II 
Calendar No. 705 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1150 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 17, 2016 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
DECEMBER 7, 2016 
Reported by Mr. CORKER, with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
AN ACT 
To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
to improve the ability of the United States to advance 
religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, 
training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, 
and through stronger and more flexible political re-
sponses to religious freedom violations and violent extre-
mism worldwide, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings; Policy. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF STATE ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for 
International Religious Freedom. 
Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. 
Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report. 
Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. 
TITLE II—NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL 
Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. 
TITLE III—PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS 
Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. 
Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of re-
ligious freedom. 
Sec. 303. Report to Congress. 
Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. 
Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. 
TITLE IV—PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. 
TITLE V—DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY 
SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Reli-
gious Freedom. 
TITLE VI—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. 
Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; POLICY. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Section 2(a) of the International Re-
ligious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(a)) is 
amended— 
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(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting immediately 
prior to the penultimate sentence the following new 
sentence: ‘‘The freedom of thought, conscience, and 
religion is understood to protect theistic and non- 
theistic beliefs as well as the right not to profess or 
practice any religion.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (6)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and the specific targeting 
of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because 
of their beliefs’’ after ‘‘religious persecution’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and in regions where 
non-state actors exercise significant political 
power and influence’’ after ‘‘religious majori-
ties’’. 
(b) POLICY.—Section 2(b) of the International Reli-
gious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(b)) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) Because the promotion of international re-
ligious freedom protects human rights, advances de-
mocracy abroad, and advances United States inter-
ests in stability, security, and development globally, 
the promotion of international religious freedom re-
quires new and evolving policies, and diplomatic re-
sponses that are drawn from the expertise of the na-
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tional security agencies, the diplomatic services, and 
other governmental agencies and nongovernmental 
organizations, and are coordinated across and car-
ried out by the entire range of Federal agencies.’’. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6402) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (13)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and 
(v) as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; 
and 
(ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the 
following: 
‘‘(iv) not professing a particular reli-
gion, or any religion;’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘conscience, non-the-
istic views, or’’ before ‘‘religious belief or 
practice’’; and 
(ii) by inserting after ‘‘forced religious 
conversion’’ the following: ‘‘, forcibly com-
pelling non-believers or non-theists to re-
cant their beliefs or to convert’’; and 
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(2) by adding at the end, the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(14) SPECIAL WATCH LIST.—The term ‘Spe-
cial Watch List’ means the Special Watch List as 
contained in the Executive Summary to the Annual 
Report and described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii). 
‘‘(15) NON-STATE ACTOR.—The term ‘non-state 
actor’ means a nonsovereign entity that exercises 
significant political power and is able to exert influ-
ence at a national or international level but does not 
belong to or ally itself to any particular country and 
often employs illegal violence in pursuit of its objec-
tives. 
‘‘(16) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)’’. 
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF 
STATE ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 101. OFFICE ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREE-
DOM; AMBASSADOR AT LARGE FOR INTER-
NATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 101 of the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6411) is 
amended— 
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(1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end be-
fore the period the following: ‘‘, and shall report di-
rectly to the Secretary of State’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘responsibility’’ and in-
serting ‘‘responsibilities’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘shall be to advance’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘shall be to— 
‘‘(A) advance’’; 
(iii)
in
subparagraph
(A)
(as
so 
added), by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) integrate United States international 
religious freedom policies and strategies into 
the foreign policy efforts of the United States.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘the 
principal adviser to’’ before ‘‘the Secretary of 
State’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
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(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) contacts with nongovernmental orga-
nizations that have an impact on the state of 
religious freedom in their respective societies or 
regions, or internationally.’’; 
(D) by redesignating paragraph (4) as 
paragraph (5); and 
(E) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4)
COORDINATION
RESPONSIBILITIES.—In 
order to promote religious freedom as an interest of 
United States foreign policy, the Ambassador at 
Large— 
‘‘(A) shall coordinate international reli-
gious freedom policies across all programs, 
projects, and activities of the United States; 
and 
‘‘(B) should participate in any interagency 
processes on issues in which the promotion of 
international religious freedom policy can ad-
vance United States national security interests, 
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including in democracy promotion, stability, se-
curity, and development globally.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘staff for the 
Office’’ and all that follows through the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘individuals to fill at least 25 
full-time equivalent staff positions, and any other 
temporary staff positions as needed to compile, edit, 
and manage the Annual Report under the direct su-
pervision of the Ambassador at Large, and for the 
conduct of investigations by the Office and for nec-
essary travel to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
The Secretary of State should also provide to the 
Ambassador at Large funds that are sufficient to 
carry out the duties described in this section, includ-
ing as necessary representation funds, in amounts 
comparable to those provided to other Ambassadors 
at Large in the Department of State.’’. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—Because international re-
ligious freedom is a vital foreign policy interest and one 
that needs coordination across many regional bureaus and 
among Special Envoys and Special Representatives with 
overlapping mandates, the Secretary of State should con-
sider elevating the office of International Religious Free-
dom and the position of the Ambassador at Large for 
International Religious Freedom to the Office of the Sec-
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retary, similar to other Ambassador at Large positions 
that now report directly to the Secretary. Providing the 
Office of International Religious Freedom with additional 
resources and status will demonstrate both the strategic 
importance of international religious freedom policy within 
the State Department bureaucracy and show persecuted 
religious groups globally that the United States gives pri-
ority to the protection and promotion of international reli-
gious freedom as mandated by the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998. 
SEC. 102. ANNUAL REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 102(b)(1) of the Inter-
national Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 
6412(b)(1)) is amended— 
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
by striking ‘‘September 1’’ and inserting ‘‘May 1’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause 
(vii); and 
(B) by inserting after clause (iii) the fol-
lowing new clauses: 
‘‘(iv) particularly severe violations of 
religious freedom in that country in the 
case of a foreign country with respect to 
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which a government does not exist or the 
government does not control its territory; 
‘‘(v) an identification of prisoners in 
that country pursuant to section 108; 
‘‘(vi) any action taken by the govern-
ment of that country to censor religious 
content, communications, or worship activi-
ties online, including descriptions of the 
targeted religious group, the content, com-
munication, or activities censored, and the 
means used.’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter pre-
ceding clause (i)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘persecution of lawyers, 
politicians, or other human rights advocates 
seeking to defend the rights of members of reli-
gious groups or highlight religious freedom vio-
lations, prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter 
or male infant circumcision,’’ after ‘‘entire reli-
gions,’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘policies that ban or re-
strict the public manifestation of religious belief 
and the peaceful involvement of religious groups 
or their members in the political life of each 
such foreign country,’’ after ‘‘such groups,’’; 
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(4) in subparagraph (C)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘A description’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘A comprehensive description’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘policies in support’’ and 
inserting ‘‘diplomatic and political coordination 
efforts, and other policies in support’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end before the period 
the following: ‘‘, and a comprehensive and coun-
try-specific analysis of the impact of actions by 
the United States on the status of religious 
freedom in each such country’’; and 
(5) in subparagraph (F)— 
(A) in clause (i)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘section 402(b)(1)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘section 402(b)(1)(B)(i)’’; 
and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Any country in which a non-state 
actor designated as an entity of particular 
concern for religious freedom under section 
301 of the Frank R. Wolf International 
Religious Freedom Act is located shall be 
included in this section of the report.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
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‘‘(iii) SPECIAL WATCH LIST.—A list, 
to be known as the ‘Special Watch List’, 
which shall identify each country that en-
gages in or tolerates severe violations of re-
ligious freedom during the previous year 
but which the President determines does 
not meet, at the time of the publication of 
the Annual Report, all of the criteria de-
scribed in section 3(11) for designation 
under section 402(b)(1).’’. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the original intent of the International Reli-
gious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.) 
was to require annual reports from both the Depart-
ment of State and the Commission on International 
Religious Freedom to be delivered each year, during 
the same calendar year, and with at least 5 months 
separating these reports, in order to provide updated 
information for policy-makers, Members of Congress, 
and nongovernmental organizations; and 
(2) given that the annual Country Reports on 
Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated 
information on religious freedom conditions globally, 
it is important that the Department of State and the 
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Commission work together to fulfill the original in-
tent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998. 
SEC. 103. TRAINING FOR FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICERS; RE-
PORT. 
(a) AMENDMENT
TO FOREIGN SERVICE ACT
OF 
1980.—Section 708 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 
(22 U.S.C. 4028) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as 
subsections (d) and (e), respectively; 
(2) in subsection (d), as redesignated, by strik-
ing ‘‘The Secretary of State’’ and inserting ‘‘REFU-
GEES.—The Secretary of State’’; 
(3) in subsection (e), as redesignated, by strik-
ing ‘‘The Secretary of State’’ and inserting ‘‘CHILD 
SOLDIERS.—The Secretary of State’’; 
(4) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(a) DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of State 
shall develop a curriculum for training United States 
Foreign Service officers in the scope and strategic 
value of international religious freedom, how viola-
tions of international religious freedom harm funda-
mental United States interests, how the advance-
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ment of international religious freedom can advance 
such interests, how United States international reli-
gious freedom policy should be carried out in prac-
tice by United States diplomats and other Foreign 
Service officers, and the relevance and relationship 
of international religious freedom to United States 
defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs 
efforts. The Secretary of State shall ensure the 
availability of sufficient resources to develop and im-
plement such curriculum. 
‘‘(2) ROLE
OF
OTHER
OFFICIALS.—The Sec-
retary of State shall carry out paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) with the assistance of the Ambas-
sador
at
Large
for
International
Religious 
Freedom appointed under section 101(b) of the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; 
‘‘(B) in coordination with the Director of 
the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs 
Training Center and other Federal officials as 
appropriate; and 
‘‘(C)
in
consultation
with
the
United 
States Commission on International Religious 
Freedom established in section 201(a) of the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
and other relevant stakeholders. 
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‘‘(b) TRAINING PROGRAM.—Not later than the date 
that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Frank 
R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, the Director 
of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training 
Center shall begin mandatory training on religious free-
dom for all Foreign Service officers, including all entry 
level officers, all officers prior to departure for posting 
outside the United States, and all outgoing deputy chiefs 
of mission and ambassadors. Such training shall, at min-
imum, be a separate, independent, and required segment 
of each of the following: 
‘‘(1) The A–100 course attended by all Foreign 
Service officers. 
‘‘(2) The courses required of every Foreign 
Service officer prior to a posting outside the United 
States, with segments tailored to the particular reli-
gious demography, religious freedom conditions, and 
United States strategies for advancing religious free-
dom, in each receiving country. 
‘‘(3) The courses required of all outgoing dep-
uty chiefs of mission and ambassadors. 
‘‘(c) INFORMATION SHARING.—The curriculum and 
training materials developed pursuant to subsections (a) 
and (b) should be made available to all other Federal 
agencies.’’. 
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(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, with 
the assistance of the Ambassador at Large for Inter-
national Religious Freedom, and the Director of the 
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Cen-
ter, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on For-
eign Relations of the Senate a report containing a com-
prehensive plan for undertaking training for Foreign Serv-
ice officers as required under section 708 of the Foreign 
Services Act of 1980, as amended by subsection (a) of this 
section. 
SEC. 104. PRISONER LISTS AND ISSUE BRIEFS ON RELI-
GIOUS FREEDOM CONCERNS. 
Section 108 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6417) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘faith’’ and 
inserting ‘‘activities, religious freedom advocacy, or 
efforts to protect and advance the universally recog-
nized right to the freedom of religion,’’; 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘, as appro-
priate, provide’’ and insert ‘‘make available’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
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‘‘(d) VICTIMS LIST MAINTAINED BY THE UNITED 
STATES COMMISSION
ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM.— 
‘‘(1)
IN
GENERAL.—The
Commission
shall 
make publicly available online and in official publica-
tions lists of persons it determines are imprisoned, 
detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, 
tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith 
for their religious activity or religious freedom advo-
cacy by the government of a foreign country that the 
Commission recommends for designation as a coun-
try of particular concern for religious freedom under 
section 402(b)(1) or by a non-state actor that the 
Commission recommends for designation as an enti-
ty of particular concern for religious freedom under 
section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Reli-
gious Freedom Act and include as much publicly 
available information as possible on the conditions 
and circumstances of such persons. 
‘‘(2) DISCRETION.—In compiling such lists, the 
Commission shall exercise all appropriate discretion, 
including consideration of the safety and security of, 
and benefit to, the persons who may be included on 
the lists and the families of such persons.’’. 
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TITLE II—NATIONAL SECURITY 
COUNCIL 
SEC. 201. SPECIAL ADVISER FOR INTERNATIONAL RELI-
GIOUS FREEDOM. 
Section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 
U.S.C. 3021) is amended by striking subsection (k) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(k) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that there should be within the staff of the National 
Security Council a Special Adviser to the President on 
International Religious Freedom, whose position should be 
comparable to that of a director within the Executive Of-
fice of the President, with the primary responsibility to 
serve as a resource for executive branch officials on inter-
national religious freedom, compiling and maintaining in-
formation on the facts and circumstances of violations of 
religious freedom (as defined in section 3 of the Inter-
national Religious Freedom Act of 1998), and making rel-
evant policy recommendations to advance United States 
international religious freedom policy. The Special Advisor 
should also assist the Ambassador at Large to coordinate 
international religious freedom policies and strategies 
throughout the executive branch and within any inter-
agency policy committees where the Ambassador at Large 
participates.’’. 
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TITLE III—PRESIDENTIAL 
ACTIONS 
SEC. 301. NON-STATE ACTOR DESIGNATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, concurrent 
with the annual foreign country review required by section 
402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1))— 
(1) review and identify any non-state actors op-
erating in any such reviewed country or surrounding 
region that have engaged in particularly severe viola-
tions of religious freedom; and 
(2) designate, in a manner consistent with such 
Act, each such non-state actor as an entity of par-
ticular concern for religious freedom. 
(b) REPORT.—Whenever the President designates a 
non-state actor under subsection (a) as an entity of par-
ticular concern for religious freedom, the President shall, 
as soon as practicable after the designation is made, sub-
mit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
detailing the reasons for such designation. 
(c) ACTIONS.—The President should take specific ac-
tions to address severe violations of religious freedom of 
non-state actors that are designated under subsection (a), 
including taking actions commensurate to those actions 
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described in section 405 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6445). 
(d) DEPARTMENT OF STATE ANNUAL REPORT.—The 
Secretary of State should include information detailing the 
reasons the President designated a non-state actor as an 
entity of particular concern for religious freedom under 
subsection (a) in the Annual Report required in section 
102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)). 
(e) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Secretary of State should work with Con-
gress to create new political, financial, and diplomatic 
tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by 
non-state actors and to update the actions the President 
can take in section 405 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998. 
(f) DETERMINATIONS OF RESPONSIBLE PARTIES.— 
In order to appropriately target Presidential actions under 
the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 in re-
sponse, the President shall with respect to each non-state 
actor designated as an entity of particular concern for reli-
gious freedom under subsection (a), seek to determine the 
specific officials or members thereof that are responsible 
for the particularly severe violations of religious freedom 
engaged in or tolerated by that entity. 
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(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’, ‘‘non-state actor’’, and 
‘‘particularly severe violations of religious freedom’’ have 
the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the Inter-
national Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 
6402), as amended by section 3 of this Act. 
SEC. 302. PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS IN RESPONSE TO PAR-
TICULARLY
SEVERE
VIOLATIONS
OF
RELI-
GIOUS FREEDOM. 
Section 402 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by amending subparagraph (A) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 
days after the date on which each Annual Re-
port is submitted under section 102(b), the 
President shall— 
‘‘(i) review the status of religious free-
dom in each foreign country to determine 
whether the government of that country 
has engaged in or tolerated particularly se-
vere violations of religious freedom in each 
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such
country
during
the
preceding
months or longer; and 
‘‘(ii) designate each country the gov-
ernment of which has engaged in or toler-
ated violations described in clause (i) as a 
country of particular concern for religious 
freedom.’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘September 1 of the respective year’’ and 
inserting ‘‘the date on which each Annual 
Report is submitted under section 102(b)’’; 
(B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(3) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the Presi-
dent designates a country as a country of par-
ticular concern for religious freedom under 
paragraph (1)(A), the President shall, not later 
than 90 days after the designation is made, 
transmit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees— 
‘‘(i) the designation of the country, 
signed by the President; 
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‘‘(ii) the identification, if any, of re-
sponsible parties determined under para-
graph (2); and 
‘‘(iii)
a
description
of
the
actions 
taken under subsection (c), the purposes of 
the actions taken, and the effectiveness of 
the actions taken. 
‘‘(B)
REMOVAL
OF
DESIGNATION.—A 
country that is designated as a country of par-
ticular concern for religious freedom under 
paragraph (1)(A) shall retain such designation 
until the President determines and reports to 
the appropriate congressional committees that 
the
country
should
no
longer
be
so
des-
ignated.’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end, the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) TREATMENT OF COUNTRIES ON SPECIAL 
WATCH LIST.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The President shall 
designate as a country of particular concern for 
religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A) any 
country that appears on the Special Watch List 
in more than two consecutive Annual Reports. 
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‘‘(B) EXERCISE OF WAIVER AUTHORITY.— 
The President may waive the application of 
subparagraph (A) with respect to a country for 
up to 2 years if the President certifies to the 
appropriate committees of Congress that— 
‘‘(i) the country has entered into an 
agreement with the United States to carry 
out specific and credible actions to improve 
religious freedom conditions and end reli-
gious freedom violations; 
‘‘(ii) the country has entered into an 
agreement with the United Nations, the 
European Union, or other ally of the 
United States, to carry out specific and 
credible actions to improve religious free-
dom conditions and end religious freedom 
violations; or 
‘‘(iii) the waiver is in the national se-
curity interests of the United States. 
‘‘(C) EFFECT ON DESIGNATION AS COUN-
TRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.—The presence 
or absence of a country from the Special Watch 
List in any given year shall not preclude the 
designation of such country as a country of par-
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ticular concern for religious freedom under 
paragraph (1)(A) in any such year.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)(5), in the second sentence, 
by inserting ‘‘and include a description of the impact 
of the designation of such sanction or sanctions that 
exist in each country’’ after ‘‘determines satisfy the 
requirements of this subsection’’. 
SEC. 303. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A)) is 
amended— 
(1) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(iv) the impact on the advancement 
of United States interests in democracy, 
human rights, and security, and a descrip-
tion of policy tools being applied in the 
country, including programs that target 
democratic stability, economic growth, and 
counter-terrorism.’’. 
SEC. 304. PRESIDENTIAL WAIVER. 
Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6447) is amended— 
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(5) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘or (b)’’ after 
‘‘subsection (a)’’; and 
(6) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
‘‘(1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the ap-
plication of any of the actions described in para-
graphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or com-
mensurate action in substitution thereto) with re-
spect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this 
Act; and 
‘‘(2) because the promotion of religious freedom 
is a compelling interest of United States foreign pol-
icy, the President, the Secretary of State, and other 
Executive branch officials, in consultation with Con-
gress, should seek to find ways to address existing 
violations, on a case-by-case basis, through the ac-
tions specified in section 405 or other commensurate 
action in substitution thereto.’’. 
SEC. 305. PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER. 
Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: ‘‘Any designation of 
a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for 
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religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf 
International Religious Freedom Act, together with, when 
applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of 
individuals determined to be responsible for the violations 
under subsection (e) of such section.’’. 
TITLE IV—PROMOTION OF 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
SEC. 401. ASSISTANCE FOR PROMOTING RELIGIOUS FREE-
DOM. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE.—It is the sense 
of Congress that for each fiscal year that begins on or 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Depart-
ment of State should make available— 
(1) an amount equal to not less than 10 percent 
of the amounts available in that fiscal year for the 
Human Rights and Democracy Fund for the pro-
motion of international religious freedom and for 
projects to advance United States interests in the 
protection and advancement of international reli-
gious freedom, in particular, through grants to— 
(A) groups that are able to develop legal 
protections or promote cultural and societal un-
derstanding of international norms of religious 
freedom; 
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(B) groups that seek to address and miti-
gate religiously motivated and sectarian violence 
and combat violent extremism; and 
(C) groups that seek to strengthen inves-
tigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious 
freedom violations; and 
(2) an amount equal to not less than 2 percent 
of amounts available in that fiscal year for the 
Human Rights and Democracy Fund to be made 
available for the establishment of a Religious Free-
dom Defense Fund, administered by the Ambassador 
at Large for International Religious Freedom, to 
provide grants for— 
(A) victims of religious freedom abuses and 
their families to cover legal and other expenses 
that may arise from detention, imprisonment, 
torture, fines, and other restrictions; and 
(B) projects to help create and support 
training of a new generation of defenders of re-
ligious freedom, including legal and political ad-
vocates, and civil society projects which seek to 
create advocacy networks, strengthen legal rep-
resentation, train and educate new religious 
freedom defenders, and build the capacity of re-
ligious communities and rights defenders to 
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protect
against
religious
freedom
violations, 
mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or mini-
mize legal or other restrictions of the right to 
freedom of religion. 
(b) PREFERENCE.—It is the sense of Congress that, 
in providing grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador 
at Large for International Religious Freedom should, as 
appropriate, give preference to projects targeting religious 
freedom violations in countries designated as countries of 
particular concern for religious freedom under section 
402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)) and countries included on 
the
Special
Watch
List
described
in
section 
102(b)(1)(F)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(F)(iii)). 
(c) ADMINISTRATION AND CONSULTATIONS.— 
(1) ADMINISTRATION.—Amounts made avail-
able in accordance with subsection (a) shall be ad-
ministered by the Ambassador at Large for Inter-
national Religious Freedom. 
(2) CONSULTATIONS.—In developing priorities 
and policies for providing grants in accordance with 
subsection (a), including priorities and policies for 
identification of potential grantees, the Ambassador 
at Large for International Religious Freedom shall 
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consult with other Federal agencies, including the 
United States Commission on International Reli-
gious
Freedom
and,
as
appropriate,
nongovern-
mental organizations. 
TITLE V—DESIGNATED PERSONS 
LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SE-
VERE VIOLATIONS OF RELI-
GIOUS FREEDOM 
SEC. 501. DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY 
SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREE-
DOM. 
Title VI of the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6471 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating section 605 as section 606; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 604 the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 605. DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY 
SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREE-
DOM. 
‘‘(a) LIST.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, in 
coordination with the Ambassador at Large and in 
consultation with relevant government and non-gov-
ernment experts, shall establish and maintain a list 
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of foreign individuals who are sanctioned, through 
visa denials, financial sanctions, or other measures, 
because they are responsible for ordering, control-
ling, or otherwise directing particularly severe viola-
tions of freedom religion. 
‘‘(2)
REFERENCE.—The
list
required
under 
paragraph (1) shall be known as the ‘Designated 
Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 
Religious Freedom’. 
‘‘(b) REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of State 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report that contains the list required under 
subsection (a), including, with respect to each for-
eign individual on the list— 
‘‘(A) the name of the individual and a de-
scription of the particularly severe violation of 
religious freedom committed by the individual; 
‘‘(B) the name of the country or other lo-
cation in which such violation took place; and 
‘‘(C) a description of the actions taken 
pursuant to this Act or any other Act or Execu-
tive order in response to such violation; and 
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‘‘(2) SUBMISSION
AND
UPDATES.—The Sec-
retary of State shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees— 
‘‘(A) the initial report required under para-
graph (1) not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section; and 
‘‘(B) updates to the report every 180 days 
thereafter and as new information becomes 
available. 
‘‘(3) FORM.—The report required under para-
graph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form 
but may contain a classified annex. 
‘‘(4) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘appropriate congressional committees’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
and the Committee on Financial Services of the 
House of Representatives; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs of the Senate.’’. 
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TITLE VI—MISCELLANEOUS 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 601. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS. 
Title VII of the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6481 et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new sections: 
‘‘SEC. 702. VOLUNTARY CODES OF CONDUCT FOR UNITED 
STATES
INSTITUTIONS
OF
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. 
‘‘(a) FINDING.—Congress recognizes the enduring 
importance of United States institutions of higher edu-
cation worldwide both for their potential for shaping posi-
tive leadership and new educational models in host coun-
tries and for their emphasis on teaching universally recog-
nized rights of free inquiry and academic freedom. 
‘‘(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that United States institutions of higher education 
operating campuses outside the United States or estab-
lishing any educational entities with foreign governments, 
particularly with or in countries the governments of which 
engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom 
as identified in the Annual Report, should seek to adopt 
a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries 
that should— 
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‘‘(1) uphold the right of freedom of religion of 
their employees and students, including the right to 
manifest that religion peacefully as protected in 
international law; 
‘‘(2) ensure that the religious views and peace-
ful practice of religion in no way affect, or be al-
lowed to affect, the status of a worker’s or faculty 
member’s employment or a student’s enrollment; and 
‘‘(3) make every effort in all negotiations, con-
tracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in 
or constructed with a foreign government to protect 
academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the 
United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 
‘‘SEC. 703. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING NATIONAL SE-
CURITY STRATEGY TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM THROUGH UNITED STATES FOR-
EIGN POLICY. 
‘‘It is the sense of Congress that— 
‘‘(1) the annual national security strategy re-
port of the President required by section 108 of the 
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043) 
should promote international religious freedom as a 
foreign policy and national security priority and 
should articulate that promotion of the right to free-
dom of religion is a strategy that protects other, re-
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lated human rights, and advances democracy outside 
the United States, and make clear its importance to 
United States foreign policy goals of stability, secu-
rity, development, and diplomacy; and 
‘‘(2)
the
national
security
strategy
report 
should be a guide for the strategies and activities of 
relevant Federal agencies and inform the Depart-
ment of Defense quadrennial defense review under 
section 118 of title 10, United States Code, and the 
Department of State Quadrennial Diplomacy and 
Development Review.’’. 
SEC. 602. CLERICAL AMENDMENTS. 
The table of contents of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— 
(1) by striking the item relating to section 605 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘Sec. 606. Studies on the effect of expedited removal provisions on asylum 
claims.’’; 
(2) by inserting after the item relating to sec-
tion 604 the following: 
‘‘Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Reli-
gious Freedom.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Sec. 702. Voluntary codes of conduct for United States institutions of higher 
education operating outside the United States. 
‘‘Sec. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to promote 
religious freedom through United States foreign policy.’’. 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings; policy; sense of Congress. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF STATE ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for 
International Religious Freedom. 
Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. 
Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report. 
Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. 
TITLE II—NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL 
Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. 
TITLE III—PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS 
Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. 
Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of reli-
gious freedom. 
Sec. 303. Report to Congress. 
Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. 
Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. 
TITLE IV—PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. 
TITLE V—DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SEVERE 
VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious 
Freedom. 
TITLE VI—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. 
Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; POLICY; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Section 2(a) of the International Reli-
gious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(a)) is amend-
ed— 
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