fied form, but shall include a publicly available 
annex. 
(d) TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE STUDY.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of State (acting through appropriate officials and 
offices, which may include the Office of Global Criminal 
Justice), after consultation with the Department of Justice, 
the United States Agency for International Development, 
and other appropriate Federal agencies, shall— 
(1) complete a study of the feasibility and desir-
ability of potential transitional justice mechanisms 
for Syria, including a hybrid tribunal, to address 
war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide 
perpetrated in Syria beginning in March 2011; and 
(2) submit a detailed report of the results of the 
study conducted under paragraph (1), including rec-
ommendations on which transitional justice mecha-
nisms the United States Government should support, 
why such mechanisms should be supported, and what 
type of support should be offered, to— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate; 
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; 
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(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives. 
(e) FORM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in sub-
section (c)(3), each report required under this section 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may con-
tain a classified annex, if necessary. 
(2) PROTECTION
OF
WITNESSES
AND
EVI-
DENCE.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary of 
State shall take due care to ensure that the identifica-
tion of witnesses and physical evidence are not pub-
licly disclosed in a manner that might place such per-
sons at risk of harm or encourage the destruction of 
evidence by the Government of Syria, violent extrem-
ist groups, anti-government forces, or any other com-
batants or participants in the conflict. 
SEC. 9. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State (acting 
through appropriate officials and offices, which may in-
clude the Office of Global Criminal Justice), after consulta-
tion with the Department of Justice and other appropriate 
Federal agencies, is authorized to provide appropriate as-
sistance to support entities that, with respect to war crimes, 
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crimes against humanity, and genocide perpetrated by the 
regime of President Bashar al-Assad, all forces fighting on 
its behalf, and all non-state armed groups fighting in the 
country, including violent extremist groups in Syria begin-
ning in March 2011— 
(1) identify suspected perpetrators of war crimes, 
crimes against humanity, and genocide; 
(2) collect, document, and protect evidence of 
crimes and preserve the chain of custody for such evi-
dence; 
(3) conduct criminal investigations; 
(4) build Syria’s investigative and judicial ca-
pacities and support prosecutions in the domestic 
courts of Syria, provided that President Bashar al- 
Assad is no longer in power; 
(5) support investigations by third-party states, 
as appropriate; or 
(6) protect witnesses that may be helpful to pros-
ecutions or other transitional justice mechanisms. 
(b) ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary of State, 
after consultation with appropriate Federal agencies and 
the appropriate congressional committees, and taking into 
account the findings of the transitional justice study re-
quired under section 7(d), is authorized to provide assist-
ance to support the creation and operation of transitional 
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justice mechanisms, including a potential hybrid tribunal, 
to prosecute individuals suspected of committing war 
crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide in Syria be-
ginning in March 2011. 
(c) BRIEFING.—The Secretary of State shall provide 
detailed, biannual briefings to the appropriate congres-
sional committees describing the assistance provided to enti-
ties described in subsection (a). 
SEC. 10. DEPARTMENT OF STATE REWARDS FOR JUSTICE 
PROGRAM. 
Section 36(b)(10) of the State Department Basic Au-
thorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2708 (b)(10)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘(including war crimes, crimes against hu-
manity, or genocide committed in Syria beginning in 
March 2011)’’ after ‘‘genocide’’. 
SEC. 11. SYRIA STUDY GROUP. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a 
working group to be known as the ‘‘Syria Study Group’’ 
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Group’’). 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Group is to exam-
ine and make recommendations with respect to the military 
and diplomatic strategy of the United States with respect 
to the conflict in Syria. 
(c) COMPOSITION.— 
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(1) MEMBERSHIP.—The Group shall be composed 
of 8 members, who shall be appointed as follows: 
(A) One member appointed by the chair of 
the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate. 
(B) One member appointed by the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Armed 
Services of the Senate. 
(C) One member appointed by the chair of 
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen-
ate. 
(D) One member appointed by the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate. 
(E) One member appointed by the chair of 
the Committee on Armed Services of the House 
of Representatives. 
(F) One member appointed by the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Armed 
Services of the House of Representatives. 
(G) One member appointed by the chair of 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives. 
(H) One member appointed by the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives. 
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(2) CO-CHAIRS.— 
(A) The chair of the Committee on Armed 
Services of the Senate, the chair of the Com-
mittee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives, the chair of the Committee on For-
eign Relations of the Senate, and the chair of the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives shall jointly designate 1 member 
of the Group to serve as co-chair of the Group. 
(B) The ranking minority member of the 
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, the 
ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives, 
the ranking minority member of the Committee 
on Foreign Relations of the Senate, and the 
ranking minority member of the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
shall jointly designate 1 member of the Group to 
serve as co-chair of the Group. 
(3) PERIOD
OF
APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 
Members shall be appointed for the life of the Group. 
Any vacancy in the Group shall be filled in the same 
manner as the original appointment. 
(d) DUTIES.— 
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(1) REVIEW.—The Group shall review the cur-
rent situation with respect to the United States mili-
tary and diplomatic strategy in Syria, including a 
review of current United States objectives in Syria 
and the desired end state in Syria. 
(2) ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—The 
Group shall— 
(A) conduct a comprehensive assessment of 
the current situation in Syria, its impact on 
neighboring countries, resulting regional and 
geopolitical threats to the United States, and 
current military, diplomatic, and political ef-
forts to achieve a stable Syria; and 
(B) develop recommendations on a military 
and diplomatic strategy for the United States 
with respect to the conflict in Syria. 
(e) COOPERATION FROM UNITED STATES GOVERN-
MENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Group shall receive the 
full and timely cooperation of the Secretary of De-
fense, the Secretary of State, and the Director of Na-
tional Intelligence in providing the Group with anal-
yses, briefings, and other information necessary for 
the discharge of the duties of the Group. 
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(2) LIAISON.—The Secretary of Defense, the Sec-
retary of State, and the Director of National Intel-
ligence shall each designate at least 1 officer or em-
ployee of their respective organizations to serve as a 
liaison officer to the Group. 
(f) REPORT.— 
(1) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than November 
30, 2018, the Group shall submit a report to the 
President, the Secretary of Defense, the Committee on 
Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, and 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives that describes the findings, conclu-
sions, and recommendations of the Group under this 
section, including— 
(A) an assessment of the current security, 
political, humanitarian, and economic situation 
in Syria; 
(B) an assessment of the current participa-
tion and objectives of various external actors in 
Syria; 
(C) an assessment of the consequences of 
continued conflict in Syria; 
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(D) recommendations for a resolution of the 
conflict in Syria, including options for a grad-
ual political transition to a post-Assad Syria 
and actions necessary for reconciliation; 
(E) a roadmap for a United States and co-
alition strategy to reestablish security and gov-
ernance in Syria, including recommendations 
for the synchronization of stabilization, develop-
ment, counterterrorism, and reconstruction ef-
forts; and 
(F) any other matters with respect to the 
conflict in Syria that the Group considers ap-
propriate. 
(2) INTERIM BRIEFING.—Not later than June 30, 
2018, the Group shall provide a briefing to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services of the Senate, the Com-
mittee on Armed Services of the House of Representa-
tives, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Sen-
ate, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives on the status of its review 
and assessment under subsection (d) and a discussion 
of any interim recommendations developed by the 
Group as of the date of the briefing. 
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(3) FORM OF REPORT.—The report submitted to 
Congress under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. 
(g) FACILITATION.—The United States Institute of 
Peace shall take appropriate actions to facilitate the Group 
in the discharge of its duties under this section. 
(h) TERMINATION.—The Group shall terminate on the 
date that is 6 months after the date on which the Group 
submits the report required under subsection (f)(1). 
SEC. 12. INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF 
INQUIRY ON THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC. 
The Secretary of State, acting through the United 
States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, 
should use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States 
at the United Nations to advocate that the United Nations 
Human Rights Council, while the United States remains 
a member, annually extend the mandate of the Independent 
International Commission of Inquiry in the Syrian Arab 
Republic until the Commission has completed its investiga-
tion of all alleged violations of international human rights 
laws beginning in March 2011 in the Syrian Arab Repub-
lic. 
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