I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4331 

To modify and reauthorize the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 

Mr. MCGOVERN (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. 

SHERMAN, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. MALINOWSKI, and Mr. 

MCADAMS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 

case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 

the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To modify and reauthorize the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, 

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 ‘‘Tibetan Policy and 

5 Support Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO AND REAUTHORIZATION OF TI2 BETAN POLICY ACT OF 2002. 

3 (a) TIBETAN NEGOTIATIONS.—Section 613 of the Ti4 betan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amend5 ed— 

6 (1) in subsection (a)— 

7 (A) in paragraph (1)— 

8 (i) by inserting ‘‘without pre9 conditions’’ after ‘‘a dialogue’’; 

10 (ii) by inserting ‘‘or Central Tibetan 

11 Administration representatives’’ after ‘‘his 

12 representatives’’; and 

13 (iii) by adding at the end before the 

14 period the following: ‘‘and should coordi15 nate with other governments in multilat16 eral efforts toward this goal’’; 

17 (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 

18 paragraph (3); and 

19 (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

20 following: 

21 ‘‘(2) POLICY COMMUNICATION.—The President 

22 shall direct the Secretary of State to ensure that, in 

23 accordance with this Act, United States policy on 

24 Tibet, as coordinated by the United States Special 

25 Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, is communicated to 


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1 all Federal departments and agencies in contact with 

2 the Government of the People’s Republic of China.’’; 

3 (2) in subsection (b)— 

4 (A) in the matter preceding paragraph 

5 (1)— 

6 (i) by striking ‘‘until December 31, 

7 2021’’; and 

8 (ii) by inserting ‘‘and direct the De9 partment of State to make public on its 

10 website’’ after ‘‘appropriate congressional 

11 committees’’; 

12 (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

13 the end; 

14 (C) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe15 riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 

16 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(3) the steps taken by the United States Gov18 ernment to promote the human rights and genuine 

19 cultural, religious, linguistic, and national identity of 

20 the Tibetan people, including the right of the Ti21 betan people to choose their own religious leaders in 

22 accordance with their established religious practice 

23 and system; and 

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1 betans and how many, whether those activities are 

2 consistent with the protection of the environment 

3 and Tibetan cultural traditions, and whether those 

4 activities contribute to or support, through goods or 

5 services, the surveillance of the people of Tibet.’’. 

6 (b) ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN TIBET.—Section 

7 616 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (d)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘human 

10 rights’’ after ‘‘respect Tibetan’’; 

11 (B) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

12 the end; 

13 (C) in paragraph (9), by striking the pe14 riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

15 (D) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(10) neither provide incentive for, nor facili17 tate the involuntary or coerced relocation of, Tibetan 

18 nomads from their traditional pasturelands into con19 centrated settlements.’’; and 

20 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(e) PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT.—The Secretary 

22 of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, 

23 should— 

24 ‘‘(1) encourage United States businesses and 

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1 ing in enterprises in Tibet to abide by the principles 

2 contained in subsection (d) and the United Nations 

3 Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; 

4 and 

5 ‘‘(2) request that such businesses and individ6 uals provide to the Department of State periodic re7 ports on their adherence to such principles. 

8 ‘‘(f) UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE.—The President 

9 shall provide grants to nongovernmental organizations to 

10 support sustainable economic development, cultural and 

11 historical preservation, health care, education, and envi12 ronmental sustainability projects for Tibetan communities 

13 in Tibet, in accordance with the principles specified in sub14 section (d) and subject to the review and approval of the 

15 United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues 

16 under section 621(d) or, if the Coordinator has not been 

17 appointed, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democ18 racy, Human Rights, and Labor.’’. 

19 (c) DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION RELATING TO

20 TIBET.—Section 618 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) 

21 is amended to read as follows: 

22 ‘‘SEC. 618. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION RELATING TO 

23 TIBET. 

24 ‘‘(a) UNITED STATES CONSULATE IN LHASA, 

25 TIBET.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall seek to 

2 establish a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, 

3 to provide consular services to United States citizens 

4 traveling in Tibet and to monitor political, economic, 

5 and cultural developments in Tibet. 

6 ‘‘(2) CONSULAR DISTRICTS.—The Secretary 

7 should organize the United States Embassy’s con8 sular districts within the People’s Republic of China 

9 so that all areas designated as autonomous for Ti10 betans are contained within the same consular dis11 trict. 

12 ‘‘(b) TIBET SECTION IN UNITED STATES EMBASSY

13 IN BEIJING, CHINA.— 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab15 lish a Tibet section within the United States Em16 bassy in Beijing, China, to follow political, economic, 

17 and social developments in Tibet until such time as 

18 a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, is estab19 lished under subsection (a). 

20 ‘‘(2) DUTIES.—The Tibet section established 

21 under paragraph (1) shall have the primary respon22 sibility of reporting on human rights issues and ac23 cess to Tibet by United States Government officials, 

24 journalists, non-governmental organizations, and the 

25 Tibetan diaspora and shall work in close cooperation 


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1 with the United States Special Coordinator for Ti2 betan Issues. 

3 ‘‘(c) POLICY.—The Secretary should not authorize 

4 the establishment in the United States of any additional 

5 consulate of the People’s Republic of China until such 

6 time as a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, is es7 tablished under subsection (a).’’. 

8 (d) RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN TIBET.—Section 

9 620(b) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended by 

10 adding at the end before the period the following: ‘‘, in11 cluding with respect to the reincarnation system of Ti12 betan Buddhism’’. 

13 (e) UNITED STATES SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR TI14 BETAN ISSUES.—Section 621 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 

15 note) is amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (c) to read as follows: 

17 ‘‘(c) OBJECTIVES.—The objectives of the Special Co18 ordinator are to— 

19 ‘‘(1) promote substantive dialogue without pre20 conditions between the Government of the People’s 

21 Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his rep22 resentatives or Central Tibetan Administration rep23 resentatives leading to a negotiated agreement on 

24 Tibet; 


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1 ‘‘(2) encourage the Government of the People’s 

2 Republic of China to address the aspirations of the 

3 Tibetan people with regard to their cultural, reli4 gious, linguistic, and national identity; 

5 ‘‘(3) promote the human rights and religious 

6 freedoms of the Tibetan people, including women’s 

7 human rights; 

8 ‘‘(4) promote activities to preserve the distinct 

9 environment and water resources of the Tibetan pla10 teau; 

11 ‘‘(5) promote economic development as enumer12 ated in section 616(e) of this Act; and 

13 ‘‘(6) promote access to Tibet in accordance with 

14 the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018.’’; 

15 (2) in subsection (d)— 

16 (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

17 the end; 

18 (B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as 

19 paragraph (8); and 

20 (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the 

21 following: 

22 ‘‘(6) review and approve all projects carried out 

23 pursuant to section 616(f) and section 7(b) of the 

24 Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019; 


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1 ‘‘(7) seek to establish international diplomatic 

2 coalitions to— 

3 ‘‘(A) oppose any effort by the Government 

4 of the People’s Republic of China to identify or 

5 install Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders in a 

6 manner inconsistent with the established reli7 gious practice and system of Tibetan Bud8 dhism; and 

9 ‘‘(B) ensure that the identification and in10 stallation of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, 

11 including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is deter12 mined solely within the Tibetan Buddhist faith 

13 community, in accordance with the universally14 recognized right to religious freedom; and’’; and 

15 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(e) PERSONNEL.—The Secretary shall assign not 

17 less than three individuals to the Office of the Special Co18 ordinator to assist in the management of the responsibil19 ities of this section.’’. 

20 (f) GEOGRAPHIC DEFINITION OF TIBET.—Such Act 

21 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as so amended, is further amended 

22 by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 622. GEOGRAPHIC DEFINITION OF TIBET. 

2 ‘‘In this Act and in implementing policies relating to 

3 the Tibetan people under other provisions of law, the term 

4 ‘Tibet’, unless otherwise specified, means— 

5 ‘‘(1) the Tibet Autonomous Region; and 

6 ‘‘(2) the Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, 

7 Gansu, and Yunnan provinces.’’. 

8 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING THE SUCCES9 SION OR REINCARNATION OF THE DALAI 

10 LAMA. 

11 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

12 (1) Tibetan Buddhism is practiced in many 

13 countries including the People’s Republic of China, 

14 Bhutan, Nepal, Mongolia, India, the Russian Fed15 eration, and the United States. 

16 (2) No single political entity encompasses the 

17 territory in which Tibetan Buddhism is practiced. 

18 (3) The Dalai Lama is widely revered by Ti19 betan Buddhists and those who practice Tibetan 

20 Buddhism around the world, including those in the 

21 United States, as their spiritual leader. 

22 (4) Under the Tibetan Buddhist belief system, 

23 there have been 14 persons recognized as the Dalai 

24 Lama, each a manifestation of the Bodhisattva of 

25 Compassion, selected according to the spiritual tra26 ditions and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. 


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1 (5) The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, 

2 issued a statement on September 24, 2011, explain3 ing the traditions and spiritual precepts of the selec4 tion of Dalai Lamas, setting forth his views on the 

5 considerations and process for selecting his suc6 cessor, and providing a response to the Chinese gov7 ernment’s claims that only the Chinese government 

8 has the ultimate authority in the selection process of 

9 the Dalai Lama. 

10 (6) The 14th Dalai Lama said in his statement 

11 that if a decision to continue the institution of the 

12 Dalai Lama is made, that the responsibility shall 

13 primarily rest with the Dalai Lama’s Gaden 

14 Phodrang Trust, who will be informed by the written 

15 instructions of the 14th Dalai Lama. 

16 (7) Since 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama has reit17 erated publicly on numerous occasions that decisions 

18 on the succession or reincarnation of the next Dalai 

19 Lama belongs to the Tibetan Buddhist faith commu20 nity alone. 

21 (8) The Government of the People’s Republic of 

22 China has interfered in the process of recognizing a 

23 successor or reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist lead24 ers, including in 1995 by arbitrarily detaining 

25 Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a 6-year old boy who was 


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1 identified as the 11th Panchen Lama, and pur2 porting to install its own candidate as the Panchen 

3 Lama. 

4 (9) During his confirmation hearings to be Sec5 retary of State, Michael Pompeo testified to the Sen6 ate Foreign Relations Committee that ‘‘If confirmed, 

7 I will press the Chinese government to respect the 

8 legitimacy of Tibetan Buddhists’ religious practices. 

9 This includes the decisions of Tibetan Buddhists in 

10 selecting, educating, and venerating the lamas who 

11 lead the faith, such as the Dalai Lama.’’. 

12 (10) The Department of State’s Report on 

13 International Religious Freedom for 2017 reported 

14 on policies and efforts of the Government of the 

15 People’s Republic of China to exert control over the 

16 selection of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, in17 cluding reincarnate lamas, and stated that ‘‘U.S. of18 ficials underscored that decisions on the reincarna19 tion of the Dalai Lama should be made solely by 

20 faith leaders.’’. 

21 (11) In July 2015, Under Secretary of State 

22 for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human 

23 Rights, Sarah Sewall, serving concurrently as United 

24 States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, testi25 fied to Congress that ‘‘the basic and universally recVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:28 Sep 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4331.IH H4331

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1 ognized right of religious freedom demands that any 

2 decision on the next Dalai Lama be reserved to the 

3 current Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist leaders, and 

4 the Tibetan people’’. 

5 (12) On June 8, 2015, the United States 

6 House of Representatives unanimously approved 

7 House Resolution 337 which calls on the United 

8 States Government to ‘‘underscore that government 

9 interference in the Tibetan reincarnation process is 

10 a violation of the internationally recognized right to 

11 religious freedom, and that matters related to rein12 carnations in Tibetan Buddhism are of keen interest 

13 to Tibetan Buddhist populations worldwide’’. 

14 (13) On April 25, 2018, the United States Sen15 ate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 429 

16 which ‘‘expresses its sense that the identification 

17 and installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious lead18 ers, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is a matter 

19 that should be determined solely within the Tibetan 

20 Buddhist faith community, in accordance with the 

21 inalienable right to religious freedom’’. 

22 (b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—It is the policy of the 

23 United States that— 

24 (1) decisions regarding the identification and 

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1 cluding a future 15th Dalai Lama, are exclusively 

2 spiritual matters that should be made by the appro3 priate religious authorities within the Tibetan Bud4 dhist tradition and in the context of the will of reli5 gious practitioners and the instructions of the 14th 

6 Dalai Lama; and 

7 (2) interference by the Government of the Peo8 ple’s Republic of China or any other government in 

9 the process of recognizing a successor or reincarna10 tion of the Dalai Lama would represent a clear vio11 lation of the fundamental religious freedoms of Ti12 betan Buddhists and the Tibetan people. 

13 (c) AMENDMENTS TO FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHOR14 IZATION ACT, FISCAL YEARS 1990 AND 1991.—Section 

15 901(b) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 

16 Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101–246; 104 Stat. 

17 80) is amended— 

18 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (7), (8), and 

19 (9) as paragraphs (8), (9), and (10), respectively; 

20 and 

21 (2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the fol22 lowing: 

23 ‘‘(7) protecting the internationally recognized 

24 right to the freedom of religion and belief, including 

25 ensuring that the identification and installation of 


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1 Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, including a fu2 ture 15th Dalai Lama, is a matter determined solely 

3 within the Tibetan Buddhist faith community, based 

4 on instructions of the 14th Dalai Lama, without in5 terference by the Government of the People’s Repub6 lic of China;’’. 

7 (d) HOLDING CHINESE OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE

8 FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ABUSES TARGETING TIBETAN

9 BUDDHISTS.—It is the policy of the United States— 

10 (1) to consider any effort by the Government of 

11 the People’s Republic of China to identify or install 

12 its own candidate as the future 15th Dalai Lama of 

13 Tibetan Buddhism to be— 

14 (A) a serious human rights abuse as such 

15 term is used in Executive Order 13818 (2017); 

16 and 

17 (B) a particularly severe violation of reli18 gious freedom for purposes of applying section 

19 212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and Nation20 ality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(G)); and 

21 (2) to consider any official of the Government 

22 of the People’s Republic of China determined to be 

23 complicit in identifying or installing a government24 approved candidate as the future 15th Dalai Lama, 

25 contrary to the instructions provided by the 14th 


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1 Dalai Lama, and one not recognized by the faith 

2 community of Tibetan Buddhists globally to be sub3 ject to sanctions described in Executive Order 13818 

4 (2017) and to inadmissibility into the United States 

5 under section 212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and 

6 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)). 

7 (e) DEPARTMENT OF STATE PROGRAMMING TO PRO8 MOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR TIBETAN BUDDHISTS.— 

9 Consistent with section 401 of the Frank R. Wolf Inter10 national Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 114–281; 

11 130 Stat. 1436), of the funds available to the Department 

12 of State for international religious freedom programs, the 

13 Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom 

14 should provide funding to vigorously protect and promote 

15 international religious freedom in China and for programs 

16 to protect Tibetan Buddhism in China and elsewhere. 

17 SEC. 4. REPORTING ON TIBET UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL 

18 RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT OF 1998. 

19 Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious 

20 Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)) is amend21 ed— 

22 (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘, includ23 ing policies’’ and inserting ‘‘, including interference 

24 in the right of religious communities to choose their 

25 leaders, policies’’; and 


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1 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(H) CHINA.—Because matters relating to 

3 religious freedom in China are complex in scope 

4 and intensity and often vary by ethnicity and 

5 geographic or administrative region, each chap6 ter on China in the Annual Report shall include 

7 separate sections on— 

8 ‘‘(i) Tibet; 

9 ‘‘(ii) the Xinjiang Uyghur Autono10 mous Region; 

11 ‘‘(iii) Hong Kong and Macau; 

12 ‘‘(iv) unrecognized or independent 

13 Catholics and Protestant ‘house churches’; 

14 and 

15 ‘‘(v) Falun Gong and other faith16 based or new religious movements.’’. 

17 SEC. 5. POLICY REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENT AND 

18 WATER RESOURCES ON THE TIBETAN PLA19 TEAU. 

20 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

21 (1) Glaciers in Tibet feed ten of the major riv22 ers of South and East Asia, which supply freshwater 

23 to an estimated 1.8 billion people. 

24 (2) Chinese scientists have reported that since 

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1 ture has increased at twice the global average, caus2 ing melting of the glaciers, which will result in vari3 able water flows in the future. 

4 (3) Tibet’s rivers support wetlands that play a 

5 key role in water storage, water quality, and the reg6 ulation of water flow, and support biodiversity, fos7 ter vegetation growth, and act as carbon sinks. 

8 (4) The grasslands of Tibet play a significant 

9 role in carbon production and sequestration. 

10 (5) Changes in permafrost levels, caused by ris11 ing temperatures and intensifying evaporation, can 

12 affect the water supply, cause desertification, and 

13 destabilize infrastructure on the Tibetan Plateau 

14 and beyond. 

15 (6) The warming of the Tibetan plateau may 

16 cause changes in the monsoon cycle in South and 

17 Southeast Asia, which could lead to droughts or 

18 floods that overwhelm infrastructure and damage 

19 crops. 

20 (7) The resettlement of nomads from Tibetan 

21 grasslands undermines the application of traditional 

22 stewardship practices developed though centuries of 

23 pastoral practices, which can be key to mitigating 

24 the negative effects of warming on the Tibetan Pla25 teau. 


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1 (8) The construction of large hydroelectric 

2 power dams in Tibet, planned to be used in part to 

3 transmit power to Chinese provinces outside of 

4 Tibet, as well as other infrastructure projects, in5 cluding the Sichuan-Tibet railroad may also lead to 

6 the resettlement of thousands of Tibetans and trans7 form the environment. 

8 (9) Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam are 

9 members of the Mekong River Commission, which 

10 promotes sustainable management and development 

11 of water and related resources among member na12 tions. 

13 (10) The People’s Republic of China is not a 

14 full party to the Mekong River Commission. 

15 (11) The People’s Republic of China has ap16 proximately 20 percent of the world’s population but 

17 only around 7 percent of the world’s water supply, 

18 with India and the rest of South and Southeast Asia 

19 also relying on the rivers flowing from the 

20 Himalayas of the Tibetan Plateau. 

21 (12) The People’s Republic of China has al22 ready completed water transfer programs diverting 

23 billions of cubic meters of water yearly and there are 

24 plans to divert more waters from the Tibetan pla25 teau in China. 


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1 (b) WATER RESOURCES IN TIBET AND THE TIBETAN

2 WATERSHED.—The Secretary of State, in coordination 

3 with relevant agencies of the United States Government, 

4 shall— 

5 (1) pursue collaborative efforts with Chinese 

6 and international scientific institutions to monitor 

7 the environment on the Tibetan Plateau, including 

8 glacial retreat, temperature rise, and carbon levels, 

9 in order to promote a greater understanding of the 

10 effects on permafrost, river flows, grasslands and 

11 desertification, and the monsoon cycle; 

12 (2) engage with the Government of the People’s 

13 Republic of China and nongovernmental organiza14 tions to encourage the participation of Tibetan no15 mads and other Tibetan stakeholders in the develop16 ment and implementation of grassland management 

17 policies, in order to utilize their indigenous experi18 ence in mitigation and stewardship of the land and 

19 to assess policies on the forced resettlement of no20 mads; and 

21 (3) encourage a regional framework on water 

22 security, or use existing frameworks, such as the 

23 Lower Mekong Initiative, to facilitate cooperative 

24 agreements among all riparian nations that would 

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1 tion regulation, and arrangements on impounding 

2 and diversion of waters that originate on the Ti3 betan Plateau. 

4 (c) TIBETAN WATER RESOURCES AND NATIONAL SE5 CURITY.—Section 1202(b) of the National Defense Au6 thorization Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–65; 10 U.S.C. 

7 113 note) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(29) Tibet’s strategic importance and the stra9 tegic importance of water resources from the Ti10 betan Plateau in regional and territorial disputes.’’. 

11 SEC. 6. DEMOCRACY IN THE TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY. 

12 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

13 (1) The 14th Dalai Lama has overseen a proc14 ess of democratization within the Tibetan polity, be15 ginning in Tibet in the 1950s and continuing in exile 

16 from the 1960s to the present. 

17 (2) The first representative body in Tibetan his18 tory, formed on September 2, 1960, was the pre19 cursor of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, the legis20 lative branch within the Central Tibetan Administra21 tion. 

22 (3) The first direct election for the chief execu23 tive of the Central Tibetan Administration was held 

24 on July 29, 2001, with the election of Professor 

25 Samdhong Rinpoche. 


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1 (4) On March 10, 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama 

2 announced that he would relinquish his political re3 sponsibilities and on August 8, 2011, he transferred 

4 full political power to the elected leadership of the 

5 Central Tibetan Administration. 

6 (5) On March 20, 2011, members of the Ti7 betan exile community across some 30 countries held 

8 elections, monitored by international observers and 

9 assessed to be free and fair, to select the next par10 liament and chief executive. 

11 (6) As a result of the codification of the trans12 fer of political power from the Dalai Lama, the 

13 Kalon Tripa, or Chief of the Cabinet, assumed full 

14 executive authority and the Tibetan Parliament in 

15 Exile assumed full legislative authority within the 

16 Central Tibetan Administration. 

17 (7) As a result of the 2011 elections, the 15th 

18 Tibetan Parliament was seated and Lobsang Sangay 

19 was chosen as Kalon Tripa, a title changed to 

20 Sikyong in 2012. 

21 (8) Approximately six million Tibetans in Tibet 

22 do not enjoy a democratic form of government or the 

23 ability to elect their political representatives. 

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1 pressed the sense of Congress that Tibet’s true rep2 resentatives are the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan 

3 government-in-exile as recognized by the Tibetan 

4 people and that Tibet has maintained throughout its 

5 history a distinctive and sovereign national, cultural, 

6 and religious identity separate from that of China 

7 and, except during periods of illegal Chinese occupa8 tion, has maintained a separate and sovereign polit9 ical and territorial identity. 

10 (10) The Middle Way Approach, the official 

11 policy of the Central Tibetan Administration, seeks 

12 genuine autonomy for the six million Tibetans in 

13 Tibet. 

14 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con15 gress that— 

16 (1) Tibetan exile communities around the world 

17 should be commended for the successful adoption of 

18 a system of self governance with democratic institu19 tions and free elections to choose their leaders; 

20 (2) the Dalai Lama should be commended for 

21 his decision to transfer political authority to elected 

22 leaders in accordance with democratic principles; 

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1 betan people around the world and the Sikyong is 

2 the President of the Central Tibetan Administration; 

3 (4) as consistent with section 621(d)(3) of the 

4 Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), 

5 the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan 

6 Issues should continue to maintain close contact 

7 with the religious, cultural, and elected leaders of 

8 the Tibetan people; and 

9 (5) the adoption of democracy within the Ti10 betan exile community can serve as an example to 

11 other sub-national or non-sovereign communities 

12 around the world. 

13 SEC. 7. SUSTAINABILITY IN TIBETAN COMMUNITIES SEEK14 ING TO PRESERVE THEIR CULTURE, RELI15 GION, AND LANGUAGE. 

16 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

17 (1) Following the flight into exile of the Dalai 

18 Lama and tens of thousands of fellow Tibetans, the 

19 Government of India graciously granted land on 

20 which the Tibetan refugees could settle. 

21 (2) Under the leadership of the Dalai Lama, 

22 Tibetan refugees established in settlements in India, 

23 Nepal, and Bhutan monastic, cultural, and edu24 cational institutions for the purpose of preserving 


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1 their religion, culture, and language until the time 

2 that they could return to Tibet. 

3 (3) Many of the Tibetan settlements are more 

4 than 50 years old with aging infrastructure, chal5 lenging the capacity to absorb new refugees and pro6 vide modern services and gainful employment. 

7 (4) The threats to Tibetan culture, religion, and 

8 language in the People’s Republic of China justify 

9 support for efforts by Tibetans outside China to pre10 serve their heritage. 

11 (5) Many long-staying Tibetans in Nepal have 

12 not received documentation that would provide legal 

13 resident status and allow them fuller access to edu14 cational opportunities and sustainable participation 

15 in the economy and society of Nepal. 

16 (6) It is United States policy to promote the 

17 human rights of the Tibetan people and the preser18 vation of the distinct Tibetan cultural, religious, and 

19 linguistic heritage. 

20 (7) The Dalai Lama has said that the Central 

21 Tibetan Administration will cease to exist once a ne22 gotiated settlement has been achieved that allows Ti23 betans to freely enjoy their culture, religion, and lan24 guage in Tibet. 


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1 (b) DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.—Of the amount au2 thorized to be appropriated for development assistance for 

3 fiscal year 2020, such sums as may be necessary are au4 thorized to be available to support the preservation of Ti5 betan cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage, as well 

6 as the education, skills development, and entrepreneurship 

7 of Tibetans residing in settlements in South Asia, subject 

8 to review and approval of the United States Special Coor9 dinator for Tibetan Issues. 

10 (c) STATUS OF TIBETANS IN NEPAL.—The Secretary 

11 of State shall urge the Government of Nepal to provide 

12 legal documentation to long-staying Tibetan residents in 

13 Nepal who fled a credible threat of persecution in Tibet 

14 in order to allow them to more fully participate in the 

15 economy and society of Nepal. 

16 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con17 gress that the Office of Tibet in Washington, DC, is the 

18 representative office in the United States of the Dalai 

19 Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration. 

20 (e) SUNSET.—This section shall terminate on the 

21 date that is one year after the date on which the Secretary 

22 of State certifies to Congress that a negotiated settlement 

23 between the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

24 and the Dalai Lama or his representatives on Tibet has 

25 been concluded. 


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1 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES SPECIAL COOR3 DINATOR FOR TIBETAN ISSUES.—Of the amounts author4 ized to be appropriated to the Department of State for 

5 administration of foreign affairs, not less than $1,000,000 

6 is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 and 

7 each subsequent fiscal year for the Office of the United 

8 States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues. 

9 (b) TIBETAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND

10 ‘‘NGWANG CHOEPEL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS’’.—Of the 

11 amounts authorized to be appropriated for educational 

12 and cultural exchange programs for fiscal year 2020 and 

13 each subsequent fiscal year— 

14 (1) not less than $750,000 is authorized to be 

15 appropriated to carry out the Tibetan scholarship 

16 program established under section 103(b)(1) of the 

17 Human Rights, Refugee, and Other Foreign Rela18 tions Provisions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–319; 

19 22 U.S.C. 2151 note); and 

20 (2) not less than $650,000 is authorized to be 

21 appropriated to carry out the ‘‘Ngwang Choepel Ex22 change Programs’’ (formerly known as ‘‘programs of 

23 educational and cultural exchange between the 

24 United States and the people of Tibet’’) under sec25 tion 103(a) of the Human Rights, Refugee, and 

26 Other Foreign Relations Provisions Act of 1996. 


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1 (c) HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO TIBETAN REFU2 GEES IN SOUTH ASIA.—Of the amounts authorized to be 

3 appropriated for migration and refugee assistance for fis4 cal year 2020 and each subsequent fiscal year, such sums 

5 as may be necessary are authorized to be appropriated for 

6 humanitarian assistance, including food, medicine, cloth7 ing, and medical and vocational training, to Tibetan refu8 gees in South Asia who have fled facing a credible threat 

9 of persecution in the People’s Republic of China. 

10 (d) DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.—Of the funds ap11 propriated under the heading Economic Support Fund for 

12 fiscal year 2020 and each subsequent fiscal year, not less 

13 than $6,000,000 is authorized for programs to promote 

14 and preserve Tibetan culture and language both in the ref15 ugee and diaspora Tibetan communities, development, and 

16 the resilience of Tibetan communities and the Central Ti17 betan Administration in India and Nepal, and to assist 

18 in the education and development of the next generation 

19 of Tibetan leaders from such communities. 

20 (e) TIBETAN GOVERNANCE.—Of the funds appro21 priated under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ for 

22 fiscal year 2020 and each subsequent fiscal year, not less 

23 than $3,000,000 is authorized for programs to strengthen 

24 the capacity of the Central Tibetan Administration, instiVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:28 Sep 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4331.IH H4331

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1 tutions and strengthen democracy, governance, informa2 tion and international outreach, and research. 

Æ 


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