PUBLIC LAW 112–75—DEC. 23, 2011 

UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON 

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 

REFORM AND REAUTHORIZATION 

ACT OF 2011 


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125 STAT. 1272 PUBLIC LAW 112–75—DEC. 23, 2011 

Public Law 112–75 

112th Congress 

An Act 

To reauthorize the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, 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. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act 

of 2011’’. 

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION. 

(a) TERMS.—Section 201(c) of the International Religious 

Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431(c)) is amended— 

(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term of office of each member of 

the Commission shall be 2 years. An individual, including any 

member appointed to the Commission prior to the date of 

the enactment of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act 

of 2011, shall not serve more than 2 terms as a member 

of the Commission under any circumstance. For any member 

serving on the Commission on such date who has completed 

at least 2 full terms on the Commission, such member’s term 

shall expire 90 days after such date. A member of the Commission may not serve after the expiration of that member’s term.’’; 

and 

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

‘‘(3) INELIGIBILITY FOR REAPPOINTMENT.—If a member of 

the Commission attends, by being physically present or by 

conference call, less than 75 percent of the meetings of the 

Commission during one of that member’s terms on the Commission, the member shall not be eligible for reappointment to 

the Commission.’’. 

(b) ELECTION OF CHAIR.—Section 201(d) of the International 

Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431(d)) is amended 

by inserting at the end the following: ‘‘No member of the Commission is eligible to be elected as Chair of the Commission for a 

second, consecutive term.’’. 

(c) APPLICATION OF FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATION AND DEPARTMENT OF STATE STANDARDIZED REGULATIONS TO THE COMMISSION.— 

Section 201(i) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 

(22 U.S.C. 6431(i)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘Members of the Commission are subject to the requirements set 

forth in chapters 300 through 304 of title 41, Code of Federal 

Expiration date. 

Time period. 

United States 

Commission on 

International 

Religious 

Freedom Reform 

and 

Reauthorization 

Act of 2011. 

22 USC 6401 

note. 

Dec. 23, 2011 

[H.R. 2867] 


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PUBLIC LAW 112–75—DEC. 23, 2011 125 STAT. 1273 

Regulations (commonly known as the ‘Federal Travel Regulation’) 

and the Department of State Standardized Regulations governing 

authorized travel at government expense, including regulations concerning the mode of travel, lodging and per diem expenditures, 

reimbursement payments, and expense reporting and documentation requirements.’’. 

SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF ANTIDISCRIMINATION LAWS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 204 of the International Religious 

Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6432b) is amended by inserting 

after subsection (f) the following new subsection: 

‘‘(g) APPLICATION OF ANTIDISCRIMINATION LAWS.—For purposes 

of providing remedies and procedures to address alleged violations 

of rights and protections that pertain to employment discrimination, 

family and medical leave, fair labor standards, employee polygraph 

protection, worker adjustment and retraining, veterans’ employment 

and reemployment, intimidation or reprisal, protections under the 

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, occupational safety and 

health, labor-management relations, and rights and protections that 

apply to employees whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of 

the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of 

Representatives, all employees of the Commission shall be treated 

as employees whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate 

or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives 

and the Commission shall be treated as an employing office of 

the Senate or the House of Representatives.’’. 

(b) PENDING CLAIMS.—Any administrative or judicial claim or 

action pending on the date of the enactment of this Act may be 

maintained under section 204(g) of the International Religious 

Freedom Act of 1998, as added by subsection (a). 

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

Section 207(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 

1998 (22 U.S.C. 6435(a)) is amended by striking ‘‘for the fiscal 

year 2003’’ and inserting ‘‘for each of the fiscal years 2012 through 

2014’’. 

SEC. 5. 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 (c)(1), by striking ‘‘$100,000’’ and inserting 

‘‘$250,000’’; and 

(2) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘International Relations’’ 

and inserting ‘‘Foreign Affairs’’. 

SEC. 6. TERMINATION. 

Section 209 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 

(22 U.S.C. 6436) is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2011’’ 

and inserting ‘‘September 30, 2014’’. 

SEC. 7. REPORT ON EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE 

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the 

enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 

shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 

on the implementation of this Act and the amendments made 

by this Act. 

22 USC 6432b 

note. 


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125 STAT. 1274 PUBLIC LAW 112–75—DEC. 23, 2011 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2867: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 157 (2011): 

Sept. 14, 15, considered and passed House. 

Dec. 13, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Dec. 16, House concurred in Senate amendments. 

Æ 

(b) CONSULTATION.—The Comptroller General shall consult 

with the appropriate congressional committees and nongovernmental organizations for purposes of preparing the report. 

(c) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report shall include the 

following: 

(1) A review of the effectiveness of all United States 

Government programs to promote international religious 

freedom, including their goals and objectives. 

(2) An assessment of the roles and functions of the Office 

on International Religious Freedom established in section 

101(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 

U.S.C. 6411(a)) and the relationship of the Office to other 

offices in the Department of State. 

(3) A review of the role of the Ambassador at Large for 

International Religious Freedom appointed under section 101(b) 

of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 

6411(b)) and the placement of such position within the Department of State. 

(4) A review and assessment of the goals and objectives 

of the United States Commission on International Religious 

Freedom established under section 201(a) of the International 

Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431(a)). 

(5) A comparative analysis of the structure of the United 

States Commission on International Religious Freedom as an 

independent non-partisan entity in relation to other United 

States advisory commissions, whether or not such commissions 

are under the direct authority of Congress. 

(6) A review of the relationship between the Ambassador 

at Large for International Religious Freedom and the United 

States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and 

possible reforms that would improve the ability of both to 

reach their goals and objectives. 

(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 

6402). 

Approved December 23, 2011. 


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