I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1662
To require an annual Department of State report on information relating 
to the promotion of religious freedom, democracy, and human rights 
in foreign countries by individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and 
the media in those countries, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2005
Mr. SCHIFF (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To require an annual Department of State report on infor-
mation relating to the promotion of religious freedom, 
democracy, and human rights in foreign countries by 
individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and the 
media in those countries, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Liberty List Act’’. 
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to—
(1) highlight the work and accomplishments of 
individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and the 
media that promote respect for religious freedom, 
democracy, and human rights in foreign countries; 
(2) draw attention to the conditions in such 
countries in which these individuals, nongovern-
mental organizations, and media struggle; 
(3) offer protection for these individuals, non-
governmental organizations, and media by identi-
fying them to the international community; and 
(4) emphasize the special significance of respect 
for religious freedom, democracy, and human rights 
in United States foreign policy. 
SEC. 3. ANNUAL REPORT ON PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS 
IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES BY INDIVIDUALS, 
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND 
THE MEDIA IN THOSE COUNTRIES. 
(a) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Foreign Assistance Act 
of 1961 is amended by adding after section 116 (22 
U.S.C. 2151n) the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 116A. ANNUAL REPORT ON PROMOTION OF RELI-
GIOUS FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN 
RIGHTS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
‘‘(a) REPORT.—The Secretary of State shall annually 
submit to Congress a full and complete report regarding 
the promotion of religious freedom, democracy, and inter-
nationally recognized human rights in foreign countries by 
individuals, nongovernmental organizations, and media 
groups and organizations in those countries. The report 
shall be entitled the ‘Annual Report on the Promotion of 
Religious Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights in 
Foreign Countries by Individuals, Nongovernmental Orga-
nizations, and Media Groups and Organizations’. 
‘‘(b) PREPARATION.—The Secretary shall prepare the 
Annual Report with the assistance of the Assistant Sec-
retary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 
and the Ambassador at Large for International Religious 
Freedom. 
‘‘(c) CONTENTS.—The Annual Report shall contain, 
with respect to a foreign country, the following informa-
tion: 
‘‘(1) An identification of individuals in the 
country who have made significant efforts to pro-
mote religious freedom, democracy, or internation-
ally recognized human rights in that country, to-
gether with a description of the nature and extent
of those efforts and an assessment of progress made 
as a result of those efforts. 
‘‘(2) An identification of nongovernmental orga-
nizations in the country that have made significant 
efforts to promote religious freedom, democracy, or 
internationally recognized human rights in that 
country, together with a description of the nature 
and extent of those efforts and an assessment of 
progress made as a result of those efforts. 
‘‘(3) An identification of media groups and or-
ganizations in the country that have made signifi-
cant efforts to promote religious freedom, democ-
racy, or internationally recognized human rights in 
that country, together with a description of the na-
ture and extent of those efforts and an assessment 
of progress made as a result of those efforts. 
‘‘(d) ORGANIZATION.—The Annual Report shall be 
organized in three parts, as follows: 
‘‘(1) Part I shall consist of the identification of 
individuals (and the associated assessment of their 
efforts) under subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(2) Part II shall consist of the identification of 
nongovernmental organizations (and the associated 
assessment of their efforts) under subsection (b)(2).
‘‘(3) Part III shall consist of the identification 
of media groups and organizations (and the associ-
ated assessment of their efforts) under subsection 
(b)(3). 
‘‘(e) TIME FOR SUBMISSION.—The Secretary shall 
submit the Annual Report together with, but not as part 
of, the presentation materials for security assistance pro-
grams proposed for each fiscal year. 
‘‘(f) CLASSIFICATION.—
‘‘(1) UNCLASSIFIED FORM.—Except as provided 
in paragraph (2), the Annual Report shall be sub-
mitted in unclassified form. 
‘‘(2) CLASSIFIED ANNEX.—The Secretary may 
withhold the identification of an individual, non-
governmental organization, or media group or orga-
nization (including the associated assessment) if the 
Secretary determines that such disclosure would en-
danger or harm such individual, nongovernmental 
organization, or media group or organization. If the 
Secretary makes such a determination, the Secretary 
shall disclose such identification (and associated as-
sessment) in a classified annex. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL REPORT.—The term ‘Annual Re-
port’ means the Annual Report on the Promotion of
Religious Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights 
in Foreign Countries by Individuals, Nongovern-
mental Organizations, and Media Groups and Orga-
nizations required under subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) INTERNATIONALLY
RECOGNIZED
HUMAN 
RIGHTS.—The 
term 
‘internationally 
recognized 
human rights’ has the meaning ascribed to it in sec-
tion 116(a). 
‘‘(3) MEDIA
GROUP
OR
ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘media group or organization’ means a group 
or organization that gathers and disseminates news 
and information to the public (through any medium 
of mass communication) in a foreign country in 
which the group or organization is located, except 
that the term does not include a group or organiza-
tion that is primarily an agency or instrumentality 
of the government of the foreign country. The term 
includes an individual who is an agent or employee 
of the media group or organization who acts within 
the scope of such agency or employment. 
‘‘(4) 
NONGOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATION.—
The term ‘nongovernmental organization’ means an 
organization that works at the local level to promote 
religious freedom, democracy, or human rights in a 
foreign country in which the organization is located,
except that the term does not include an organiza-
tion that is primarily an agency or instrumentality 
of the government of the foreign country. The term 
includes an individual who is an agent or employee 
of the nongovernmental organization who acts within 
the scope such agency or employment. 
‘‘(5) RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM.—The term ‘reli-
gious freedom’ means the internationally recognized 
right to freedom of religion and religious belief and 
practice, as set forth in the international instru-
ments referred to in paragraph (2) of section 2(a) 
of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6401(a)) and as described in paragraph 
(3) of such section. 
‘‘(6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
the Secretary of State.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 116A of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961, as added by subsection (a), shall 
apply to reports submitted more than one year after such 
date.
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