not less than 5 percent of such amounts for each such 
        fiscal year for the promotion of international religious 
        freedom through groups that are able to develop legal 
        protections or promote cultural and societal understanding of 
        international norms of religious freedom and groups that seek 
        to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian 
        violence; and
            ``not less than 1 percent of such amounts for each such 
        fiscal year for the Religious Freedom Defense Fund established 
        under subsection (d).
    ``(d) Religious Freedom Defense Fund.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the 
        Department of State a fund to be known as the `Religious 
        Freedom Defense Fund' (referred to in this subsection as the 
        `Fund') which shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large.
            ``(2) Amounts.--The Fund shall consist of amounts made 
        available under subsection (c)(2).
            ``(3) Use of fund.--The Ambassador at Large shall use 
        amounts in the Fund to issue grants for the following:
                    ``(A) Victims of religious freedom abuses and their 
                families to cover legal and other expenses that may 
                arise from detention, imprisonment, torture, fines, and 
                other restrictions.
                    ``(B) Projects to help create and support a new 
                generation of defenders of religious freedom, including 
                legal and political advocates, and civil society 
                projects which seek to create advocacy networks, train 
                and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build 
                the capacity of religious communities and rights 
                defenders to protect against religious freedom 
                violations, sectarian violence, or legal or other 
                restrictions of the right to the freedom of religion 
                and belief.
            ``(4) Preference.--In issuing grants under paragraph (3), 
        the Ambassador at Large shall, as appropriate, give preference 
        to projects targeting religious freedom violations in countries 
        designated as countries of particular concern for religious 
        freedom under section 402(b) and those included on the Special 
        Watch List.
    ``(e) Consultation.--The Ambassador at Large should consult, in 
developing priorities and policies for disbursing the funds referred to 
in subsection (c), including grant policies and the identification of 
potential grantees, with other Federal agencies, including the 
Commission, and the International Republican Institute, the National 
Democratic Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy and, as 
appropriate, other nongovernmental organizations.''.

SEC. 19. ACTIONS AGAINST PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMITTING 
              PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS 
              FREEDOM.

    Title VI of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6471 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 605 as section 606; and
            (2) by inserting after section 604 the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 605. ACTIONS AGAINST PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMITTING 
              PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS 
              FREEDOM.

    ``(a) Authority To Sanction Persons Responsible for Committing or 
Ordering Particularly Severe Violations of International Religious 
Freedom.--Notwithstanding section 202 of the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701), the President may exercise the 
authority specified in section 203 of such Act with respect to--
            ``(1) any person that the President determines plays a role 
        in committing, ordering, or materially supporting particularly 
        severe violations of religious freedom; or
            ``(2) any person that the President determines to be 
        providing material or other assistance supporting violent 
        religious extremism.
    ``(b) Report to Congress on Identification and Sanction of Persons 
Responsible for Particularly Severe Violations of International 
Religious Freedom.--
            ``(1) In general.--Upon exercising the authority described 
        in subsection (a) with respect to a person, the President shall 
        submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report--
                    ``(A) identifying the persons that the President 
                determines to be subject to action under subsection (a) 
                and the basis for such determination; and
                    ``(B) describing the actions carried out against 
                such persons pursuant to subsection (a).
            ``(2) Report on removal of sanctions.--Upon suspending or 
        terminating any action imposed on a person under the authority 
        of subsection (a), the President shall submit to the 
        appropriate congressional committees written notification of 
        such suspension or termination.
            ``(3) Submission of classified information.--Reports 
        submitted under this subsection shall be submitted in 
        unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.''.

SEC. 20. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

    Title VII of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6481 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
sections:

``SEC. 702. CODES OF CONDUCT FOR UNITED STATES INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER 
              EDUCATION OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

    ``(a) Finding.--Congress recognizes the enduring importance of 
United States institutions of higher education worldwide both for their 
potential for shaping positive leadership and new educational models in 
host countries and for their emphasis on teaching universally 
recognized rights of free inquiry and academic freedom.
    ``(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that United 
States institutions of higher education operating campuses outside the 
United States or establishing any educational entities with foreign 
governments, particularly with or in countries the governments of which 
engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom as 
identified in the Annual Report and the annual report of the 
Congressional-Executive Commission on China, should adopt a code of 
conduct--
            ``(1) upholding the right of freedom of religion of their 
        employees and students, including the right to manifest that 
        religion peacefully as protected in international law;
            ``(2) ensuring that the religious views and peaceful 
        practice of belief in no way affect, or be allowed to affect, 
        the status of a worker's or faculty member's employment or a 
        student's enrollment; and
            ``(3) affirming that all negotiations, contracts, or 
        memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a 
        foreign government to establish any educational entity, shall 
        be open, transparent, and made available for public inspection 
        before conclusion and that any such agreement shall affirm, at 
        all times, academic freedom and universal rights to the 
        freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, and association.

``SEC. 703. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY TO 
              PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THROUGH UNITED STATES FOREIGN 
              POLICY.

    ``It is the sense of Congress that--
            ``(1) the annual national security strategy report of the 
        President required by section 108 of the National Security Act 
        of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043) should promote international religious 
        freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority and 
        should articulate that promotion of the right to freedom of 
        religion or belief is a strategy that protects other, related 
        human rights, and advances democracy outside the United States, 
        and make clear its importance to United States foreign policy 
        goals of stability, security, development, and diplomacy;
            ``(2) the national security strategy report should be a 
        guide for the strategies and activities of relevant Federal 
        agencies and inform the Department of Defense quadrennial 
        defense review under section 118 of title 10, United States 
        Code, and the Department of State Quadrennial Diplomacy and 
        Development Review; and
            ``(3) in order to support the development of a national 
        security strategy that emphasizes the challenges of integrating 
        religious freedom into United States foreign policy at all 
        levels, the President should consider--
                    ``(A) adopting a whole-of-government approach to 
                promote international religious freedom by creating 
                senior policy positions and committees at the National 
                Security Council, chaired by the Senior Directors of 
                the National Security Council and the Ambassador at 
                Large, and implemented through specific policy 
                directives that guide the actions of other Federal 
                agencies; and
                    ``(B) requesting a national intelligence estimate 
                on international religious freedom by the National 
                Intelligence Council or any other intelligence agency 
                as appropriate, which that analyzes conditions and 
                trends of international religious freedom and 
                identifies potential national security risks related to 
                the absence of religious freedom, including threats to 
                stability from authoritarian governments, terrorism, 
                violent religious extremism, sectarian violence, and 
                laws that restrict religious freedom.

``SEC. 704. REPORT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONDITIONS IN NIGERIA, 
              PAKISTAN, AND VIETNAM.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014, 
the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on whether religious 
freedom conditions are such that the countries of Nigeria, Pakistan, 
and Vietnam meet the criteria for designation as countries of 
particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b).
    ``(b) Consultation.--The Comptroller General shall consult with the 
appropriate executive branch officials, appropriate congressional 
committees, and governmental and nongovernmental organizations for the 
purposes of preparing the report required by subsection (a).
    ``(c) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by subsection 
(a) shall include the following:
            ``(1) A multiyear comparison of country reports on Nigeria, 
        Pakistan, and Vietnam in the Annual Country Reports on Human 
        Rights Practices, the Annual Reports described in section 
        102(b), and the annual reports of the Commission.
            ``(2) A comparison of reports and publications on religious 
        freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam issued by 
        foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations, and 
        academic entities, to the findings of the reports issued by the 
        United States.
            ``(3) Discussions with current and former United States 
        officials, including Members of Congress, Commissioners, and 
        staff of the Commission, about religious freedom conditions in 
        Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam, the requirements of this Act, 
        and United States national interests in such countries.
            ``(4) Discussions with current and former United Nations 
        Special Rapporteurs on Religion and Belief and their staffs, 
        about religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and 
        Vietnam.
            ``(5) Discussions with academic and other experts, 
        including representatives of religions and ethnic minority 
        groups, about religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, 
        Pakistan, and Vietnam, the effect of United States advocacy for 
        religious freedom in such countries, and United States national 
        interests in such countries.''.

SEC. 21. CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.

    The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended--
            (1) by inserting after the item relating to section 405 the 
        following:

``Sec. 405A. Sense of Congress regarding country of particular concern 
                            designation for violent nonstate actors.'';
            (2) by striking the item relating to section 605 and 
        inserting the following:

``Sec. 606. Studies on the effect of expedited removal provisions on 
                            asylum claims.'';
            (3) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the 
        following:

``Sec. 605. Actions against persons responsible for committing 
                            particularly severe violations of 
                            international religious freedom.'';
        and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:

``Sec. 702. Codes of conduct for United States institutions of higher 
                            education operating outside the United 
                            States.
``Sec. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to 
                            promote religious freedom through United 
                            States foreign policy.
``Sec. 704. Report on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, 
                            Pakistan, and Vietnam.''.
                                 <all>