I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1662

To require an annual Department of State report on information relating 

to the promotion of religious freedom, democracy, and human rights 

in foreign countries by individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and 

the media in those countries, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 14, 2005

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

A BILL

To require an annual Department of State report on information relating to the promotion of religious freedom, 

democracy, and human rights in foreign countries by 

individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and the 

media in those countries, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Liberty List Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 

6 The purpose of this Act is to—
2

•HR 1662 IH 

1 (1) highlight the work and accomplishments of 

2 individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and the 

3 media that promote respect for religious freedom, 

4 democracy, and human rights in foreign countries; 

5 (2) draw attention to the conditions in such 

6 countries in which these individuals, nongovern7 mental organizations, and media struggle; 

8 (3) offer protection for these individuals, non9 governmental organizations, and media by identi10 fying them to the international community; and 

11 (4) emphasize the special significance of respect 

12 for religious freedom, democracy, and human rights 

13 in United States foreign policy. 

14 SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT ON PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS 

15 FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS 

16 IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES BY INDIVIDUALS, 

17 NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND 

18 THE MEDIA IN THOSE COUNTRIES. 

19 (a) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Foreign Assistance Act 

20 of 1961 is amended by adding after section 116 (22 

21 U.S.C. 2151n) the following new section: 
3

•HR 1662 IH 

1 ‘‘SEC. 116A. ANNUAL REPORT ON PROMOTION OF RELI2 GIOUS FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN 

3 RIGHTS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 

4 ‘‘(a) REPORT.—The Secretary of State shall annually 

5 submit to Congress a full and complete report regarding 

6 the promotion of religious freedom, democracy, and inter7 nationally recognized human rights in foreign countries by 

8 individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and media 

9 groups and organizations in those countries. The report 

10 shall be entitled the ‘Annual Report on the Promotion of 

11 Religious Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights in 

12 Foreign Countries by Individuals, Nongovernmental Orga13 nizations, and Media Groups and Organizations’. 

14 ‘‘(b) PREPARATION.—The Secretary shall prepare the 

15 Annual Report with the assistance of the Assistant Sec16 retary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 

17 and the Ambassador at Large for International Religious 

18 Freedom. 

19 ‘‘(c) CONTENTS.—The Annual Report shall contain, 

20 with respect to a foreign country, the following informa21 tion: 

22 ‘‘(1) An identification of individuals in the 

23 country who have made significant efforts to pro24 mote religious freedom, democracy, or internation25 ally recognized human rights in that country, to26 gether with a description of the nature and extent 
4

•HR 1662 IH 

1 of those efforts and an assessment of progress made 

2 as a result of those efforts. 

3 ‘‘(2) An identification of nongovernmental orga4 nizations in the country that have made significant 

5 efforts to promote religious freedom, democracy, or 

6 internationally recognized human rights in that 

7 country, together with a description of the nature 

8 and extent of those efforts and an assessment of 

9 progress made as a result of those efforts. 

10 ‘‘(3) An identification of media groups and or11 ganizations in the country that have made signifi12 cant efforts to promote religious freedom, democ13 racy, or internationally recognized human rights in 

14 that country, together with a description of the na15 ture and extent of those efforts and an assessment 

16 of progress made as a result of those efforts. 

17 ‘‘(d) ORGANIZATION.—The Annual Report shall be 

18 organized in three parts, as follows: 

19 ‘‘(1) Part I shall consist of the identification of 

20 individuals (and the associated assessment of their 

21 efforts) under subsection (b)(1). 

22 ‘‘(2) Part II shall consist of the identification of 

23 nongovernmental organizations (and the associated 

24 assessment of their efforts) under subsection (b)(2). 
5

•HR 1662 IH 

1 ‘‘(3) Part III shall consist of the identification 

2 of media groups and organizations (and the associ3 ated assessment of their efforts) under subsection 

4 (b)(3). 

5 ‘‘(e) TIME FOR SUBMISSION.—The Secretary shall 

6 submit the Annual Report together with, but not as part 

7 of, the presentation materials for security assistance pro8 grams proposed for each fiscal year. 

9 ‘‘(f) CLASSIFICATION.—

10 ‘‘(1) UNCLASSIFIED FORM.—Except as provided 

11 in paragraph (2), the Annual Report shall be sub12 mitted in unclassified form. 

13 ‘‘(2) CLASSIFIED ANNEX.—The Secretary may 

14 withhold the identification of an individual, non15 governmental organization, or media group or orga16 nization (including the associated assessment) if the 

17 Secretary determines that such disclosure would en18 danger or harm such individual, nongovernmental 

19 organization, or media group or organization. If the 

20 Secretary makes such a determination, the Secretary 

21 shall disclose such identification (and associated as22 sessment) in a classified annex. 

23 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

24 ‘‘(1) ANNUAL REPORT.—The term ‘Annual Re25 port’ means the Annual Report on the Promotion of 
6

•HR 1662 IH 

1 Religious Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights 

2 in Foreign Countries by Individuals, Nongovern3 mental Organizations, and Media Groups and Orga4 nizations required under subsection (a). 

5 ‘‘(2) INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HUMAN

6 RIGHTS.—The term ‘internationally recognized 

7 human rights’ has the meaning ascribed to it in sec8 tion 116(a). 

9 ‘‘(3) MEDIA GROUP OR ORGANIZATION.—The 

10 term ‘media group or organization’ means a group 

11 or organization that gathers and disseminates news 

12 and information to the public (through any medium 

13 of mass communication) in a foreign country in 

14 which the group or organization is located, except 

15 that the term does not include a group or organiza16 tion that is primarily an agency or instrumentality 

17 of the government of the foreign country. The term 

18 includes an individual who is an agent or employee 

19 of the media group or organization who acts within 

20 the scope of such agency or employment. 

21 ‘‘(4) NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION.—

22 The term ‘nongovernmental organization’ means an 

23 organization that works at the local level to promote 

24 religious freedom, democracy, or human rights in a 

25 foreign country in which the organization is located, 
7

•HR 1662 IH 

1 except that the term does not include an organiza2 tion that is primarily an agency or instrumentality 

3 of the government of the foreign country. The term 

4 includes an individual who is an agent or employee 

5 of the nongovernmental organization who acts within 

6 the scope such agency or employment. 

7 ‘‘(5) RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.—The term ‘reli8 gious freedom’ means the internationally recognized 

9 right to freedom of religion and religious belief and 

10 practice, as set forth in the international instru11 ments referred to in paragraph (2) of section 2(a) 

12 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 

13 (22 U.S.C. 6401(a)) and as described in paragraph 

14 (3) of such section. 

15 ‘‘(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 

16 the Secretary of State.’’. 

17 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 116A of the Foreign 

18 Assistance Act of 1961, as added by subsection (a), shall 

19 apply to reports submitted more than one year after such 

20 date.

Æ