39–010 

Calendar No. 475 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 113–214 

TO AMEND THE INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 

ACT OF 1998, H.R. 4028 

JULY 21, 2014.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. MENENDEZ, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 4028] 

The Committee on Foreign Relations, to which was referred the 

bill H.R. 4028, to amend the International Religious Freedom Act 

of 1998, to include the desecration of cemeteries among the many 

forms of violations of the right to religious freedom, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and 

recommends that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose ........................................................................................................... 1 

II. Committee Action .......................................................................................... 1 

III. Discussion ....................................................................................................... 1 

IV. Cost Estimate ................................................................................................. 2 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 2 

VI. Changes in Existing Law .............................................................................. 2 

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of H.R. 4028 is to amend the International Religious 

Freedom Act of 1998 to include the desecration of cemeteries 

among the many forms of violations of the right to religious freedom. 

II. COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 4028 was introduced on February 10, 2014, by Congresswoman Meng. It passed the House of Representatives on May 28, 

2014, and was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 

on June 2, 2014. On July 16, 2014, the committee considered H.R. 

4028 and ordered it reported favorably by voice vote. 

III. DISCUSSION

Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998 

to affirm America’s commitment to religious freedom, enshrined 

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both in the United States Constitution and in numerous international human rights instruments. H.R. 4028 makes clear that 

the defacing or destruction of a cemetery—based on an affiliation 

with a particular religious or spiritual group—should not be tolerated by governments. It also ensures inclusion of a description of 

this problem in the annual International Religious Freedom Report 

by the Department of State and will aid those working to monitor 

and combat religious intolerance. 

A section-by-section discussion of the legislation follows. 

Section 1 provides relevant findings on cemetery desecration. 

Section 2 amends Section 2(a)(4) of the International Religious 

Freedom Act of 1998 to insert ‘‘desecration of cemeteries’’ after 

‘‘confiscations of property,’’. 

IV. COST ESTIMATE

In accordance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the committee notes that the cost estimate 

provided by the Congressional Budget Office was not available for 

inclusion in this report. The estimate will be printed in either a 

supplemental report or the Congressional Record when it is available. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the Standing Rules 

of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is no regulatory impact as a result of this legislation. 

VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 12 of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill, as 

reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted 

is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman). 

INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT OF 1998 

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TITLE II—COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; POLICY 

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following findings: 

* * * * * * * 

(4) The right to freedom of religion is under renewed and, in 

some cases, increasing assault in many countries around the 

world. More than one-half of the world’s population lives under 

regimes that severely restrict or prohibit the freedom of their 

citizens to study, believe, observe, and freely practice the religious faith of their choice. Religious believers and communities 

suffer both government-sponsored and government-tolerated 

violations of their rights to religious freedom. Among the many 

forms of such violations are state-sponsored slander campaigns, confiscations of property, desecration of cemeteries, surmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with HEARINGS

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veillance by security police, including by special divisions of 

‘‘religious police’’, severe prohibitions against construction and 

repair of places of worship, denial of the right to assemble and 

relegation of religious communities to illegal status through arbitrary registration laws, prohibitions against the pursuit of 

education or public office, and prohibitions against publishing, 

distributing, or possessing religious literature and materials. 

* * * * * * * 

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