H. R. 244—509 
(e) RESTRICTION
ON PRIOR APPROVAL.—With respect to the 
provision of assistance for democracy programs in this Act, the 
organizations implementing such assistance, the specific nature 
of that assistance, and the participants in such programs shall 
not be subject to the prior approval by the government of any 
foreign country: Provided, That the Secretary of State, in coordina-
tion with the USAID Administrator, shall report to the Committees 
on Appropriations, not later than 120 days after enactment of 
this Act, detailing steps taken by the Department of State and 
USAID to comply with the requirements of this subsection. 
(f) CONTINUATION OF CURRENT PRACTICES.—USAID shall con-
tinue to implement civil society and political competition and con-
sensus building programs abroad with funds appropriated by this 
Act in a manner that recognizes the unique benefits of grants 
and cooperative agreements in implementing such programs: Pro-
vided, That nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to affect 
the ability of any entity, including United States small businesses, 
from competing for proposals for USAID-funded civil society and 
political competition and consensus building programs. 
(g) COUNTRY STRATEGY STRATEGIC REVIEWS.—Prior to the 
obligation of funds made available by this Act for Department 
of State and USAID democracy programs for a nondemocratic or 
democratic transitioning country for which a country strategy has 
been concluded after the date of enactment of this Act, as required 
by section 2111(c)(1) of the ADVANCE Democracy Act of 2007 
(title XXI of Public Law 110–53; 22 U.S.C. 8211) or similar provision 
of law or regulation, the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, 
Democracy and Human Rights, Department of State, in consultation 
with the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and 
Labor, Department of State, and the Assistant Administrator for 
Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, USAID, shall 
review such strategy to ensure that it includes— 
(1) specific goals and objectives for such program, including 
a specific plan and timeline to measure impacts; 
(2) an assessment of the risks associated with the conduct 
of such program to intended beneficiaries and implementers, 
including steps to support and protect such individuals; and 
(3) the funding requirements to initiate and sustain such 
program in fiscal year 2017 and subsequent fiscal years, as 
appropriate: 
Provided, That for the purposes of this subsection, the term ‘‘non-
democratic or democratic transitioning country’’ shall have the same 
meaning as in section 2104(6) of Public Law 110–53. 
(h) COMMUNICATION AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) INFORMING
THE
NATIONAL
ENDOWMENT
FOR
DEMOC-
RACY.—The Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, 
and Labor, Department of State, and the Assistant Adminis-
trator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, 
USAID, shall regularly inform the National Endowment for 
Democracy of democracy programs that are planned and sup-
ported by funds made available by this Act and prior Acts 
making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign 
operations, and related programs. 
(2) REPORT ON FUNDING INSTRUMENTS.—Not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2017, the Secretary of State and USAID Adminis-
trator shall each submit to the Committees on Appropriations 
a report detailing the use of contracts, grants, and cooperative
H. R. 244—510 
agreements in the conduct of democracy programs with funds 
made available by the Department of State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs Act, 2016 (division K of Public Law 
114–113), which shall include funding level, account, program 
sector and subsector, and a brief summary of purpose. 
(3) REPORT ON PROGRAM CHANGES.—The Secretary of State 
or the USAID Administrator, as appropriate, shall report to 
the Committees on Appropriations within 30 days of a decision 
to significantly change the objectives or the content of a democ-
racy program or to close such a program due to the increasingly 
repressive nature of the host country government: Provided, 
That the report shall also include a strategy for continuing 
support for democracy promotion, if such programming is fea-
sible, and may be submitted in classified form, if necessary. 
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
SEC. 7033. (a) INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OFFICE AND 
SPECIAL ENVOY TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.— 
(1) Funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Dip-
lomatic and Consular Programs’’ shall be made available for 
the Office of International Religious Freedom, Bureau of Democ-
racy, Human Rights, and Labor, Department of State, the Office 
of 
the 
Ambassador-at-Large 
for 
International 
Religious 
Freedom, and the Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom 
of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central 
Asia, as authorized in the Near East and South Central Asia 
Religious Freedom Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–161), including 
for support staff at not less than the amounts specified for 
such offices in the table under such heading in the explanatory 
statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding divi-
sion A of this Consolidated Act). 
(2) Funds appropriated under the heading ‘‘Diplomatic and 
Consular Programs’’ and designated for the Office of Inter-
national Religious Freedom shall be made available for the 
development and implementation of an international religious 
freedom curriculum in accordance with the criteria specified 
under such heading in the explanatory statement described 
in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this Consoli-
dated Act). 
(b) ASSISTANCE.— 
(1) INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PROGRAMS.—Of the 
funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Democracy 
Fund’’ and available for the Human Rights and Democracy 
Fund (HRDF), not less than $10,000,000 shall be made avail-
able for international religious freedom programs: Provided, 
That the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious 
Freedom shall consult with the Committees on Appropriations 
on the uses of such funds. 
(2) PROTECTION
AND
INVESTIGATION
PROGRAMS.—Of the 
funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic 
Support Fund’’, not less than $10,000,000 shall be made avail-
able for programs to protect vulnerable and persecuted religious 
minorities: Provided, That a portion of such funds shall be 
made available for programs to investigate the persecution 
of such minorities by governments and non-state actors and
H. R. 244—511 
for the public dissemination of information collected on such 
persecution, including on the Department of State Web site. 
(3) HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMS.—Funds appropriated by this 
Act under the headings ‘‘International Disaster Assistance’’ and 
‘‘Migration and Refugee Assistance’’ shall be made available 
for humanitarian assistance for vulnerable and persecuted reli-
gious minorities, including victims of genocide designated by 
the Secretary of State and other groups that have suffered 
crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, to— 
(A) accelerate the implementation of an immediate, 
coordinated, and sustained response to provide humani-
tarian assistance; 
(B) enhance protection of conflict victims, including 
those facing a dire humanitarian crisis and severe persecu-
tion because of their faith or ethnicity; and 
(C) improve access to secure locations for obtaining 
humanitarian and resettlement services. 
(4) TRANSITIONAL
JUSTICE, 
RECONCILIATION, 
AND
RE-
INTEGRATION PROGRAMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 
REGIONS.— 
(A) Not later than 90 days after enactment of this 
Act and after consultation with relevant central govern-
ments in the Middle East and North Africa regions, the 
Secretary of State shall submit to the Committees on 
Appropriations a plan for transitional justice, reconcili-
ation, and reintegration programs for vulnerable and per-
secuted religious minorities in such regions: Provided, That 
such plan shall include a description of actions to be taken 
by such governments to safeguard and promote the political 
and economic rights of such minorities, including the 
return, rehabilitation, and protection of property in areas 
of conflict. 
(B) Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the 
heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ that are made available 
for assistance for Iraq and Syria, not less than $5,000,000 
shall be made available to support the implementation 
of the plan required by subparagraph (A): Provided, That 
such funds shall be matched, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, from sources other than the United States Govern-
ment. 
(5) RESPONSIBILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds made available by 
paragraphs (1), (2), and (4) shall be the responsibility of the 
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, in 
consultation with other relevant United States Government 
officials. 
(c) INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING.—Funds appropriated by this 
Act under the heading ‘‘Broadcasting Board of Governors, Inter-
national Broadcasting Operations’’ shall be made available for pro-
grams related to international religious freedom, including reporting 
on the condition of vulnerable and persecuted religious groups. 
(d) ATROCITIES PREVENTION.—Funds appropriated by this Act 
under the headings ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ and ‘‘International 
Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement’’ shall be made available 
for programs to prevent atrocities and to implement the rec-
ommendations of the Atrocities Prevention Board, including with
H. R. 244—512 
respect to the evaluation required by section 7033(d) of the Depart-
ment of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appro-
priations Act, 2016 (division K of Public Law 114–113): Provided, 
That the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and 
Human Rights, Department of State, shall be responsible for pro-
viding the strategic policy direction for, and policy oversight of, 
funds made available pursuant to this subsection to the Bureaus 
of International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement and 
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Department of State: Pro-
vided further, That such funds shall be subject to the regular 
notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations. 
(e) DESIGNATION OF NON-STATE ACTORS.—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)), review and identify any non-state actors 
in such countries that have engaged in particularly severe violations 
of religious freedom, and designate, in a manner consistent with 
such Act, each such group as a non-state actor of particular concern 
for religious freedom operating in such reviewed country or sur-
rounding region: Provided, That whenever the President designates 
such a non-state actor under this subsection, the President shall, 
as soon as practicable after the designation is made, submit a 
report to the appropriate congressional committees detailing the 
reasons for such designation. 
(f) FUNDING CLARIFICATION.—Funds made available pursuant 
to subsections (b) and (d) are in addition to amounts otherwise 
made available for such purposes. 
SPECIAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 7034. (a) VICTIMS OF WAR, DISPLACED CHILDREN, AND 
DISPLACED BURMESE.—Funds appropriated in titles III and VI of 
this Act that are made available for victims of war, displaced 
children, displaced Burmese, and to combat trafficking in persons 
and assist victims of such trafficking, may be made available not-
withstanding any other provision of law. 
(b) LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SECURITY.— 
(1) CHILD
SOLDIERS.—Funds appropriated by this Act 
should not be used to support any military training or oper-
ations that include child soldiers. 
(2) CROWD CONTROL ITEMS.—Funds appropriated by this 
Act should not be used for tear gas, small arms, light weapons, 
ammunition, or other items for crowd control purposes for 
foreign security forces that use excessive force to repress peace-
ful expression, association, or assembly in countries undergoing 
democratic transition. 
(3) DISARMAMENT, DEMOBILIZATION, AND REINTEGRATION.— 
Section 7034(d) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, 
and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2015 (division J 
of Public Law 113–235) shall continue in effect during fiscal 
year 2017. 
(4) FORENSIC ASSISTANCE.— 
(A) Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the 
heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $6,500,000 
shall be made available for forensic anthropology assistance 
related to the exhumation of mass graves and the identi-
fication of victims of war crimes, genocide, and crimes