I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1856 
To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to strengthen 
the promotion of religious freedom in United States foreign policy and 
to reauthorize the United States Commission on International Religious 
Freedom, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 11, 2011 
Mr. WOLF (for himself and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and 
in addition to the Committees on Financial Services and Oversight and 
Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
to strengthen the promotion of religious freedom in 
United States foreign policy and to reauthorize the 
United States Commission on International Religious 
Freedom, 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 
‘‘International Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 
2011’’. 
(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 of International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for 
International Religious Freedom. 
Sec. 102. Reports. 
Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers. 
Sec. 104. Programs and allocations of funds by United States missions abroad. 
Sec. 105. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. 
Sec. 106. Interagency report. 
TITLE II—COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS 
FREEDOM 
Sec. 201. Establishment and composition. 
Sec. 202. Commission personnel matters. 
Sec. 203. Report of the Commission. 
Sec. 204. Authorization of appropriations. 
Sec. 205. Standards of conduct and disclosure. 
Sec. 206. Termination. 
TITLE III—PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS 
Sec. 301. Presidential actions in response to violations of religious freedom. 
Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of re-
ligious freedom. 
Sec. 303. Consultations. 
Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. 
Sec. 305. Termination of Presidential actions. 
TITLE IV—PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. 
TITLE V—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 
Sec. 501. Report on effectiveness of programs to promote religious freedom. 
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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— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the 
following: ‘‘Both America’s history and the experi-
ence of other countries demonstrate that the vig-
orous protection of religious freedom is necessary for 
democracy to endure, and to yield its social, eco-
nomic, political, intellectual, and religious benefits to 
all its citizens. Contemporary scholarship also dem-
onstrates that the absence of religious freedom in a 
country is causally related not only to the persecu-
tion of religious minorities, but also to religious con-
flict, violence, extremism, and terrorism, including 
the kind of terrorism that has reached the American 
homeland.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘one-half’’ 
and inserting ‘‘two-thirds’’; 
(3) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘religious per-
secution’’ and inserting ‘‘persecution’’; and 
(4) by striking paragraph (7). 
(b) POLICY.—Section 2(b) of the International Reli-
gious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401(b)) is amend-
ed— 
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(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and non-
governmental organizations’’ after ‘‘other govern-
ments’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘and non-
governmental organizations’’ after ‘‘governments’’; 
(3) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘and non-
governmental organizations’’ after ‘‘foreign govern-
ments’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘as well as 
foreign assistance and other programs funded by the 
United States Government,’’ after ‘‘cultural chan-
nels,’’. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3(3)(A) of the International Religious Free-
dom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6402) is amended by striking 
‘‘Committee on International Relations’’ and inserting 
‘‘Committee on Foreign Affairs’’. 
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF 
STATE ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 101. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREE-
DOM; AMBASSADOR AT LARGE FOR INTER-
NATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.—Section 101(a) of 
the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6411(a)) is amended— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘within the Department of 
State’’ and inserting ‘‘, in the Office of the Sec-
retary of State,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘The 
Ambassador at Large shall report directly to the 
Secretary of State.’’. 
(b) DUTIES.—Section 101(c) of the International Re-
ligious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6411(c)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘responsibility’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘responsibilities’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘shall be to advance’’ and 
inserting the following: ‘‘shall be— 
‘‘(A) to advance’’; 
(C) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) to integrate United States inter-
national religious freedom policies and religious 
engagement programs into democracy and civil 
society programs funded by the United States 
and into the counterterrorism policies of United 
States Government departments and agencies, 
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including the Department of Defense, the De-
partment of State, the Department of Home-
land Security, and the Department of the 
Treasury.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘a principal 
advisor’’ and inserting ‘‘the principal advisor’’; 
(3) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following 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.’’; 
(4) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (5); and 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) COORDINATION
RESPONSIBILITIES.—The 
Ambassador at Large shall seek to coordinate all 
programs, projects, and activities of the United 
States Government to promote religious freedom and 
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religious engagement abroad, including programs, 
projects, and activities of the Department of De-
fense, the Department of State, the Department of 
Homeland Security, the Department of the Treas-
ury, and the United States Agency for International 
Development.’’. 
(c) FUNDING.—Section 101(d) of the International 
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6411(d)) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) FUNDING.—The Secretary of State shall provide 
the Ambassador at Large with such funds as may be nec-
essary for the hiring of individuals to fill at least 15 full- 
time-equivalent staff positions, including a senior advisor, 
for the Office, for the conduct of investigations by the Of-
fice, and for necessary travel to carry out the provisions 
of this section. The Secretary of State shall also provide 
the Ambassador at Large with representational funds 
equal to that of other Ambassadors at Large in the De-
partment of State.’’. 
SEC. 102. REPORTS. 
(a) STATUS
OF
RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM.—Section 
102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)) is amended in the matter 
preceding subparagraph (A)— 
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(1) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘Sep-
tember’’ and inserting ‘‘May’’; and 
(2) by inserting after the first sentence the fol-
lowing: ‘‘Each Annual Report shall be independent 
and distinct from the most recent Human Rights 
Reports and shall be made available to the public in 
such a manner.’’. 
(b) VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.—Section 
102(b)(1)(B) of the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(B)) is amended in the 
matter preceding clause (i) by inserting ‘‘whether in mat-
ters of private belief and practice or the peaceful involve-
ment of such groups or members in the political life of 
a nation,’’ after ‘‘including policies that discriminate 
against particular religious groups or members of such 
groups,’’. 
(c) 
UNITED
STATES
POLICIES.—Section 
102(b)(1)(C) of the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(C)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘A description’’ and inserting 
‘‘A comprehensive description’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘policies in support’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘religious engagement policies in support’’; 
(3) by inserting ‘‘with respect to each such for-
eign country’’ after ‘‘including a description’’; and 
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