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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 653 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.653

                     One Hundred Thirteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America

                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
           the third day of January, two thousand and fourteen

                                 An Act

 
    To provide for the establishment of the Special Envoy to Promote 
  Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South 
                              Central Asia.

    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 ``Near East and South Central Asia 
Religious Freedom Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. SPECIAL ENVOY TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF RELIGIOUS 
MINORITIES IN THE NEAR EAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ASIA.
    (a) Appointment.--The President may appoint a Special Envoy to 
Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and 
South Central Asia (in this Act referred to as the ``Special Envoy'') 
within the Department of State. The Special Envoy shall have the rank 
of ambassador and shall hold the office at the pleasure of the 
President.
    (b) Qualifications.--The Special Envoy should be a person of 
recognized distinction in the field of human rights and religious 
freedom and with expertise in the Near East and South Central Asia.
SEC. 3. DUTIES.
    (a) In General.--The Special Envoy shall carry out the following 
duties:
        (1) Promote the right of religious freedom of religious 
    minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of 
    South Central Asia, denounce the violation of such right, and 
    recommend appropriate responses by the United States Government 
    when such right is violated.
        (2) Monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and 
    incitement targeted against religious minorities in the countries 
    of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia.
        (3) Work to ensure that the unique needs of religious minority 
    communities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of 
    South Central Asia are addressed, including the economic and 
    security needs of such communities.
        (4) Work with foreign governments of the countries of the Near 
    East and the countries of South Central Asia to address laws that 
    are discriminatory toward religious minority communities in such 
    countries.
        (5) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that portion of 
    the report required by sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign 
    Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 2304(b)) relating to 
    the nature and extent of religious freedom of religious minorities 
    in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South 
    Central Asia.
        (6) Coordinate and assist in the preparation of that portion of 
    the report required by section 102(b) of the International 
    Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)) relating to the 
    nature and extent of religious freedom of religious minorities in 
    the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central 
    Asia.
    (b) Coordination.--In carrying out the duties under subsection (a), 
the Special Envoy shall, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate 
with the Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and 
Migration, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, 
the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and 
other relevant Federal agencies and officials.
SEC. 4. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION.
    Subject to the direction of the President and the Secretary of 
State, the Special Envoy is authorized to represent the United States 
in matters and cases relevant to religious freedom in the countries of 
the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia in--
        (1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental 
    organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations, the 
    Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and other 
    international organizations of which the United States is a member; 
    and
        (2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to religious 
    freedom in the countries of the Near East and the countries of 
    South Central Asia.
SEC. 5. CONSULTATIONS.
    The Special Envoy shall consult with domestic and international 
nongovernmental organizations and multilateral organizations and 
institutions, as the Special Envoy considers appropriate to fulfill the 
purposes of this Act.
SEC. 6. SUNSET.
    This Act shall cease to be effective beginning on October 1, 2019.
SEC. 7. FUNDING.
    Of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available to the 
Secretary of State for ``Diplomatic and Consular Programs'' for fiscal 
years 2015 through 2019, the Secretary of State is authorized to 
provide to the Special Envoy $1,000,000 for each such fiscal year for 
the hiring of staff, the conduct of investigations, and necessary 
travel to carry out the provisions of this Act.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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