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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 12 
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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(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (c)’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, for a single 180-day pe-
riod,’’ after ‘‘may waive’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘that—’’ and all that follows 
and inserting ‘‘that the exercise of such waiver au-
thority would further the purposes of this Act.’’; 
(3) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
section (c); 
(4) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(b) ADDITIONAL
AUTHORITY.—Subject to sub-
section (c), the President may waive, for any additional 
period of time after the 180-day period described in sub-
section (a), the application of any of the actions described 
in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or a 
commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect 
to a country, if the President determines and so reports 
to the appropriate congressional committees that— 
‘‘(1) the respective foreign government has 
ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential 
action; or 
‘‘(2) the exercise of such authority is important 
to the national interests of the United States.’’. 
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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. 
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‘‘Sec. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to promote 
religious freedom through United States foreign policy.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 16, 2016. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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