PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 

DEPARTMENT OF STATE AUTHORITIES ACT, 

FISCAL YEAR 2017, IMPROVEMENTS ACT 


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131 STAT. 2038 PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 

Public Law 115–94 

115th Congress 

An Act 

To make technical changes and other improvements to the Department of State 

Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017. 

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 ‘‘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 

130 Stat. 1937. Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended— 

130 Stat. 1929. 

22 USC 287 note. 

22 USC 304. 

22 USC 4803. 

22 USC 2651 

note. 

Department of 

State Authorities 

Act, Fiscal Year 

2017, 

Improvements 

Act. 

Dec. 18, 2017 

[S. 371] 


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PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 131 STAT. 2039 

(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— 130 Stat. 1926. 

130 Stat. 1924. 

22 USC 287 note. 

22 USC 287 note. 


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131 STAT. 2040 PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 

(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’’. 

130 Stat. 1943. 

22 USC 1465b 

note. 

130 Stat. 1938. 

130 Stat. 1937. 

130 Stat. 1935. 

130 Stat. 1928. 

Assessment. 

Cost estimate. 


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PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 131 STAT. 2041 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 371: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017): 

May 1, considered and passed Senate. 

July 28, considered and passed House, amended. 

Dec. 4, Senate concurred in House amendment. 

Æ 

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. 

Approved December 18, 2017. 

Reports. 

President. 


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