[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 653 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 653

   To provide for the establishment of the Special Envoy to Promote 
 Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South 
                             Central Asia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 22, 2013

 Mr. Blunt (for himself, Mr. Levin, and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for the establishment of the Special Envoy to Promote 
 Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South 
                             Central Asia.

    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 ``Near East and South Central Asia 
Religious Freedom Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL ENVOY TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS 
              MINORITIES IN THE NEAR EAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ASIA.

    (a) Appointment.--The President may appoint a Special Envoy to 
Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and 
South Central Asia (in this Act referred to as the ``Special Envoy'') 
within the Department of State. The Special Envoy shall have the rank 
of ambassador and shall hold the office at the pleasure of the 
President.
    (b) Qualifications.--The Special Envoy should be a person of 
recognized distinction in the field of human rights and religious 
freedom and with expertise in the Near East and South Central Asia.

SEC. 3. DUTIES.

    (a) In General.--The Special Envoy shall carry out the following 
duties:
            (1) Promote the right of religious freedom of religious 
        minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries 
        of South Central Asia, denounce the violation of such right, 
        and recommend appropriate responses by the United States 
        Government when such right is violated.
            (2) Monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and 
        incitement targeted against religious minorities in the 
        countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central 
        Asia.
            (3) Work to ensure that the unique needs of religious 
        minority communities in the countries of the Near East and the 
        countries of South Central Asia are addressed, including the 
        economic and security needs of such communities.
            (4) Work with foreign governments of the countries of the 
        Near East and the countries of South Central Asia to address 
        laws that are discriminatory toward religious minority 
        communities in such countries.
            (5) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that 
        portion of the report required by sections 116(d) and 502B(b) 
        of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 
        2304(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious freedom 
        of religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and 
        the countries of South Central Asia.
            (6) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that 
        portion of the report required by section 102(b) of the 
        International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)) 
        relating to the nature and extent of religious freedom of 
        religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and the 
        countries of South Central Asia.
    (b) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties under subsection (a), 
the Special Envoy shall, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate 
with the Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and 
Migration, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, 
the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and 
other relevant Federal agencies and officials.

SEC. 4. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION.

    Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary of 
State, the Special Envoy is authorized to represent the United States 
in matters and cases relevant to religious freedom in the countries of 
the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia in--
            (1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental 
        organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations, 
        the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and 
        other international organizations of which the United States is 
        a member; and
            (2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to 
        religious freedom in the countries of the Near East and the 
        countries of South Central Asia.

SEC. 5. CONSULTATIONS.

    The Special Envoy shall consult with domestic and international 
nongovernmental organizations and multilateral organizations and 
institutions, as the Special Envoy considers appropriate to fulfill the 
purposes of this Act.

SEC. 6. FUNDING.

    Of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the 
Secretary of State for ``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' for fiscal 
years 2013 through 2017, the Secretary of State is authorized to 
provide to the Special Envoy $1,000,000 for each such fiscal year for 
the hiring of staff, the conduct of investigations, and necessary 
travel to carry out the provisions of this Act.
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