II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2675 

To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to support 

religious freedom in foreign countries. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2014 

Mr. RUBIO (for himself and Mr. CRUZ) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 

to support religious freedom in foreign countries. 

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

3 SECTION 1. PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO VIO4 LATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 

5 Section 401(b)(2) of the International Religious 

6 Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6441(b)(2)) is amended 

7 to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(2) DEADLINE FOR ACTIONS.— 

9 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

10 subparagraph (B), not later than 90 days after 


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1 the date on which each report is submitted 

2 under section 102(b), the President shall take 

3 1 or more of the actions described in section 

4 405(a) or a commensurate action with respect 

5 to each foreign country in which the govern6 ment has engaged in or tolerated violations of 

7 religious freedom at any time since the previous 

8 such report was submitted. 

9 ‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITE.—The 

10 President may not take any of the actions de11 scribed in paragraphs (9) through (15) of sec12 tion 405(a) or a commensurate action until the 

13 President certifies that the requirements under 

14 sections 403 and 404 have been satisfied.’’. 

15 SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO PARTICU16 LARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS 

17 FREEDOM. 

18 (a) DESIGNATIONS OF COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR

19 CONCERN FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.—Section 402(b) of 

20 the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 

21 U.S.C. 6442(b)) is amended— 

22 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

23 (A) in subparagraph (A)— 

24 (i) by striking ‘‘Not later than Sep25 tember 1 of each year, the President shall 


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1 review’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘Not 

2 later than 90 days after the date on which 

3 each report is submitted under section 

4 102(b), the President shall— 

5 ‘‘(i) review’’; and 

6 (ii) by striking ‘‘or since the date’’ 

7 and all that follows through ‘‘longer. The 

8 President shall designate’’ and inserting 

9 the following: ‘‘longer; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) designate’’; and 

11 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

12 ‘‘prior to September 1 of the respective year’’ 

13 and inserting ‘‘before the date on which the re14 port is submitted under section 102(b)’’; and 

15 (2) in paragraph (3)— 

16 (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) 

17 and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and 

18 moving each clause 2 ems to the right; 

19 (B) in the matter preceding clause (i), as 

20 redesignated— 

21 (i) by striking ‘‘Whenever’’ and insert22 ing the following: 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Whenever’’; and 


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1 (ii) by striking ‘‘as soon as prac2 ticable’’ and inserting ‘‘not later than 120 

3 days’’; 

4 (C) in subparagraph (A), as redesig5 nated— 

6 (i) in clause (i), as redesignated, by 

7 striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

8 (ii) in clause (ii), as redesignated, by 

9 striking the period at the end and inserting 

10 ‘‘; and’’; and 

11 (iii) by adding at the end the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(iii) the actions taken, the purposes 

14 of the actions taken, and evaluation of the 

15 effectiveness of the actions taken.’’; and 

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

17 ‘‘(B) COUNTRIES RECOMMENDED BY THE

18 COMMISSION.—If the President does not des19 ignate a country as a country of particular con20 cern for religious freedom under paragraph 

21 (1)(A) after the Commission has recommended 

22 such designation, the President shall submit a 

23 report to Congress that contains the reasons for 

24 such nondesignation. 


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1 ‘‘(C) REMOVAL OF DESIGNATION.—A 

2 country that is designated as a country of par3 ticular concern for religious freedom under 

4 paragraph (1)(A) shall retain such designation 

5 until the President determines and reports to 

6 the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen7 ate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

8 the House of Representatives that the country 

9 should no longer be so designated.’’. 

10 (b) PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO

11 COUNTRIES OF PARTICULAR CONCERN FOR RELIGIOUS

12 FREEDOM.—Section 402(c)(5) of the International Reli13 gious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(c)(5)) is 

14 amended— 

15 (1) in the second sentence— 

16 (A) by striking ‘‘must’’ and inserting 

17 ‘‘shall’’; 

18 (B) by striking ‘‘he’’ and inserting ‘‘the 

19 President’’; and 

20 (C) by inserting ‘‘and include a description 

21 of the impact of the designation of such sanc22 tion or sanctions’’ before the period at the end; 

23 and 

24 (2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The 

25 President shall submit a report to the Committee on 


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1 Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee 

2 on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 

3 that explains why the decision was made that 1 or 

4 more of such sanctions also satisfy the requirements 

5 of this subsection.’’. 

6 SEC. 3. CONSULTATIONS. 

7 Section 403(a) of the International Religious Free8 dom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6443(a)) is amended by strik9 ing ‘‘As soon as practicable’’ and inserting ‘‘Not later than 

10 90 days’’. 

11 SEC. 4. PRESIDENTIAL WAIVER. 

12 Section 407(a) of the International Religious Free13 dom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6447(a)) is amended by in14 serting ‘‘, for a 180-day period,’’ after ‘‘may waive’’. 

15 SEC. 5. TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS. 

16 Section 409 of the International Religious Freedom 

17 Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6449) is amended by striking ‘‘on 

18 the earlier of’’ and all that follows through ‘‘Upon’’ and 

19 inserting ‘‘upon’’. 

Æ 


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