[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2539 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2539
To modify and reauthorize the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 24, 2019
Mr. Rubio (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr.
Cotton, and Mr. Markey) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To modify and reauthorize the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, 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 ``Tibetan Policy and Support Act of
2019''.
SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO AND REAUTHORIZATION OF THE TIBETAN POLICY ACT
OF 2002.
(a) Tibet Negotiations.--Section 613 of the Tibetan Policy Act of
2002 (subtitle B of title VI of division A of Public law 107-228; 22
U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by inserting ``without preconditions''
after ``a dialogue'';
(ii) by inserting ``or Central Tibetan
Administration representatives'' after ``his
representatives''; and
(iii) by adding at the end before the
period the following: ``and should coordinate
with other governments in multilateral efforts
toward this goal'';
(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph
(3); and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following
new paragraph:
``(2) Policy communication.--The President shall direct the
Secretary of State to ensure that, in accordance with this Act,
United States policy on Tibet, as coordinated by the United
States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, is communicated
to all Federal departments and agencies in contact with the
Government of the People's Republic of China.''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``until December 31,
2021''; and
(ii) by inserting ``and direct the
Department of State to make public on its
website'' after ``appropriate congressional
committees'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the
end and inserting a semicolon; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new
paragraphs:
``(3) the steps taken by the United States Government to
promote and protect the human rights and the distinct
religious, cultural, linguistic, and national identity of the
Tibetan people, including the right of the Tibetan people to
choose their own religious leaders in accordance with their
established religious practice and system; and
``(4) an analysis of United States business activities in
Tibet, whether those activities employ Tibetans and how many,
whether those activities are consistent with the protection of
the environment and Tibetan cultural traditions, and whether
those activities contribute to or support, through goods or
services, the surveillance of the people of Tibet.''.
(b) Economic Development in Tibet.--Section 616 of such Act (22
U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--
(1) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``human
rights,'' after ``respect Tibetan'';
(B) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(C) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(10) neither provide incentive for, nor facilitate the
involuntary or coerced relocation of, Tibetan nomads from their
traditional pasturelands into concentrated settlements.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
``(e) Private Sector Investment.--The Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, should--
``(1) encourage United States businesses and individuals
that are engaged in commerce or investing in enterprises in
Tibet to abide by the principles specified in subsection (d)
and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human
Rights; and
``(2) request that such businesses and individuals provide
to the Department of State periodic reports on their adherence
to such principles.
``(f) United States Assistance.--The President shall provide grants
to nongovernmental organizations to support sustainable economic
development, cultural and historical preservation, health care,
education, and environmental sustainability projects for Tibetan
communities in Tibet, in accordance with the principles specified in
subsection (d) and subject to the review and approval of the United
States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues under section 621(d) or,
if the Coordinator has not been appointed, the Assistant Secretary of
State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.''.
(c) Diplomatic Representation Relating to Tibet.--Section 618 of
such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 618. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION RELATING TO TIBET.
``(a) United States Consulate in Lhasa, Tibet.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall seek to establish a
United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, to provide consular
services to United States citizens traveling in Tibet and to
monitor political, economic, and cultural developments in
Tibet.
``(2) Consular districts.--The Secretary should organize
the United States Embassy's consular districts within the
People's Republic of China so that all areas designated as
autonomous for Tibetans are contained within the same consular
district.
``(b) Tibet Section in United States Embassy in Beijing, China.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a Tibet
section within the United States Embassy in Beijing, China, to
follow political, economic, and social developments in Tibet
until such time as a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet,
is established under subsection (a).
``(2) Duties.--The Tibet section established under
paragraph (1) shall have the primary responsibility of
reporting on human rights issues and access to Tibet by United
States Government officials, journalists, nongovernmental
organizations, and the Tibetan diaspora and shall work in close
cooperation with the United States Special Coordinator for
Tibetan Issues.
``(c) Policy.--The Secretary shall not authorize the establishment
in the United States of any additional consulate of the People's
Republic of China until such time as a United States consulate in
Lhasa, Tibet, is established under subsection (a).''.
(d) Religious Persecution in Tibet.--Section 620(b) of such Act (22
U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended by adding at the end before the period the
following: ``, including with respect to the reincarnation system of
Tibetan Buddhism''.
(e) United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.--Section
621 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
``(c) Objectives.--The objectives of the Special Coordinator are
to--
``(1) promote substantive dialogue without preconditions
between the Government of the People's Republic of China and
the Dalai Lama or his representatives or Central Tibetan
Administration representatives leading to a negotiated
agreement on Tibet;
``(2) encourage the Government of the People's Republic of
China to address the aspirations of the Tibetan people
regarding their cultural, religious, linguistic, and national
identity;
``(3) promote the human rights and religious freedoms of
the Tibetan people, including women's human rights;
``(4) promote activities to preserve the distinct
environment and water resources of the Tibetan plateau;
``(5) promote economic development as enumerated in section
616(e); and
``(6) promote access to Tibet in accordance with the
Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 (Public law 115-330).'';
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph
(8); and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following
new paragraphs:
``(6) review and approve all projects carried out pursuant
to section 616(f) of this Act and section 7(b) of the Tibetan
Policy and Support Act of 2019;
``(7) seek to establish international diplomatic coalitions
to--
``(A) oppose any effort by the Government of the
People's Republic of China to identify or install
Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders in a manner
inconsistent with the established religious practice
and system of Tibetan Buddhism; and
``(B) ensure that the identification and
installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders,
including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is determined
solely within the Tibetan Buddhist faith community, in
accordance with the universally recognized right to
religious freedom; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Personnel.--The Secretary shall assign not less than three
individuals to the Office of the Special Coordinator to assist in the
management of the responsibilities of this section.''.
(f) Geographic Definition of Tibet.--Such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901
note), as so amended, is further amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 622. GEOGRAPHIC DEFINITION OF TIBET.
``In this Act and in implementing policies relating to the Tibetan
people under other provisions of law, the term `Tibet', unless
otherwise specified, means--
``(1) the Tibet Autonomous Region; and
``(2) the Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and
Yunnan provinces.''.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING THE SUCCESSION OR REINCARNATION
OF THE DALAI LAMA.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Tibetan Buddhism is practiced in many countries,
including the People's Republic of China, Bhutan, Nepal,
Mongolia, India, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
(2) No single political entity encompasses the territory in
which Tibetan Buddhism is practiced.
(3) The Dalai Lama is widely revered by Tibetan Buddhists
and those who practice Tibetan Buddhism around the world,
including those in the United States, as their spiritual
leader.
(4) Under the Tibetan Buddhist belief system, there have
been 14 persons recognized as the Dalai Lama, each a
manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, selected
according to the spiritual traditions and practices of Tibetan
Buddhism.
(5) The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, issued a statement
on September 24, 2011, explaining the traditions and spiritual
precepts of the selection of Dalai Lamas, setting forth his
views on the considerations and process for selecting his
successor, and providing a response to the claims of the
Government of the People's Republic of China that only that
Government has the ultimate authority in the selection process
of the Dalai Lama.
(6) The 14th Dalai Lama said in his statement that if a
decision to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama is made,
that the responsibility shall primarily rest with the Dalai
Lama's Gaden Phodrang Trust, who will be informed by the
written instructions of the 14th Dalai Lama.
(7) Since 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama has reiterated publicly
on numerous occasions that decisions on the succession or
reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama belong to the Tibetan
Buddhist faith community alone.
(8) The Government of the People's Republic of China has
interfered in the process of recognizing a successor or
reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including in 1995 by
arbitrarily detaining Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a 6-year-old boy
who was identified as the 11th Panchen Lama, and purporting to
install its own candidate as the Panchen Lama.
(9) During his confirmation hearings to be Secretary of
State, Michael Pompeo testified to the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate, ``If confirmed, I will press the
Chinese government to respect the legitimacy of Tibetan
Buddhists' religious practices. This includes the decisions of
Tibetan Buddhists in selecting, educating, and venerating the
lamas who lead the faith, such as the Dalai Lama.''.
(10) The Department of State's Report on International
Religious Freedom for 2017 reported on policies and efforts of
the Government of the People's Republic of China to exert
control over the selection of Tibetan Buddhist religious
leaders, including reincarnate lamas, and stated that ``U.S.
officials underscored that decisions on the reincarnation of
the Dalai Lama should be made solely by faith leaders''.
(11) In July 2015, Under Secretary of State for Civilian
Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, serving
concurrently as United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan
Issues, testified to Congress that ``the basic and universally
recognized right of religious freedom demands that any decision
on the next Dalai Lama be reserved to the current Dalai Lama,
Tibetan Buddhist leaders, and the Tibetan people''.
(12) On June 8, 2015, the United States House of
Representatives unanimously approved House Resolution 337
(114th Congress) which calls on the United States Government to
``underscore that government interference in the Tibetan
reincarnation process is a violation of the internationally
recognized right to religious freedom, and that matters related
to reincarnations in Tibetan Buddhism are of keen interest to
Tibetan Buddhist populations worldwide''.
(13) On April 25, 2018, the United States Senate
unanimously approved Senate Resolution 429 (115th Congress),
which ``expresses its sense that the identification and
installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, including a
future 15th Dalai Lama, is a matter that should be determined
solely within the Tibetan Buddhist faith community, in
accordance with the inalienable right to religious freedom''.
(b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States
that--
(1) decisions regarding the identification and installation
of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, including a future 15th
Dalai Lama, are exclusively spiritual matters that should be
made by the appropriate religious authorities within the
Tibetan Buddhist tradition and in the context of the will of
religious practitioners and the instructions of the 14th Dalai
Lama; and
(2) interference by the Government of the People's Republic
of China or any other government in the process of recognizing
a successor or reincarnation of the Dalai Lama would represent
a clear violation of the fundamental religious freedoms of
Tibetan Buddhists and the Tibetan people.
(c) Amendments to Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years
1990 and 1991.--Section 901(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization
Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101-246; 104 Stat. 80) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (7), (8), and (9) as
paragraphs (8), (9), and (10), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new
paragraph:
``(7) protecting the internationally recognized right to
the freedom of religion and belief, including ensuring that the
identification and installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious
leaders, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is a matter
determined solely within the Tibetan Buddhist faith community,
based on instructions of the 14th Dalai Lama, without
interference by the Government of the People's Republic of
China;''.
(d) Holding Chinese Officials Responsible for Religious Freedom
Abuses Targeting Tibetan Buddhists.--It is the policy of the United
States--
(1) to consider any effort by the Government of the
People's Republic of China to identify or install its own
candidate as the future 15th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism to
be--
(A) a serious human rights abuse as such term is
used in Executive Order No. 13818 (relating to blocking
the property of persons involved in serious human
rights abuse or corruption); and
(B) a particularly severe violation of religious
freedom for purposes of applying section 212(a)(2)(G)
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1182(a)(2)(G); and
(2) to consider any official of the Government of the
People's Republic of China determined to be complicit in
identifying or installing a government-approved candidate as
the future 15th Dalai Lama, contrary to the instructions
provided by the 14th Dalai Lama, and one not recognized by the
faith community of Tibetan Buddhists globally, to be subject to
sanctions described in Executive Order No. 13818 and to
inadmissibility into the United States under section
212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1182(a)(2)).
(e) Department of State Programming To Promote Religious Freedom
for Tibetan Buddhists.--Consistent with section 401 of the Frank R.
Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 114-281; 130 Stat.
1436), using funds available to the Department of State for
international religious freedom programs, the Ambassador at Large for
International Religious Freedom should provide funding to vigorously
protect and promote international religious freedom in China and for
programs to protect Tibetan Buddhism in China and elsewhere.
SEC. 4. REPORTING ON TIBET UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
ACT OF 1998.
Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``, including
policies'' and inserting ``, including interference in the
right of religious communities to choose their leaders,
policies''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(H) China.--Because matters relating to religious
freedom in China are complex in scope and intensity and
often vary by ethnicity and geographic or
administrative region, each chapter on China in the
Annual Report shall include separate sections on--
``(i) Tibet;
``(ii) the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous
Region;
``(iii) Hong Kong and Macau;
``(iv) unrecognized or independent Catholic
and Protestant `house churches'; and
``(v) Falun Gong and faith-based or new
religious movements.''.
SEC. 5. POLICY REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER RESOURCES ON THE
TIBETAN PLATEAU.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Glaciers in Tibet feed 10 of the major rivers of South
and East Asia, which supply fresh water to an estimated
1,800,000,000 people.
(2) Chinese scientists have reported that since 1960 the
Tibetan Plateau's annual average temperature has increased at
twice the global average, causing melting of the glaciers,
which will result in variable water flows in the future.
(3) Tibet's rivers support wetlands that play a key role in
water storage, water quality, and the regulation of water flow,
and support biodiversity, foster vegetation growth, and act as
carbon sinks.
(4) The grasslands of Tibet play a significant role in
carbon production and sequestration.
(5) Changes in permafrost levels can affect the water
supply, cause desertification, and destabilize infrastructure
on the Tibetan Plateau and beyond.
(6) The warming of the Tibetan Plateau may cause changes in
the monsoon cycle in South and Southeast Asia, which could lead
to droughts or floods that overwhelm infrastructure and damage
crops.
(7) The resettlement of nomads from Tibetan grasslands
undermines the application of traditional stewardship practices
developed through centuries of pastoral practices, which can be
key to mitigating the negative effects of warming on the
Tibetan Plateau.
(8) The construction of large hydroelectric power dams in
Tibet, planned to be used in part to transmit power to Chinese
provinces outside of Tibet, as well as other infrastructure
projects, including the Sichuan-Tibet railroad may also lead to
the resettlement of thousands of Tibetans and transform the
environment.
(9) Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam are members of
the Mekong River Commission, which promotes sustainable
management and development of water and related resources among
member nations.
(10) The People's Republic of China is not a full party to
the Mekong River Commission.
(11) The People's Republic of China has approximately 20
percent of the world's population but only around 7 percent of
the world's water supply, with India and the rest of South and
Southeast Asia also relying on the rivers flowing from the
Himalayas of the Tibetan Plateau.
(12) The People's Republic of China has already completed
water transfer programs diverting billions of cubic meters of
water yearly and there are plans to divert more waters from the
Tibetan plateau in China.
(b) Water Resources in Tibet and the Tibetan Watershed.--The
Secretary of State, in coordination with relevant agencies of the
United States Government, shall--
(1) pursue efforts to monitor the environment on the
Tibetan Plateau, including glacial retreat, temperature rise,
and carbon levels, in order to promote a greater understanding
of the effects on permafrost, river flows, grasslands and
desertification, and the monsoon cycle;
(2) engage with the Government of the People's Republic of
China, the Central Tibetan Administration, and nongovernmental
organizations to encourage the participation of Tibetan nomads
and other Tibetan stakeholders in the development and
implementation of grassland management policies, in order to
utilize their indigenous experience in mitigation and
stewardship of the land, and to assess policies on the forced
resettlement of nomads; and
(3) encourage a regional framework on water security or use
existing frameworks, such as the Lower Mekong Initiative, to
facilitate cooperative agreements among all riparian nations
that would promote transparency, sharing of information,
pollution regulation, and arrangements on impounding and
diversion of waters that originate on the Tibetan Plateau.
(c) Tibetan Water Resources and National Security.--Section 1202(b)
of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-65;
10 U.S.C. 113 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(29) Tibet's strategic importance and the strategic
importance of water resources from the Tibetan Plateau in
regional and territorial disputes.''.
SEC. 6. DEMOCRACY IN THE TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The 14th Dalai Lama has overseen a process of
democratization within the Tibetan policy, beginning in Tibet
in the 1950s and continuing in exile from the 1960s to the
present.
(2) The first representative body in Tibetan history,
formed on September 2, 1960, was the precursor of the Tibetan
Parliament-in-Exile, the legislative branch within the Central
Tibetan Administration.
(3) The first direct election for the chief executive of
the Central Tibetan Administration was held on July 29, 2001,
with the election of Professor Samdhong Rinpoche.
(4) On March 10, 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama announced that
he would relinquish his political responsibilities and on
August 8, 2011, he transferred full political power to the
elected leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration.
(5) On March 20, 2011, members of the Tibetan exile
community across some 30 countries held elections, monitored by
international observers and assessed to be free and fair, to
select the next parliament and chief executive.
(6) As a result of the codification of the transfer of
political power from the Dalai Lama, the Kalon Tripa, or Chief
of the Cabinet, assumed full executive authority and the
Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile assumed full legislative authority
within the Central Tibetan Administration.
(7) As a result of the 2011 elections, the 15th Tibetan
Parliament was seated and Lobsang Sangay was chosen as Kalon
Tripa, a title changed to Sikyong in 2012.
(8) Approximately 6,000,000 Tibetans in Tibet do not enjoy
a democratic form of government or the ability to elect their
political representatives.
(9) Section 355 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act,
Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 (Public law 102-138; 105 Stat 713),
expressed the sense of Congress that Tibet's true
representatives are the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-
in-exile as recognized by the Tibetan people and that Tibet has
maintained throughout its history a distinctive and sovereign
national, cultural, and religious identity separate from that
of China and, except during periods of illegal Chinese
occupation, has maintained a separate and sovereign political
and territorial identity.
(10) The Middle Way Approach, the official policy of the
Central Tibetan Administration, seeks genuine autonomy for the
6,000,000 Tibetans in Tibet.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) Tibetan exile communities around the world should be
commended for the successful adoption of a system of self-
governance with democratic institutions and free elections to
choose their leaders;
(2) the Dalai Lama should be commended for his decision to
transfer political authority to elected leaders in accordance
with democratic principles;
(3) the Central Tibetan Administration legitimately
represents and reflects the aspirations of Tibetan people
around the world, and the Sikyong is the President of the
Central Tibetan Administration;
(4) as consistent with section 621(d)(3) of the Tibetan
Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), the United States
Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues should continue to
maintain close contact with the religious, cultural, and
elected leaders of the Tibetan people; and
(5) the adoption of democracy within the Tibetan exile
community can serve as an example to other exiled, subnational,
or nonsovereign communities around the world.
SEC. 7. SUSTAINABILITY IN TIBETAN COMMUNITIES SEEKING TO PRESERVE THEIR
CULTURE, RELIGION, AND LANGUAGE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Following the flight into exile of the Dalai Lama and
tens of thousands of fellow Tibetans, the Government of India
graciously granted land on which the Tibetan refugees could
settle.
(2) Under the leadership of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan
refugees established settlements in India, Nepalese, and
Bhutanese monastic, cultural, and educational institutions for
the purpose of preserving their religion, culture, and language
until the time that they could return to Tibet.
(3) Many of the Tibetan settlements are more than 50 years
old, with aging infrastructure, challenging the capacity to
absorb new refugees and provide modern services and gainful
employment.
(4) The threats to Tibetan culture, religion, and language
in the People's Republic of China justify support for efforts
by Tibetans outside China to preserve their heritage.
(5) Many long-staying Tibetans in Nepal have not received
documentation that would provide legal resident status and
allow them fuller access to educational opportunities and
sustainable participation in the economy and society of Nepal.
(6) It is United States policy to promote the human rights
of the Tibetan people and the preservation of the distinct
Tibetan cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage.
(7) The Dalai Lama has said that the Central Tibetan
Administration will cease to exist once a negotiated settlement
has been achieved that allows Tibetans to freely enjoy their
culture, religion, and language in Tibet.
(b) Development Assistance.--Of the amount authorized to be
appropriated for development assistance for fiscal year 2020, such sums
as may be necessary are authorized to be available to support the
preservation of Tibetan cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage,
as well as the education, skills development, and entrepreneurship of
Tibetans residing in settlements in South Asia, subject to review and
approval of the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.
(c) Status of Tibetans in Nepal.--The Secretary of State shall urge
the Government of Nepal to provide legal documentation to long-staying
Tibetan residents in Nepal who fled a credible threat of persecution in
Tibet, in order to allow them to more fully participate in the economy
and society of Nepal.
(d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Office
of Tibet in Washington, DC, is the representative office in the United
States of the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration.
(e) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on the date that is one
year after the date on which the Secretary of State certifies to
Congress that a negotiated settlement between the Government of the
People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or
Central Tibetan Administration representatives on Tibet has been
concluded.
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Office of the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan
Issues.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Department
of State for administration of foreign affairs, not less than
$1,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 and
each subsequent fiscal year for the Office of the United States Special
Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.
(b) Tibetan Scholarship Program and ``Ngwang Choepel Exchange
Programs''.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for
educational and cultural exchange programs for fiscal year 2020 and
each subsequent fiscal year--
(1) Not less than $750,000 is authorized to be appropriated
to carry out the Tibetan scholarship program established under
section 103(b)(1) of the Human Rights, Refugee, and Other
Foreign Relations Provisions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-319;
110 Stat. 3865); and
(2) Not less than $650,000 is authorized to be appropriated
to carry out the ``Ngwang Choepel Exchange Programs'' (formerly
known as ``programs of educational and cultural exchange
between the United States and the people of Tibet'') under
section 103(a) of the Human Rights, Refugee, and Other Foreign
Relations Provisions Act of 1996.
(c) Humanitarian Assistance to Tibetan Refugees in South Asia.--Of
the amounts authorized to be appropriated for migration and refugee
assistance for fiscal year 2020 and each subsequent fiscal year, such
sums as may be necessary are authorized to be appropriated for
humanitarian assistance, including food, medicine, clothing, and
medical and vocational training, to Tibetan refugees in South Asia who
have fled facing a credible threat of persecution in the People's
Republic of China.
(d) Development Assistance.--Of the funds appropriated under the
heading ``Economic Support Fund'' for fiscal year 2020 and each
subsequent fiscal year, not less than $6,000,000 is authorized for
programs to promote and preserve Tibetan culture and language both in
the refugee and diaspora Tibetan communities, development, and the
resilience of Tibetan communities and the Central Tibetan
Administration in India and Nepal, and to assist in the education and
development of the next generation of Tibetan leaders from such
communities.
(e) Tibetan Governance.--Of the funds appropriated under the
heading ``Economic Support Fund'' for fiscal year 2020 and each
subsequent fiscal year, not less than $3,000,000 is authorized for
programs to strengthen the capacity of the Central Tibetan
Administration, institutions and strengthen democracy, governance,
information and international outreach, and research.
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