Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act

Summary: Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act This bill makes technical changes to the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 and other related Acts. The bill provides the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with oversight authority regarding congressional reports on: (1) high-risk diplomatic and consular posts, (2) embassy construction costs, (3) combating sexual exploitation in United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping operations, (4) Department of State overseas staffing levels, and (5) reducing illicit drug supply and abuse in the Western Hemisphere.  The bill provides such committees with oversight authority regarding the granting of consular immunity. The Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 is amended regarding: (1) replacement of a specified reference to anti-Semitism with a reference to intolerance; (2) the definition of &quot;change to the federal status&quot; with respect to the Cuba Service and the Television Marti Service; (3) the report on the costs, strengths, and limitations of U.S. and U.N. peacekeeping operations; (4) U.N. peacekeeper training to reduce sexual exploitation; (5) the U.N. Secretary General; (6) Foreign Service entry; (7) completion of the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission report; and (8) ransoms to foreign terrorist organizations. The United States should use its influence to prohibit U.N. Human Rights Council membership to a country: (1) designated as a Tier 3 human trafficking country, or (2) identified as having failed to prevent or address gross violations of human rights.   The President shall report to Congress regarding steps taken to encourage China to enter into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act''.
SEC. 2. REPORTS.
    (a) Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986.--
Section 104(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act 
of 1986, as added by section 101 of the Department of State Authorities 
Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323), is amended by inserting 
``and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives'' after ``appropriate congressional committees''.
    (b) Annual Report on Embassy Construction Costs.--Section 118(a) of 
the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 
114-323) is amended by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives'' after ``appropriate 
congressional committees''.
    (c) Oversight of and Accountability for Peacekeeper Abuses.--
Section 301(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by inserting ``and the Committees 
on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives'' 
after ``appropriate congressional committees''.
    (d) Workforce Rightsizing Report.--Section 405(c) of the Department 
of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is 
amended by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives'' after ``appropriate 
congressional committees''.
    (e) Consular Immunity.--Subsection (b)(2) of section 4 of the 
Diplomatic Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 254c), as added by section 501 of 
the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 
114-323), is amended by striking ``of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations'' and inserting ``and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations''.
    (f) Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Report.--Section 
602(c) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-323) is amended--
        (1) by inserting ``and the Committee on Appropriations'' after 
    ``Committee on Foreign Affairs''; and
        (2) by inserting ``and the Committee on Appropriations'' after 
    ``Committee on Foreign Relations'';
SEC. 3. PEACEKEEPING TRAINING.
    Section 301 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
        (1) in subsection (e)--
            (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``enhance the discovery'' 
        and inserting ``investigate allegations'';
            (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``adequately respond to 
        complaints about such offenses by carrying out swift and 
        effective disciplinary action against the personnel'' and 
        inserting ``appropriately hold accountable personnel''; and
            (C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, including 
        compensation to victims, as appropriate'' after ``responses to 
        such offenses'';
        (2) in subsection (f)(2), by striking ``any individual who 
    commits an act'' and inserting ``personnel who are found to have 
    committed acts''; and
        (3) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ``noteworthy''.
SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL.
    Section 310 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
        (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``The descriptions referred 
    to in subsection (a) shall include the following elements'' and 
    inserting ``In addition to the descriptions referred to in 
    subsection (a), each such candidate shall be urged to describe the 
    following''; and
        (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``such l'' and inserting 
    ``such agenda''.
SEC. 5. POLICY REGARDING THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL.
    Section 311(a)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
        (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``or'' at the end;
        (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end; and
        (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
            ``(E) which has been designated as a Tier 3 country in the 
        annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report under 
        the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
        7107); or
            ``(F) which is identified as having failed to prevent or 
        address gross violations of human rights in the annual 
        Department of State Human Rights Report under the Foreign 
        Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974; and''.
SEC. 6. COMPARATIVE REPORT ON PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.
    Section 313 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
        (1) by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations of the 
    Senate and the House of Representatives'' after ``appropriate 
    congressional committees'';
        (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
        ``(1) a comparison of the costs of current United Nations 
    peacekeeping operations, including the costs incurred by the United 
    States for such operations, and the estimated cost of such 
    operations if implemented unilaterally by the United States;'';
        (3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
        (4) by inserting after paragraph (1), as amended by paragraph 
    (2) of this section, the following new paragraph:
        ``(2) an assessment of the operational, structural, and 
    doctrinal differences between the military and civilian 
    infrastructures of the United States and United Nations and other 
    assumptions that impact cost estimates; and''.
SEC. 7. LATERAL ENTRY INTO THE FOREIGN SERVICE.
    Section 404(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by striking ``outstanding''.
SEC. 8. COMBATING INTOLERANCE.
    The section heading of section 419 of the Department of State 
Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by 
striking ``anti-semitism'' and inserting ``intolerance''.
SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS REGARDING COMPLETION OF WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY COMMISSION REPORT.
    Section 603 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
        (1) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ``section 362'' and 
    inserting ``section 602(c)''; and
        (2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
    ``(h) Compensation.--Members of the Commission shall serve without 
pay or benefits.''.
  SEC. 10. TECHNICAL CORRECTION REGARDING POWERS OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE 
      DRUG POLICY COMMISSION.
    Section 604 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection:
    ``(f) Gifts, Bequests, and Devises.--The Commission may solicit, 
accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money, 
services, or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of 
carrying out any duty, power, or authority of the Commission.''.
  SEC. 11. BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS.
    Section 703(b)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by striking ``any 
significant restructuring,''.
  SEC. 12. RANSOMS TO FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.
    Section 709(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by inserting ``, to the 
extent practicable,'' before ``transmit''.
  SEC. 13. RESTORATION OF TIBET REPORT.
    Section 613 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 
2003 (Public Law 107-228, 22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as amended by section 
715(b)(1) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-323), is further amended--
        (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``In General'' and inserting 
    the following: ``Policy.--
        ``(1) In general.--'';
        (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as paragraph (2) and moving 
    such paragraph, as so redesignated, two ems to the right; and
        (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Periodic Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017, Improvements Act, and annually thereafter until December 31, 
2021, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on--
        ``(1) the steps taken by the President and the Secretary in 
    accordance with subsection (a)(1) to implement the Tibetan Policy 
    Act of 2002; and
        ``(2) the status of any discussions between the People's 
    Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or a 
    successor selected by a method of the 14th Dalai Lama's own 
    choosing or the representatives of such successor.''.
  SEC. 14. DEPARTMENT OF STATE REORGANIZATIONS.
    The report required under subsection (l) of section 7034 of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31) shall also be 
provided to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate 
concurrent with the submission of such report to the Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate pursuant to such subsection.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.