[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6225. Mr. KENNEDY (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle C of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1230. REPORT ON THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION'S PERSECUTION OF 
                   RELIGIOUS GROUPS IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF 
                   UKRAINE; IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS.

       (a) Report Required.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 
     years, the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense, in 
     coordination with the Director of National Intelligence and 
     the Secretary of the Treasury, shall jointly submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a report that includes--
       (A) a detailed description of the Government of the Russian 
     Federation and its state-affiliated, quasi-state, or 
     occupation-era activities that involve the persecution or 
     suppression of, or discrimination against, or otherwise 
     directly or indirectly involve engaging in or facilitating 
     serious human rights abuse against, Christians, Jews, and 
     Muslims (including Crimean Tatars), and other religious 
     minorities not affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, 
     and their respective religious organizations in Russian-
     occupied territories of Ukraine;
       (B) an identification of churches, synagogues, mosques, 
     other religious facilities, including Christian, Jewish, 
     Muslim, and other minority religious institutions, that have 
     been destroyed, damaged, seized, repurposed, or otherwise 
     appropriated directly or indirectly by persons operating for 
     or on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation in 
     occupied territories of Ukraine;
       (C) an assessment of--
       (i) the number of Christians, Jews, Muslims (including 
     Crimean Tatars), and other religious minorities who are not 
     affiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church, who have been 
     subjected to persecution, imprisonment, or forced 
     displacement in occupied territories of Ukraine;
       (ii) restrictions imposed on Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and 
     other religions not affiliated with the Russian Orthodox 
     Church's religious practices, worship services, or religious 
     education in occupied territories;
       (iii) efforts to compel Christian organizations to 
     affiliate with Moscow-based religious institutions or to 
     suppress Christian activity not affiliated with Moscow-based 
     religions;
       (iv) efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation, 
     by authorities exercising de facto governmental control in 
     occupied territory, or by entities or individuals otherwise 
     affiliated with the Russian Federation, to compel Christian 
     organizations in Ukraine and in occupied territories--

       (I) to affiliate with Moscow-based religious institutions; 
     or
       (II) to suppress Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or any other 
     denominations not aligned with Russian state interests; and

       (v) the overall impact of the Russian Federation's invasion 
     of Ukraine, and its occupation of Ukrainian territory, on 
     religious freedom in occupied territories of Ukraine, 
     including Crimea and Sevastopol; and
       (D) a list of individuals and entities affiliated with the 
     Government of the Russian Federation, or exercising de facto 
     authority in occupied territory, that--
       (i) are responsible for persecution or suppression of, or 
     discrimination against, Christians, Jews, or Muslims in 
     Ukraine and in the occupied territories of Ukraine; or
       (ii) have otherwise engaged in or attempted to engage in 
     any of the conduct described in this subsection.
       (2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a 
     classified annex.
       (b) Imposition of Sanctions.--The President may impose 
     sanctions pursuant to the International Emergency Economic 
     Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) with respect to each 
     foreign person on the list required by subsection (a)(1)(D).
       (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
     Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Financial Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the 
     Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
     Representatives.
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