United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015

Summary: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015 Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to reauthorize the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) as an independent federal government advisory body through FY2021. Requires the President's annual review of the status of religious freedom in each foreign country to include determinations regarding religious freedom violations being engaged in or tolerated in territories in which a government does not exist or does not exercise control. Directs the President to designate nonstate actors that have engaged in particularly severe violations as entities of particular concern for religious freedom. Requires USCIRF as a whole to have expertise on the variety of faiths practiced around the world. Requires appointments to USCIRF to be made not later than 90 days after the creation of a vacancy. Directs USCIRF, during its first meeting after May 30, 2016, to elect: (1) as Chair, a Commissioner appointed by an elected official of the political party of the President; and (2) as Vice Chair, a Commissioner appointed by an elected official of the political party that is not the political party of the President (or on the occasion of two Vice Chairs, one Vice Chair appointed by an elected official of the President's party and the other Vice Chair appointed by an elected official of the other party). Sets forth a process for future elections in which the positions of Chair and Vice Chair rotate annually between Commissioners appointed by elected officials of each political party.  Allows the Ambassador at Large to attend all meetings as a nonvoting member. Removes authority under which a USCIRF member may serve after the expiration of that member's term until a successor has taken office. Requires (currently, allows) USCIRF to hold hearings, take actions and testimony, and receive evidence. Requires USCIRF to conduct an annual review of the Executive Director. Directs USCIRF to work with the Executive Director to establish internal hiring practices for professional staff.  Encourages the Department of State to allow classified information to be accessed by USCIRF Commissioners and staff with the appropriate security clearance. Prohibits Commissioners from permitting any person, entity, or special interest group, including foreign governments and state-owned enterprises, to inappropriately influence or pose a conflict of interest with a Commissioner's official duties. Requires Commissioners to recuse themselves from related discussions or decisions if such an inappropriate influence or conflict is discovered. Revises restrictions on USCIRF's acceptance of gifts and donations to permit sponsoring private parties to provide compensation and benefits to interns, fellows, and volunteers under specified conditions. Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to require the State Department to receive assistance from USCIRF when establishing training for Foreign Service officers in the field of internationally recognized human rights, including instruction regarding the relationship between religious freedom and security, as well as the role of religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``United States Commission on 
International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF ENTITIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR RELIGIOUS 
              FREEDOM.

    Section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as 
        subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively;
            (2) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) by inserting ``, or whether such violations are 
                occurring in territories in which a government does not 
                exist or does not exercise control,'' after ``religious 
                freedom in that country''; and
                    (B) by striking ``The President'' and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(B) Designations.--
                            ``(i) Governments.--The President''; and
            (3) in subparagraph (B), as redesignated, by adding at the 
        end the following:
                            ``(ii) Non-state actors.--The President 
                        shall designate each non-state actor that has 
                        engaged in particularly severe violations of 
                        religious freedom as entities of particular 
                        concern for religious freedom.''.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION.

    Section 201 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6431) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``, which shall be an 
        independent Federal Government advisory body'' before the 
        period at the end;
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting at the end 
                the following: ``The Commission as a whole shall also 
                have expertise on the variety of faiths practiced 
                around the world.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``The 
                appointments required by paragraph (1) shall be made 
                not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 
                of this Act.'' and inserting ``An appointment required 
                under paragraph (1)(B) should be made not later than 90 
                days after a vacancy is created on the Commission.'';
            (3) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
    ``(d) Election of Chair and Vice Chair.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), at 
        the first meeting of the Commission after May 30 of each year, 
        a majority of the members of the Commission present and voting 
        shall elect the Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission.
            ``(2) Political party balance.--At the first meeting of the 
        Commission after May 30, 2016, the members of the Commission 
        shall elect--
                    ``(A) as Chair, a Commissioner appointed by an 
                elected official of the political party of the 
                President; and
                    ``(B)(i) as Vice Chair, a Commissioner appointed by 
                an elected official of the political party that is not 
                the political party of the President; or
                    ``(ii) in the occasion of 2 Vice Chairs--
                            ``(I) 1 Vice Chair appointed by an elected 
                        official of the political party of the 
                        President; and
                            ``(II) 1 Vice Chair appointed by an elected 
                        official of the political party that is not the 
                        political party of the President.
            ``(3) Rotation.--After the election described in paragraph 
        (1), the positions of Chair and Vice Chair shall rotate on an 
        annual basis between Commissioners appointed by elected 
        officials of each political party.'';
            (4) in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following: 
        ``The Ambassador at Large shall be given advance notice of all 
        Commission meetings and may attend all Commission meetings as a 
        non-voting member of the Commission''; and
            (5) in subsection (g), by striking the second sentence.

SEC. 4. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    Section 203(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6432a(a)) is amended by striking ``may'' and inserting 
``shall''.

SEC. 5. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    Section 204 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6432b) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the second sentence, by inserting ``voting'' 
                after ``nine''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following: ``The 
                Commission shall conduct an annual review of the 
                Executive Director.'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by inserting ``voting members of 
        the'' after ``The'';
            (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ``The Commission, 
        working with the Executive Director, shall establish internal 
        hiring procedures and practices for professional staff that 
        reflect the collaborative nature of the hiring process.'' after 
        ``qualifications.''; and
            (4) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following: 
        ``The Department of State is encouraged to allow Commissioners 
        and Commission staff with the appropriate security clearance 
        access to classified information, in order to fulfill the 
        duties and responsibilities of their positions.''.

SEC. 6. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND DISCLOSURE.

    Section 208 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6435a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
                (5); and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(2) Conflict of interest.--It is unlawful for a 
        Commissioner to permit any person, entity, or special interest 
        group, including foreign governments and state-owned 
        enterprises, to inappropriately influence the Commissioner or 
        to pose a conflict of interest with his or her official duties. 
        If such inappropriate influence or conflict of interest is 
        discovered, the affected Commissioner shall recuse himself or 
        herself from any discussion, decision, recommendation, or vote 
        relating to such person, entity, or special interest group.''; 
        and
            (2) in subsection (d)(2), by adding at the end the 
        following:
                    ``(H) Intern, fellowship, and volunteer programs 
                that are primarily of educational benefit to the 
                intern, fellow, or volunteer if the number, duration, 
                and funding source of any such internship, fellowship, 
                or volunteer program is described in the annual 
                financial report required under subsection (e) and the 
                funding source has been approved by a majority vote of 
                the Commission. Sponsoring private parties may provide 
                compensation and benefits to interns, fellows, and 
                volunteers if no conflict of interest arises and the 
                Commissioners are notified by any such sponsoring 
                private parties of such compensation and benefits.''.

SEC. 7. EXTENSION AND TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.

    The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-
292) is amended--
            (1) in section 207(a) (22 U.S.C. 6435(a)), by striking 
        ``2015'' and inserting ``2021''; and
            (2) in section 209 (22 U.S.C. 6436), by striking 
        ``September 30, 2015'' and inserting ``September 30, 2021''.

SEC. 8. TRAINING FOR FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS.

    Section 708(a) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
4028(a)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                    (A) by striking ``and the director'' and inserting 
                ``the director''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``and members of the United States 
                Commission on International Religious Freedom,'' after 
                ``Training Center,''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking ``and the various'' and inserting 
                ``the various''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, the relationship between 
                religious freedom and security, and the role of 
                religious freedom in United States foreign policy'' 
                after ``violations of religious freedom''.