[106th Congress Public Law 55]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ055.106]


[[Page 113 STAT. 401]]

Public Law 106-55
106th Congress

                                 An Act


 
    To <<NOTE: Aug. 17, 1999 -  [S. 1546]>> amend the International 
   Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to provide additional administrative 
 authorities to the United States Commission on International Religious 
 Freedom, and to make technical corrections to that Act, 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. ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITIES OF THE UNITED STATES 
                            COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS 
                            FREEDOM.

    (a) Establishment and Composition.--Section 201 of the International 
Religious Freedom Act of <<NOTE: 22 USC 6431.>> 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et 
seq.) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by striking ``The'' and inserting ``(1) In 
                general.--The'';
            (2) by inserting after the first sentence the following new 
        sentences: ``The term of each member of the Commission appointed 
        to the first two-year term of the Commission shall be considered 
        to have begun on May 15, 1999, and shall end on May 14, 2001, 
        regardless of the date of appointment to the Commission. The 
        term of each member of the Commission appointed to the second 
        two-year term of the Commission shall begin on May 15, 2001, and 
        shall end on May 14, 2003, regardless of the date of appointment 
        to the Commission. In the case in which a vacancy in the 
        membership of the Commission is filled during a two-year term of 
        the Commission, such membership on the Commission shall 
        terminate at the end of that two-year term of the Commission.''; 
        and
            (3) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:

    ``(h) Administrative Support.--The Administrator of General Services 
shall provide to the Commission on a reimbursable basis (or, in the 
discretion of the Administrator, on a nonreimbursable basis) such 
administrative support services as the Commission may request to carry 
out the provisions of this title.''.
    (b) Powers of the Commission.--The International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) <<NOTE: 22 USC 6432.>> by striking section 202(f);
            (2) by redesignating sections 203, 204, 205, and 
        206 <<NOTE: 22 USC 6433-6436.>> as sections 205, 206, 207, and 
        209, respectively;
            (3) by inserting after section 202 the following:

``SEC. 203. POWERS OF THE <<NOTE: 22 USC 6432a.>> COMMISSION.

    ``(a) Hearings and Sessions.--The Commission may, for the purpose of 
carrying out its duties under this title, hold hearings,

[[Page 113 STAT. 402]]

sit and act at times and places in the United States, take testimony and 
receive evidence as the Commission considers advisable to carry out the 
purposes of this Act.
    ``(b) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure 
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the 
Commission considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of 
such department or agency shall furnish such information to the 
Commission, subject to applicable law.
    ``(c) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States 
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
    ``(d) Administrative Procedures.--The Commission may adopt such 
rules and regulations, relating to administrative procedure, as may be 
reasonably necessary to enable it to carry out the provisions of this 
title.
    ``(e) Views of the Commission.--The Members of the Commission may 
speak in their capacity as private citizens. Statements on behalf of the 
Commission shall be issued in writing over the names of the Members. The 
Commission shall in its written statements clearly describe its 
statutory authority, distinguishing that authority from that of 
appointed or elected officials of the United States Government. Oral 
statements, where practicable, shall include a similar description.
    ``(f) Travel.--The Members of the Commission may, with the approval 
of the Commission, conduct such travel as is necessary to carry out the 
purpose of this title. Each trip must be approved by a majority of the 
Commission. This provision shall not apply to the Ambassador-at-Large, 
whose travel shall not require approval by the Commission.

``SEC. 204. COMMISSION PERSONNEL <<NOTE: 22 USC 6432b.>> MATTERS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Commission may, without regard to the civil 
service laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an Executive 
Director and such other additional personnel as may be necessary to 
enable the Commission to perform its duties. The decision to employ or 
terminate an Executive Director shall be made by an affirmative vote of 
at least six of the nine members of the Commission.
    ``(b) Compensation.--The Commission may fix the compensation of the 
Executive Director and other personnel without regard to the provisions 
of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States 
Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay 
rates, except that the rate of pay for the Executive Director and other 
personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive 
Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
    ``(c) Professional Staff.--The Commission and the Executive Director 
shall hire Commission staff on the basis of professional and nonpartisan 
qualifications. Commissioners may not individually hire staff of the 
Commission. Staff shall serve the Commission as a whole and may not be 
assigned to the particular service of a single Commissioner or a 
specified group of Commissioners. This subsection does not prohibit 
staff personnel from assisting individual members of the Commission with 
particular needs related to their duties.

[[Page 113 STAT. 403]]

    ``(d) Staff and Services of Other Federal Agencies.--
            ``(1) Department of state.--The Secretary of State shall 
        assist the Commission by providing on a reimbursable or 
        nonreimbursable basis to the Commission such staff and 
        administrative services as may be necessary and appropriate to 
        perform its functions.
            ``(2) Other federal agencies.--Upon the request of the 
        Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency may 
        detail, on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, any of the 
        personnel of that department or agency to the Commission to 
        assist it in carrying out its functions under this title. The 
        detail of any such personnel shall be without interruption or 
        loss of civil service or Foreign Service status or privilege.

    ``(e) Security Clearances.--The Executive Director shall be required 
to obtain a security clearance. The Executive Director may request, on a 
needs-only basis and in order to perform the duties of the Commission, 
that other personnel of the Commission be required to obtain a security 
clearance. The level of clearance shall be the lowest necessary to 
appropriately perform the duties of the Commission.
    ``(f) Cost.--The Commission shall reimburse all appropriate 
Government agencies for the cost of obtaining clearances for members of 
the commission, for the executive director, and for any other 
personnel.'';
            (4) in section 207(a) (as redesignated by this <<NOTE: 22 
        USC 6435.>> Act), by striking all that follows ``3,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``to carry out the provisions of this title.''; and
            (5) by inserting after section 207 (as redesignated) the 
        following:

``SEC. 208. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND <<NOTE: 22 USC 6435a.>> DISCLOSURE.

    ``(a) Cooperation With Nongovernmental Organizations, the Department 
of State, and Congress.--The Commission shall seek to effectively and 
freely cooperate with all entities engaged in the promotion of religious 
freedom abroad, governmental and nongovernmental, in the performance of 
the Commission's duties under this title.
    ``(b) Conflict of Interest and Antinepotism.--
            ``(1) Member affiliations.--Except as provided in paragraph 
        (3), in order to ensure the independence and integrity of the 
        Commission, the Commission may not compensate any 
        nongovernmental agency, project, or person related to or 
        affiliated with any member of the Commission, whether in that 
        member's direct employ or not. Staff employed by the Commission 
        may not serve in the employ of any nongovernmental agency, 
        project, or person related to or affiliated with any member of 
        the Commission while employed by the Commission.
            ``(2) Staff compensation.--Staff of the Commission may not 
        receive compensation from any other source for work performed in 
        carrying out the duties of the Commission while employed by the 
        Commission.
            ``(3) Exception.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
                paragraph (1) shall not apply to payments made for items 
                such as conference fees or the purchase of periodicals 
                or other similar expenses, if such payments would not 
                cause

[[Page 113 STAT. 404]]

                the aggregate value paid to any agency, project, or 
                person for a fiscal year to exceed $250.
                    ``(B) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), 
                the Commission shall not give special preference to any 
                agency, project, or person related to or affiliated with 
                any member of the Commission.
            ``(4) Definitions.--In this subsection, the term 
        `affiliated' means the relationship between a member of the 
        Commission and--
                    ``(A) an individual who holds the position of 
                officer, trustee, partner, director, or employee of an 
                agency, project, or person of which that member, or 
                relative of that member of, the Commission is an 
                officer, trustee, partner, director, or employee; or
                    ``(B) a nongovernmental agency or project of which 
                that member, or a relative of that member, of the 
                Commission is an officer, trustee, partner, director, or 
                employee.

    ``(c) Contract Authority.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, the Commission may contract with and compensate 
        Government agencies or persons for the conduct of activities 
        necessary to the discharge of its functions under this title. 
        Any such person shall be hired without interruption or loss of 
        civil service or Foreign Service status or privilege. The 
        Commission may not procure temporary and intermittent services 
        under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, or under 
        other contracting authority other than that allowed under this 
        title.
            ``(2) Expert study.--In the case of a study requested under 
        section 605 of this Act, the Commission may, subject to the 
        availability of appropriations, contract with experts and shall 
        provide the funds for such a study. The Commission shall not be 
        required to provide the funds for that part of the study 
        conducted by the Comptroller General of the United States.

    ``(d) Gifts.--
            ``(1) In general.--In order to preserve its independence, 
        the Commission may not accept, use, or dispose of gifts or 
        donations of services or property. An individual Commissioner or 
        employee of the Commission may not, in his or her capacity as a 
        Commissioner or employee, knowingly accept, use or dispose of 
        gifts or donations of services or property, unless he or she in 
        good faith believes such gifts or donations to have a value of 
        less than $50 and a cumulative value during a calendar year of 
        less than $100.
            ``(2) Exceptions.--This subsection shall not apply to the 
        following:
                    ``(A) Gifts provided on the basis of a personal 
                friendship with a Commissioner or employee, unless the 
                Commissioner or employee has reason to believe that the 
                gift was provided because of the Commissioner's position 
                and not because of the personal friendship.
                    ``(B) Gifts provided on the basis of a family 
                relationship.
                    ``(C) The acceptance of training, invitations to 
                attend or participate in conferences or such other 
                events as are related to the conduct of the duties of 
                the Commission, or food or refreshment associated with 
                such activities.

[[Page 113 STAT. 405]]

                    ``(D) Items of nominal value or gifts of estimated 
                value of $10 or less.
                    ``(E) De minimis gifts provided by a foreign leader 
                or state, not exceeding a value of $260. Gifts believed 
                by Commissioners to be in excess of $260, but which 
                would create offense or embarrassment to the United 
                States Government if refused, shall be accepted and 
                turned over to the United States Government in 
                accordance with the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 
                1966 and the rules and regulations governing such gifts 
                provided to Members of Congress.
                    ``(F) Informational materials such as documents, 
                books, videotapes, periodicals, or other forms of 
                communications.
                    ``(G) Goods or services provided by any agency or 
                component of the Government of the United States, 
                including any commission established under the authority 
                of such Government.

    ``(e) Annual <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Financial Report.--In addition to 
providing the reports required under section 202, the Commission shall 
provide, each year no later than January 1, to the Committees on 
International Relations and Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives, and to the Committees on Foreign Relations and 
Appropriations of the Senate, a financial report detailing and 
identifying its expenditures for the preceding fiscal year.''.

    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 209 of the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6436) (as 
redesignated) is amended by striking ``4 years after the initial 
appointment of all the Commissioners'' and inserting ``on May 14, 
2003''.

SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS.

    (a) Presidential Actions.--Section 402(c) of the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(c)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), in the text above subparagraph (A), by 
        striking ``and (4)'' and inserting ``(4), and (5)''; and
            (2) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) by inserting ``under this act'' after 
                ``Exception for ongoing presidential action'';
                    (B) by inserting ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (B);
                    (C) by striking at the end of subparagraph (C) ``; 
                and'' and inserting a period; and
                    (D) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``(D) at'' and 
                inserting ``(5) Exception for ongoing, multiple, broad-
                based sanctions in response to human rights 
                violations.--At''.

[[Page 113 STAT. 406]]

    (b) Clerical Correction.--Section 201(b)(1)(B)(iii) of the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 
6431(b)(1)(B)(iii)) is amended by striking ``three'' and inserting 
``Three''.

    Approved August 17, 1999.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 1546:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 145 (1999):
            Aug. 5, considered and passed Senate and House.

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