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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2585 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2585

To impose additional sanctions with respect to Iran to protect against 
          human rights abuses in Iran, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 10, 2014

  Mr. Kirk (for himself and Mr. Rubio) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To impose additional sanctions with respect to Iran to protect against 
          human rights abuses in Iran, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Iran Human Rights 
Accountability Act of 2014''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Expansion of list of persons involved in human rights abuses in 
                            Iran.
Sec. 4. Identification of, and imposition of sanctions with respect to, 
                            certain Iranian individuals.
Sec. 5. Imposition of sanctions with respect to persons who conduct 
                            transactions with or on behalf of certain 
                            Iranian individuals.
Sec. 6. United States support for the people of Iran.
Sec. 7. United States Special Coordinator on Human Rights and Democracy 
                            in Iran.
Sec. 8. Broadcasting to Iran.
Sec. 9. Sense of Congress on establishment of multilateral mechanism to 
                            promote human rights in Iran.
Sec. 10. Sense of Congress on role of the United Nations in promoting 
                            human rights in Iran.
Sec. 11. Rule of construction with respect to the use of force.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On February 21, 2014, the Office of the High 
        Commissioner on Human Rights of the United Nations stated, with 
        respect to Iran, ``We regret that the new government has not 
        changed its approach to the death penalty and continues to 
        impose capital punishment for a wide range of offences. We urge 
        the government to immediately halt executions and to institute 
        a moratorium.''.
            (2) Iran was rated as ``not free'' in the 2014 Freedom of 
        the Press Report of the international organization Freedom 
        House, for a lack of flow of independent information and the 
        inability of print, broadcast, and Internet-based news outlets 
        to operate freely and without fear of repercussions.
            (3) On March 11, 2014, the Secretary General of the United 
        Nations, Ban Ki-moon, stated that ``the new administration [in 
        Iran] has not made any significant improvement in the promotion 
        and protection of freedom of expression and opinion, despite 
        pledges made by the President during his campaign and after is 
        swearing-in''.
            (4) According to Freedom House, none of the elections held 
        in Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution have been regarded as 
        free or fair.
            (5) According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, as 
        of December 1, 2013, Iran was the second worst jailer of 
        journalists worldwide after Turkey. Additionally, research of 
        the Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Iran as first among 
        countries where journalists have fled into exile between 2009 
        and 2014.
            (6) According to the international human rights 
        organization, Iran Human Rights, executions in Iran soared to 
        record-breaking levels in 2014. As of June 2014, more than 2 
        people were executed every day, and more than 320 executions 
        took place in the first 5 months of 2014.
            (7) In August 2011, Amir Hekmati, a United States veteran, 
        was unjustly detained while visiting his family in Iran and, as 
        of June 2014, has remained in a prison in Iran for almost 3 
        years on false espionage charges.
            (8) On January 27, 2013, Saeed Abedini, a pastor from the 
        United States, was sentenced to an 8-year prison term in Iran 
        because of his Christian faith and has been incarcerated since 
        September 26, 2012, despite serious health issues.
            (9) In March 2007, Robert Levinson, a former agent of the 
        Federal Bureau of Investigation, disappeared in Iran during a 
        business trip. Mr. Levinson is one of the longest held United 
        States citizens in history.
            (10) The United States has designated Iran as a country of 
        particular concern for religious freedom pursuant to section 
        402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
        (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)) for severe violations of religious 
        freedom in every year from 1999 through 2014.
            (11) Members of the Baha'i Faith in Iran, estimated to 
        number between 300,000 and 350,000, are not recognized as a 
        religious minority in the Constitution of Iran, enjoy virtually 
        no rights under the law, and are banned from practicing their 
        faith.
            (12) On December 20, 2013, the United States Senate agreed 
        to Senate Resolution 75, 113th Congress, condemning the 
        Government of Iran for its state-sponsored persecution of its 
        Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the 
        International Covenants on Human Rights.
            (13) The United States is engaged in negotiations with the 
        Government of Iran and the Russian Federation, the People's 
        Republic of China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany 
        regarding Iran's nuclear program, but the Government of Iran 
        continues to systematically deny citizens of Iran basic 
        fundamental freedoms.
            (14) Officials of the United States have stated that the 
        human rights record of Iran is ``abysmal'' and the Department 
        of State has reported that there has been ``little meaningful 
        improvement in human rights in Iran under the new government, 
        including torture, political imprisonment, harassment of 
        religious and ethnic minorities''.
            (15) The Government of Iran is party to the International 
        Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the 
        International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and is in 
        violation of its obligations under those Covenants.

SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF LIST OF PERSONS INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN 
              IRAN.

    (a) In General.--Section 105 of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, 
Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514) is 
amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``certain persons 
        who are responsible for or complicit'' and inserting ``persons 
        involved'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Who 
                Are Responsible for or Complicit'' and inserting 
                ``Involved'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of the Iran Human Rights Accountability Act of 
        2014, the President shall submit to the appropriate 
        congressional committees a list of persons the President 
        determines have committed or facilitated, directly or 
        indirectly, human rights abuses or other acts of violence, 
        intimidation, or harassment, on behalf of the Government of 
        Iran on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such 
        abuses or acts occurred in Iran.''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``this Act'' 
                and inserting ``the Iran Human Rights Accountability 
                Act of 2014''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Inclusion of Actions That Violate Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights.--For purposes of subsection (b)(1), the term `human 
rights abuses' includes actions that violate the rights listed in the 
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted at Paris 
December 10, 1948.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the 
Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 
2010 is amended by striking the item relating to section 105 and 
inserting the following:

``Sec. 105. Imposition of sanctions on persons involved in human rights 
                            abuses committed against citizens of Iran 
                            or their family members after the June 12, 
                            2009, elections in Iran.''.

SEC. 4. IDENTIFICATION OF, AND IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO, 
              CERTAIN IRANIAN INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 221 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria 
Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8727) is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 221. IDENTIFICATION OF, AND IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT 
              TO, CERTAIN IRANIAN INDIVIDUALS.

    ``(a) Identification of Individuals.--Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of the Iran Human Rights Accountability Act 
of 2014, and every 180 days thereafter, the President shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a list of all individuals the 
President determines are described in subsection (b).
    ``(b) Individuals Described.--An individual described in this 
subsection is--
            ``(1) the Supreme Leader of Iran;
            ``(2) the President of Iran;
            ``(3) a current or former key official, manager, or 
        director of an entity that may be owned or controlled by--
                    ``(A) the Supreme Leader of Iran;
                    ``(B) the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran;
                    ``(C) the President of Iran;
                    ``(D) the Office of the President of Iran;
                    ``(E) Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps;
                    ``(F) the Basij-e Motaz'afin;
                    ``(G) the Guardian Council;
                    ``(H) the Ministry of Intelligence and Security of 
                Iran;
                    ``(I) the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran;
                    ``(J) the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran;
                    ``(K) the Assembly of Experts of Iran;
                    ``(L) the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces 
                Logistics of Iran;
                    ``(M) the Ministry of Justice of Iran;
                    ``(N) the Ministry of Interior of Iran;
                    ``(O) the prison system of Iran;
                    ``(P) the judicial system of Iran, including the 
                Islamic Revolutionary Courts; or
                    ``(Q) any citizen of Iran included on the list of 
                specially designated nationals and blocked persons 
                maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of 
                the Department of the Treasury;
            ``(4) or senior adviser to an official or entity specified 
        in any of subparagraphs (A) through (Q) of paragraph (3);
            ``(5) a citizen of Iran indicted in a foreign country for, 
        or otherwise suspected of, participation in a terrorist attack; 
        or
            ``(6) a family member of an individual described in any of 
        paragraphs (1) through (4) who is not a United States person.
    ``(c) Exclusion From United States.--Except as provided in 
subsection (f), the Secretary of State shall deny a visa to, and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall exclude from the United States, 
any alien who is on the list required by subsection (a).
    ``(d) Blocking of Property.--Except as provided in subsection (f), 
the President shall block and prohibit all transactions in all property 
and interests in property of any individual who is on the list required 
by subsection (a) if such property and interests in property are in the 
United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the 
possession or control of a United States person.
    ``(e) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Iran Human Rights Accountability Act of 2014, and 
every 90 days thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that describes the efforts the 
President has taken during the 90 days preceding the submission of the 
report to locate and block all property and interests in property of 
any individual who is on the list required by subsection (a).
    ``(f) Exceptions.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President may not include an 
        individual on the list required by subsection (a) if the 
        President determines that, during the 10-year period preceding 
        the determination, the individual has not in any way engaged 
        in, facilitated, or otherwise supported--
                    ``(A) human rights abuses;
                    ``(B) acts of international terrorism; or
                    ``(C) the proliferation of weapons of mass 
                destruction.
            ``(2) Compliance with united nations headquarters 
        agreement.--Subsection (c) shall not apply to the head of state 
        of Iran, or necessary staff of that head of state, if admission 
        to the United States is necessary to permit the United States 
        to comply with the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the 
        United Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and 
        entered into force November 21, 1947, between the United 
        Nations and the United States.
    ``(g) Waiver.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President may waive the application 
        of subsection (a), (c), or (d) with respect to an individual 
        for a period of 180 days, and may renew that waiver for 
        additional periods of 180 days, if the President--
                    ``(A) determines that the waiver is vital to the 
                national security of the United States; and
                    ``(B) not less than 7 days before the waiver or the 
                renewal of the waiver, as the case may be, takes 
                effect, submits a report to the appropriate 
                congressional committees on the waiver and the reason 
                for the waiver.
            ``(2) Form of report.--Each report submitted under 
        paragraph (1)(B) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but 
        may include a classified annex.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Iran Threat 
Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.) 
is amended by striking the item relating to section 221 and inserting 
the following:

``Sec. 221. Identification of, and imposition of sanctions with respect 
                            to, certain Iranian individuals.''.

SEC. 5. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO PERSONS WHO CONDUCT 
              TRANSACTIONS WITH OR ON BEHALF OF CERTAIN IRANIAN 
              INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle B of title II of the Iran Threat 
Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8721 et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after section 221 the following:

``SEC. 221A. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO PERSONS WHO 
              CONDUCT TRANSACTIONS WITH OR ON BEHALF OF CERTAIN IRANIAN 
              INDIVIDUALS.

    ``(a) Sale, Supply, or Transfer of Goods and Services.--The 
President shall impose 5 or more of the sanctions described in section 
6(a) of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 
1701 note) with respect to a person if the President determines that 
the person knowingly, on or after the date that is 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of the Iran Human Rights Accountability Act of 
2014, sells, supplies, or transfers goods or services to an individual 
who is on the list required by section 221(a).
    ``(b) Facilitation of Certain Transactions.--The President shall 
prohibit the opening, and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the 
maintaining, in the United States of a correspondent account or a 
payable-through account by any foreign financial institution that the 
President determines has knowingly conducted or facilitated a 
significant financial transaction on behalf of an individual who is on 
the list required by section 221(a).
    ``(c) Waiver.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President may waive the application 
        of subsection (a) or (b) with respect to a person for a period 
        of 180 days, and may renew that waiver for additional periods 
        of 180 days, if the President--
                    ``(A) determines that the waiver is vital to the 
                national security of the United States; and
                    ``(B) not less than 7 days before the waiver or the 
                renewal of the waiver, as the case may be, takes 
                effect, submits a report to the appropriate 
                congressional committees on the waiver and the reason 
                for the waiver.
            ``(2) Form of report.--Each report submitted under 
        paragraph (1)(B) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but 
        may include a classified annex.
    ``(d) Application of Certain Provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act 
of 1996.--The following provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 
(Public Law 104-172; 50 U.S.C. 1701 note) shall apply with respect to 
the imposition of sanctions under subsection (a) to the same extent 
that such provisions apply with respect to the imposition of sanctions 
under section 5(a) of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996:
            ``(1) Subsections (c), (d), and (f) of section 5.
            ``(2) Section 8.
            ``(3) Section 11.
            ``(4) Section 12.
            ``(5) Section 13(b).
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this Act:
            ``(1) Account; correspondent account; payable-through 
        account.--The terms `account', `correspondent account', and 
        `payable-through account' have the meanings given those terms 
        in section 5318A of title 31, United States Code.
            ``(2) Foreign financial institution.--The term `foreign 
        financial institution' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 561.308 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
        any corresponding similar regulation or ruling).''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Iran Threat 
Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.) 
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 221 the 
following:

``Sec. 221A. Imposition of sanctions with respect to persons who 
                            conduct transactions with or on behalf of 
                            certain Iranian individuals.''.

SEC. 6. UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAN.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle B of title IV of the Iran Threat 
Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (22 U.S.C. 8751 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 416. UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR THE PEOPLE OF IRAN.

    ``(a) Policy of the United States.--It is the policy of the United 
States--
            ``(1) to support the efforts of the people of Iran to 
        promote the establishment of basic freedoms in Iran;
            ``(2) to lay the foundation for the emergence of a freely 
        elected, open, and democratic political system in Iran that is 
        not a threat to its neighbors or to the United States and to 
        work with all citizens of Iran who seek to establish such a 
        political system;
            ``(3) to support the emergence of a government in Iran that 
        does not oppress the people of Iran and does not persecute, 
        intimidate, arrest, imprison, or execute dissidents or 
        minorities;
            ``(4) to advocate on behalf of those in Iran persecuted for 
        their religion or belief;
            ``(5) to assist the people of Iran to produce, access, and 
        share information freely and safely through the Internet and 
        other media; and
            ``(6) to defeat all attempts by the Government of Iran to 
        jam or otherwise obstruct international satellite broadcast 
        signals.
    ``(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            ``(1) the United States should support citizens of Iran 
        that actively work to advance political, economic, and social 
        reforms, including freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, 
        freedom of religion, and representative government;
            ``(2) the President should use all available nonviolent 
        means to support citizens of Iran that advocate for 
        pluralistic, prosperous, and participatory societies;
            ``(3) programs of the Department of State to support reform 
        in Iran have not resulted in a more democratic Iran;
            ``(4) the Government of Iran continues to play a pernicious 
        role in the Middle East, undermining democratic consolidation 
        in Iraq, supporting international terrorism through Hezbollah, 
        and aiding the autocratic regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria;
            ``(5) the Secretary of State should make every effort to 
        deliver support directly to people working in Iran to implement 
        programs carried out using assistance provided by the 
        Department of State when possible and all possible means of 
        delivering such assistance should be used; and
            ``(6) oversight, management, and implementation of programs 
        of the Department of State to support reform in Iran should be 
        under the direction of the Special Coordinator on Human Rights 
        and Democracy in Iran established under section 7 of the Iran 
        Human Rights Accountability Act of 2014, in consultation with 
        the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, 
        and Labor.
    ``(c) Assistance To Support Reform in Iran.--
            ``(1) Assistance authorized.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, the Secretary of State may provide assistance 
        (including through the award of grants) to individuals and 
        entities working in Iran for the purpose of supporting and 
        promoting the rule of law, good governance, civil society, and 
        economic opportunity in Iran.
            ``(2) Eligibility for assistance.--Assistance authorized 
        under this subsection should be provided only to an individual 
        or entity that--
                    ``(A) officially opposes the use of violence and 
                terrorism and has not been designated as a foreign 
                terrorist organization under section 219 of the 
                Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189) at any 
                time during the 4-year period ending on the date of the 
                enactment of the Iran Human Rights Accountability Act 
                of 2014;
                    ``(B) advocates the adherence by Iran to 
                nonproliferation regimes for nuclear, chemical, and 
                biological weapons and materiel;
                    ``(C) is dedicated to democratic values and 
                supports the adoption of a democratic form of 
                government in Iran;
                    ``(D) is dedicated to respect for human rights, 
                including the fundamental equality of women; and
                    ``(E) supports freedom of the press, freedom of 
                speech, freedom of association, and freedom of 
                religion.
            ``(3) Notification requirement.--Not later than 15 days 
        before each obligation of assistance under this subsection, the 
        Secretary of State shall notify the Committee on Foreign 
        Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and 
        the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives in accordance 
        with the procedures applicable to reprogramming notifications 
        under section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
        U.S.C. 2394-1).
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--Of the amounts made 
        available to carry out chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign 
        Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.; relating to the 
        Economic Support Fund) for fiscal year 2015, not less than 
        $32,000,000 shall be made available to the Secretary of State 
        to carry out this subsection.
            ``(5) Termination.--The authority to provide assistance 
        under this subsection shall expire on December 31, 2018.
    ``(d) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Iran Human Rights Accountability Act of 2014, and 
every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report on the implementation of 
this section that includes the following:
            ``(1) An identification of the actions the President has 
        taken during the 180-day period preceding the submission of the 
        report to advance each of the policies described in subsection 
        (a).
            ``(2) A clear strategy for advancing political, economic, 
        and social reform in Iran that includes benchmarks for success 
        that lead to a set of identified discrete goals and objectives.
            ``(3) A plan to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of 
        the provision of assistance authorized under subsection (c), 
        including measures of effectiveness.
            ``(4) The status of the programming of assistance under 
        subsection (c).
            ``(5) An analysis of any past programming of assistance 
        under subsection (c) and its effectiveness with respect to 
        supporting and promoting the rule of law, good governance, 
        civil society, and economic opportunity in Iran.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Iran Threat 
Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 415 the following:

``Sec. 416. United States support for the people of Iran.''.

SEC. 7. UNITED STATES SPECIAL COORDINATOR ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY 
              IN IRAN.

    (a) Designation.--The President shall designate within the 
Department of State a Special Coordinator on Human Rights and Democracy 
in Iran (in this section referred to as the ``Special Coordinator'').
    (b) Consultation and Qualifications.--The Secretary shall consult 
with the chairmen and ranking members of the appropriate congressional 
committees before the designation of the Special Coordinator. The role 
of Special Coordinator should be filled by an official of the 
Department of State appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the 
President in a position not lower than Under Secretary on the day 
before the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Duties.--The Special Coordinator shall carry out the following 
duties:
            (1) Coordinate the activities of the United States 
        Government that promote human rights, democracy, political 
        freedom, and religious freedom inside Iran.
            (2) Coordinate the activities of the United States 
        Government that promote human rights, political freedom, and 
        religious freedom for Iranian refugees and asylees living 
        outside Iran.
            (3) Ensure the comprehensive investigation and designation 
        of Iranian human rights abusers in accordance with section 105 
        of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and 
        Divestment Act of 2010 (22 U.S.C. 8514).
            (4) Coordinate the documentation and publicizing of 
        political dissidents and cases of human rights abuse inside 
        Iran.
            (5) Coordinate multilateral efforts to build international 
        support for the promotion of human rights, democracy, political 
        freedom, and religious freedom in Iran, including broadcasting, 
        Internet access, and dissemination of information.
            (6) Encourage the United Nations, multilateral 
        organizations, and human rights nongovernmental organizations 
        to more robustly investigate and report on human rights abuses 
        in Iran.
            (7) Encourage foreign governments to downgrade or sever 
        diplomatic relations with the Government of Iran, enact 
        economic sanctions, and assist Iranian dissidents in response 
        to the continued violations of human rights by the Government 
        of Iran.
            (8) Encourage foreign governments to expel Iran from 
        international fora and organizations with a human rights 
        component, including the United Nations Commission on the 
        Status of Women, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
        Cultural Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, and 
        the International Labour Organization.
            (9) Coordinate all programs funded under the Iran Freedom 
        Support Act (Public Law 109-293; 22 U.S.C. 2151 note).
    (d) Authority.--
            (1) Coordination of activities.--The Special Coordinator 
        shall coordinate all activities related to Iran carried out by 
        the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, the Bureau of Democracy, 
        Human Rights and Labor, and the Bureau of Population, Refugees 
        and Migration of the Department of State, the Ambassador-at-
        Large for International Religious Freedom, the Special Envoy to 
        Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, the United States Commission 
        on International Religious Freedom, the National Endowment for 
        Democracy, and the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
            (2) Coordination of use of funds.--The Special Coordinator 
        shall coordinate and oversee the obligation and expenditure of 
        funds related to human rights, democracy, Internet freedom, and 
        broadcasting activities in Iran, including funds made available 
        for such purposes to the Middle East Partnership Initiative, 
        the United States Commission on International Religious 
        Freedom, the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative, 
        the Human Rights and Democracy Fund, and the Near Eastern 
        Regional Democracy Fund.
    (e) Diplomatic Representation.--Subject to the direction of the 
President and the Secretary of State, the Special Coordinator shall 
represent the United States in matters and cases relevant to the 
promotion of human rights, democracy, political freedom, and religious 
freedom in Iran in--
            (1) contacts with foreign governments, intergovernmental 
        organizations, and specialized agencies of the United Nations, 
        the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and 
        other international organizations of which the United States is 
        a member; and
            (2) multilateral conferences and meetings relevant to the 
        promotion of human rights, democracy, political freedom, and 
        religious freedom in Iran.
    (f) Consultations.--The Special Coordinator shall consult with 
Congress, domestic and international nongovernmental organizations, 
labor organizations, and multilateral organizations and institutions as 
the Special Coordinator considers appropriate to fulfill the purposes 
of this section.
    (g) Funding.--From amounts made available for the Department of 
State for Near East Affairs in fiscal years before fiscal year 2015, 
the Secretary of State shall provide to the Special Coordinator such 
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015 for the hiring of staff, 
for the conduct of investigations, and for necessary travel to carry 
out this section.
    (h) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 8. BROADCASTING TO IRAN.

    (a) In General.--Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of 
America services broadcasting to Iran shall--
            (1) provide news and information that is accessible, 
        credible, comprehensive, and accurate;
            (2) emphasize investigative and analytical journalism 
        provided by Iranian or pro-Iranian media outlets; and
            (3) strengthen civil society by promoting democratic 
        processes, respect for human rights, and freedom of the press 
        and expression.
    (b) Programming Surge.--Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice 
of America programming to Iran shall--
            (1) provide programming content 24 hours a day and 7 days a 
        week to target populations using all available and effective 
        distribution outlets, including at least 12 hours a day of 
        original television and video content, not including live video 
        streaming of breaking news;
            (2) create mobile platforms with an embedded proxy to offer 
        the people of Iran the opportunity to securely listen to 
        programming;
            (3) increase number of staffers based in the region to 
        allow for more direct contact with the people of Iran;
            (4) expand the use, audience, and audience engagement of 
        mobile news and multimedia platforms by the Voice of America 
        and the Radio Farda service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 
        including through Internet-based social networking platforms; 
        and
            (5) establish fellowships for Iranian journalists who have 
        fled the country to learn about free, competitive media and be 
        trained in surrogate reporting.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2015, in addition to funds otherwise made 
available for such purposes, $10,000,000 to carry out Iran-focused 
programming by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of 
America, for the purpose of bolstering existing United States 
programming to the people of Iran and increasing programming capacity 
and jamming circumvention technology to overcome any disruptions to 
service.

SEC. 9. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ESTABLISHMENT OF MULTILATERAL MECHANISM TO 
              PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN.

    It is the sense of Congress that the United States should work with 
the European Union and other countries with a common commitment to 
fundamental rights and freedoms to explore the possibility of 
establishing a formal multilateral mechanism to advocate for the 
promotion of human rights, democracy, political freedom, and religious 
freedom in Iran.

SEC. 10. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN PROMOTING 
              HUMAN RIGHTS IN IRAN.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United Nations has a significant role to play in 
        promoting and improving human rights in Iran;
            (2) the United States should continue to support the work 
        of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of 
        human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran; and
            (3) the egregious human rights violations in Iran warrant 
        country-specific attention and continued reporting by the 
        Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the 
        Islamic Republic of Iran, the Special Rapporteur on torture and 
        other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, the 
        Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on 
        extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, the Special 
        Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to 
        freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on 
        freedom of religion or belief, and the Special Rapporteur on 
        violence against women, its causes, and consequences, of the 
        United Nations.

SEC. 11. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF FORCE.

    Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by this Act shall be 
construed as a declaration of war or an authorization of the use of 
force.
                                 <all>
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