[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 13180-13181]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     NEAR EAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ASIA RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT OF 2014

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take 
from the Speaker's table the bill (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, and ask 
for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                 S. 653

       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 2014''.

     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.

[[Page 13181]]



     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. SUNSET.

       This Act shall cease to be effective beginning on October 
     1, 2019.

     SEC. 7. FUNDING.

       Of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to 
     the Secretary of State for ``Diplomatic and Consular 
     Programs'' for fiscal years 2015 through 2019, 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.

  The bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the third 
time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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