[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1150 Engrossed in House (EH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 1150

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the 
  ability of the United States to advance religious freedom globally 
  through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign 
 assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political 
    responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism 
                   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 AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Frank R. Wolf 
International Religious Freedom Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings; Policy.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
                TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE ACTIVITIES

Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at 
                            Large for International Religious Freedom.
Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom.
Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report.
Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom 
                            concerns.
                  TITLE II--NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom.
                    TITLE III--PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS

Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations.
Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe 
                            violations of religious freedom.
Sec. 303. Report to Congress.
Sec. 304. Presidential waiver.
Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register.
                TITLE IV--PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom.
TITLE V--DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF 
                           RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 
                            Religious Freedom.
                   TITLE VI--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions.
Sec. 602. Clerical amendments.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; POLICY.

    (a) Findings.--Section 2(a) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting immediately prior to the 
        penultimate sentence the following new sentence: ``The freedom 
        of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect 
        theistic and non-theistic beliefs as well as the right not to 
        profess or practice any religion.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (6)--
                    (A) by inserting ``and the specific targeting of 
                non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their 
                beliefs'' after ``religious persecution''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``and in regions where non-state 
                actors exercise significant political power and 
                influence'' after ``religious majorities''.
    (b) Policy.--Section 2(b) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(b)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(6) Because the promotion of international religious 
        freedom protects human rights, advances democracy abroad, and 
        advances United States interests in stability, security, and 
        development globally, the promotion of international religious 
        freedom requires new and evolving policies, and diplomatic 
        responses that are drawn from the expertise of the national 
        security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other 
        governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, and 
        are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of 
        Federal agencies.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6402) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (13)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) 
                        as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and
                            (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the 
                        following:
                            ``(iv) not professing a particular 
                        religion, or any religion;''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by inserting ``conscience, non-theistic 
                        views, or'' before ``religious belief or 
                        practice''; and
                            (ii) by inserting after ``forced religious 
                        conversion'' the following: ``, forcibly 
                        compelling non-believers or non-theists to 
                        recant their beliefs or to convert''; 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 as contained in the Executive 
        Summary to the Annual Report and described in section 
        102(b)(1)(F)(iii).
            ``(15) Non-state actor.--The term `non-state actor' means a 
        nonsovereign entity that exercises significant political power 
        and is able to exert influence at a national or international 
        level but does not belong to or ally itself to any particular 
        country and often employs illegal violence in pursuit of its 
        objectives.
            ``(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)''.

                TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE ACTIVITIES

SEC. 101. OFFICE ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM; AMBASSADOR AT 
              LARGE FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    (a) In General.--Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6411) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end before the 
        period the following: ``, and shall report directly to the 
        Secretary of State'';
            (2) 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 strategies into the 
                foreign policy efforts of the United States.'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``the principal 
                adviser to'' before ``the Secretary of State'';
                    (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--
                    ``(A) shall coordinate international religious 
                freedom policies across all programs, projects, and 
                activities of the United States; and
                    ``(B) should participate in any interagency 
                processes on issues in which the promotion of 
                international religious freedom policy can advance 
                United States national security interests, including in 
                democracy promotion, stability, security, and 
                development globally.''; and
            (3) 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 25 full-time 
        equivalent staff positions, and any other temporary staff 
        positions as needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual 
        Report under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, 
        and for the conduct of investigations by the Office and for 
        necessary travel to carry out the provisions of this Act. The 
        Secretary of State should also provide to the Ambassador at 
        Large funds that are sufficient to carry out the duties 
        described in this section, including as necessary 
        representation funds, in amounts comparable to those provided 
        to other Ambassadors at Large in the Department of State.''.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--Because international religious freedom is 
a vital foreign policy interest and one that needs coordination across 
many regional bureaus and among Special Envoys and Special 
Representatives with overlapping mandates, the Secretary of State 
should consider elevating the office of International Religious Freedom 
and the position of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious 
Freedom to the Office of the Secretary, similar to other Ambassador at 
Large positions that now report directly to the Secretary. Providing 
the Office of International Religious Freedom with additional resources 
and status will demonstrate both the strategic importance of 
international religious freedom policy within the State Department 
bureaucracy and show persecuted religious groups globally that the 
United States gives priority to the protection and promotion of 
international religious freedom as mandated by the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

SEC. 102. ANNUAL REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    (a) In General.--Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
        ``September 1'' and inserting ``May 1'';
            (2) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (vii); 
                and
                    (B) by inserting after clause (iii) the following 
                new clauses:
                            ``(iv) particularly severe violations of 
                        religious freedom in that country in the case 
                        of a foreign country with respect to which a 
                        government does not exist or the government 
                        does not control its territory;
                            ``(v) an identification of prisoners in 
                        that country pursuant to section 108;
                            ``(vi) any action taken by the government 
                        of that country to censor religious content, 
                        communications, or worship activities online, 
                        including descriptions of the targeted 
                        religious group, the content, communication, or 
                        activities censored, and the means used.'';
            (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause 
        (i)--
                    (A) by inserting ``persecution of lawyers, 
                politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to 
                defend the rights of members of 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,'';
            (4) in subparagraph (C)--
                    (A) by striking ``A description'' and inserting ``A 
                comprehensive description'';
                    (B) by striking ``policies in support'' and 
                inserting ``diplomatic and political coordination 
                efforts, and other policies in support''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end before the period the 
                following: ``, and a 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
            (5) in subparagraph (F)--
                    (A) in clause (i)--
                            (i) by striking ``section 402(b)(1)'' and 
                        inserting ``section 402(b)(1)(B)(i)''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following: 
                        ``Any country in which a non-state actor 
                        designated as an entity of particular concern 
                        for religious freedom under section 301 of the 
                        Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom 
                        Act is located shall be included in this 
                        section of the report.''; and
                    (B) 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 each country that engages in or 
                        tolerates severe violations of religious 
                        freedom during the previous year but which the 
                        President determines does not meet, at the time 
                        of the publication of the Annual Report, all of 
                        the criteria described in section 3(11) for 
                        designation under section 402(b)(1).''.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the original intent of the International Religious 
        Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) was to require 
        annual reports from both the Department of State and the 
        Commission on International Religious Freedom to be delivered 
        each year, during the same calendar year, and with at least 5 
        months separating these reports, in order to provide updated 
        information for policy-makers, Members of Congress, and 
        nongovernmental organizations; and
            (2) given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights 
        Practices no longer contain updated information on religious 
        freedom conditions globally, it is important that the 
        Department of State and the Commission work together to fulfill 
        the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act 
        of 1998.

SEC. 103. 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.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall develop a 
        curriculum for training United States Foreign Service officers 
        in the scope and strategic value of international religious 
        freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm 
        fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of 
        international 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 
        international religious freedom to United States defense, 
        diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. The 
        Secretary of State shall ensure the availability of sufficient 
        resources to develop and implement such curriculum.
            ``(2) Role of other officials.--The Secretary of State 
        shall carry out paragraph (1)--
                    ``(A) with the assistance of the Ambassador at 
                Large for International Religious Freedom appointed 
                under section 101(b) of the International Religious 
                Freedom Act of 1998;
                    ``(B) in coordination with the Director of the 
                George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training 
                Center and other Federal officials as appropriate; and
                    ``(C) in consultation with the United States 
                Commission on International Religious Freedom 
                established in section 201(a) of the International 
                Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and other relevant 
                stakeholders.
    ``(b) Training Program.--Not later than the date that is 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International 
Religious Freedom Act, 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, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the 
United States, 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) should be made available 
to all other Federal agencies.''.
    (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. 104. 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 (b), by striking ``faith'' and inserting 
        ``activities, religious freedom advocacy, or efforts to protect 
        and advance the universally recognized right to the freedom of 
        religion,'';
            (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 United States Commission on 
International Religious Freedom.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Commission shall make publicly 
        available online and in official publications lists of persons 
        it determines are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed 
        under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced 
        renunciations of faith for their religious activity or 
        religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign 
        country that the Commission recommends for designation as a 
        country of particular concern for religious freedom under 
        section 402(b)(1) or by a non-state actor that the Commission 
        recommends for designation as an entity of particular concern 
        for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf 
        International Religious Freedom Act and include as much 
        publicly available information as possible on the conditions 
        and circumstances of such persons.
            ``(2) Discretion.--In compiling such lists, the Commission 
        shall exercise all appropriate discretion, including 
        consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, 
        the persons who may be included on the lists and the families 
        of such persons.''.

                  TITLE II--NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

SEC. 201. SPECIAL ADVISER FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    Section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021) 
is amended by striking subsection (k) and inserting the following:
    ``(k) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that there 
should be within the staff of the National Security Council a Special 
Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom, whose 
position should be comparable to that of a director within the 
Executive Office of the President, with the primary responsibility to 
serve as a resource for executive branch officials on international 
religious freedom, compiling and maintaining information on the facts 
and circumstances of violations of religious freedom (as defined in 
section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998), and 
making relevant policy recommendations to advance United States 
international religious freedom policy. The Special Advisor should also 
assist the Ambassador at Large to coordinate international religious 
freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and 
within any interagency policy committees where the Ambassador at Large 
participates.''.

                    TITLE III--PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS

SEC. 301. NON-STATE ACTOR DESIGNATIONS.

    (a) In General.--The President shall, concurrent with the annual 
foreign country review required by section 402(b)(1) of the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1))--
            (1) review and identify any non-state actors operating in 
        any such reviewed country or surrounding region that have 
        engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; 
        and
            (2) designate, in a manner consistent with such Act, each 
        such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for 
        religious freedom.
    (b) Report.--Whenever the President designates a non-state actor 
under subsection (a) as an entity of particular concern for religious 
freedom, the President shall, as soon as practicable after the 
designation is made, submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report detailing the reasons for such designation.
    (c) Actions.--The President should take specific actions to address 
severe violations of religious freedom of non-state actors that are 
designated under subsection (a), including taking actions commensurate 
to those actions described in section 405 of the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6445).
    (d) Department of State Annual Report.--The Secretary of State 
should include information detailing the reasons the President 
designated a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for 
religious freedom under subsection (a) in the Annual Report required in 
section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)).
    (e) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of State should work with Congress to create new political, 
financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of 
religious freedom by non-state actors and to update the actions the 
President can take in section 405 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998.
    (f) Determinations of Responsible Parties.--In order to 
appropriately target Presidential actions under the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 in response, the President shall with 
respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular 
concern for religious freedom under subsection (a), seek to determine 
the specific officials or members thereof that are responsible for the 
particularly severe violations of religious freedom engaged in or 
tolerated by that entity.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``appropriate 
congressional committees'', ``non-state actor'', and ``particularly 
severe violations of religious freedom'' have the meanings given such 
terms in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6402), as amended by section 3 of this Act.

SEC. 302. 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.''; 
                        and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``September 1 of the respective year'' and 
                        inserting ``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 90 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.''; 
                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 in more than two consecutive Annual 
                Reports.
                    ``(B) Exercise of waiver authority.--The President 
                may waive the application 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) the 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. 303. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(iv) the impact on the advancement of 
                        United States interests in democracy, human 
                        rights, and security, and a description of 
                        policy tools being applied in the country, 
                        including programs that target democratic 
                        stability, economic growth, and counter-
                        terrorism.''.

SEC. 304. PRESIDENTIAL WAIVER.

    Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6447) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``subsection (b)'' and inserting 
                ``subsection (c)''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, for a single 180-day period,'' 
                after ``may waive'';
            (2) by striking ``that--'' and all that follows and 
        inserting ``that the exercise of such waiver authority would 
        further the purposes of this Act.'';
            (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
            (4) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Additional Authority.--Subject to subsection (c), the 
President may waive, for any additional period of time after the 180-
day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the 
actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or 
a commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a 
country, if the President determines and so reports to the appropriate 
congressional committees that--
            ``(1) the respective foreign government has ceased the 
        violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or
            ``(2) the exercise of such authority is important to the 
        national interests of the United States.''.
            (5) in subsection (c), by inserting ``or (b)'' after 
        ``subsection (a)''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            ``(1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of 
        any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of 
        section 405(a) (or commensurate action in substitution thereto) 
        with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this 
        Act; and
            ``(2) because the promotion of religious freedom is a 
        compelling interest of United States foreign policy, 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 case-by-case basis, 
        through the actions specified in section 405 or other 
        commensurate action in substitution thereto.''.

SEC. 305. PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER.

    Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: ``Any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of 
particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank 
R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, together with, when 
applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of individuals 
determined to be responsible for the violations under subsection (e) of 
such section.''.

                TITLE IV--PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

SEC. 401. ASSISTANCE FOR PROMOTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    (a) Availability of Assistance.--It is the sense of Congress that 
for each fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Department of State should make available--
            (1) an amount equal to not less than 10 percent of the 
        amounts available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and 
        Democracy Fund for the promotion of international religious 
        freedom and for projects to advance United States interests in 
        the protection and advancement of international religious 
        freedom, in particular, through grants to--
                    (A) groups that are able to develop legal 
                protections or promote cultural and societal 
                understanding of international norms of religious 
                freedom;
                    (B) groups that seek to address and mitigate 
                religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat 
                violent extremism; and
                    (C) groups that seek to strengthen investigations, 
                reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom 
                violations; and
            (2) an amount equal to not less than 2 percent of amounts 
        available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and 
        Democracy Fund to be made available for the establishment of a 
        Religious Freedom Defense Fund, administered by the Ambassador 
        at Large for International Religious Freedom, to provide grants 
        for--
                    (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; and
                    (B) projects to help create and support training of 
                a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, 
                including legal and political advocates, and civil 
                society projects which seek to create advocacy 
                networks, strengthen legal representation, train and 
                educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the 
                capacity of religious communities and rights defenders 
                to protect against religious freedom violations, 
                mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize 
                legal or other restrictions of the right to freedom of 
                religion.
    (b) Preference.--It is the sense of Congress that, in providing 
grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for International 
Religious Freedom should, 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)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 
6442(b)(1)) and countries included on the Special Watch List described 
in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(F)(iii)).
    (c) Administration and Consultations.--
            (1) Administration.--Amounts made available in accordance 
        with subsection (a) shall be administered by the Ambassador at 
        Large for International Religious Freedom.
            (2) Consultations.--In developing priorities and policies 
        for providing grants in accordance with subsection (a), 
        including priorities and policies for identification of 
        potential grantees, the Ambassador at Large for International 
        Religious Freedom shall consult with other Federal agencies, 
        including the United States Commission on International 
        Religious Freedom and, as appropriate, nongovernmental 
        organizations.

TITLE V--DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF 
                           RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

SEC. 501. DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF 
              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. DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS 
              OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

    ``(a) List.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
        with the Ambassador at Large and in consultation with relevant 
        government and non-government experts, shall establish and 
        maintain a list of foreign individuals who are sanctioned, 
        through visa denials, financial sanctions, or other measures, 
        because they are responsible for ordering, controlling, or 
        otherwise directing particularly severe violations of freedom 
        religion.
            ``(2) Reference.--The list required under paragraph (1) 
        shall be known as the `Designated Persons List for Particularly 
        Severe Violations of Religious Freedom'.
    ``(b) Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall submit to 
        the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains 
        the list required under subsection (a), including, with respect 
        to each foreign individual on the list--
                    ``(A) the name of the individual and a description 
                of the particularly severe violation of religious 
                freedom committed by the individual;
                    ``(B) the name of the country or other location in 
                which such violation took place; and
                    ``(C) a description of the actions taken pursuant 
                to this Act or any other Act or Executive order in 
                response to such violation; and
            ``(2) Submission and updates.--The Secretary of State shall 
        submit to the appropriate congressional committees--
                    ``(A) the initial report required under paragraph 
                (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the 
                enactment of this section; and
                    ``(B) updates to the report every 180 days 
                thereafter and as new information becomes available.
            ``(3) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) should 
        be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified 
        annex.
            ``(4) Definition.--In this subsection, the term 
        `appropriate congressional committees' means--
                    ``(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    ``(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
                Senate.''.

                   TITLE VI--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

SEC. 601. 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. VOLUNTARY 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, should seek to adopt a voluntary code 
of conduct for operating in such countries that should--
            ``(1) uphold 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) ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice 
        of religion 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) make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or 
        memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a 
        foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights 
        enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

``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 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; and
            ``(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.''.

SEC. 602. CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.

    The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended--
            (1) 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.'';
            (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the 
        following:

``Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations 
                            of Religious Freedom.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:

``Sec. 702. Voluntary 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.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 16, 2016.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
114th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 1150

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

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