inappropriately collect, request, obtain, or disclose 
personally identifiable information of a person in 
connection with such person’s nonviolent expression 
of political, religious, or ideological opinion or belief, 
including expression that would be protected by the 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 
‘‘(D) An assessment of the extent to which wire 
communications and electronic communications are 
monitored without regard to the principles of pri-
vacy, human rights, democracy, and rule of law. 
‘‘(2) In compiling data and making assessments for 
the purposes of paragraph (1), United States diplomatic 
personnel shall consult with human rights organizations, 
technology and internet companies, and other appropriate 
nongovernmental organizations. 
‘‘(3) In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘electronic communication’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 2510 of title 
18, United States Code; 
‘‘(B) the term ‘internet’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 231(e)(3) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 231(e)(3)); 
‘‘(C) the term ‘personally identifiable informa-
tion’ means data in a form that identifies a par-
ticular person; and 
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‘‘(D) the term ‘wire communication’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2510 of title 18, 
United States Code.’’. 
(b) REPORT RELATING TO SECURITY ASSISTANCE.— 
Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2304) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the second subsection (i) 
(relating to child marriage status) as subsection (j); 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(k)(1) The report required by subsection (b) shall 
include an assessment of freedom of expression with re-
spect to electronic information in each foreign country. 
Such assessment shall consist of the following: 
‘‘(A) An assessment of the extent to which gov-
ernment authorities in each country inappropriately 
attempt to filter, censor, or otherwise block or re-
move nonviolent expression of political or religious 
opinion or belief via the internet, including electronic 
mail, as well as a description of the means by which 
such authorities attempt to block or remove such ex-
pression. 
‘‘(B) An assessment of the extent to which gov-
ernment authorities in each country have persecuted 
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or otherwise punished an individual or group for the 
nonviolent expression of political, religious, or ideo-
logical opinion or belief via the internet, including 
electronic mail. 
‘‘(C) An assessment of the extent to which gov-
ernment authorities in each country have sought to 
inappropriately collect, request, obtain, or disclose 
personally identifiable information of a person in 
connection with such person’s nonviolent expression 
of political, religious, or ideological opinion or belief, 
including expression that would be protected by the 
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 
‘‘(D) An assessment of the extent to which wire 
communications and electronic communications are 
monitored without regard to the principles of pri-
vacy, human rights, democracy, and rule of law. 
‘‘(2) In compiling data and making assessments for 
the purposes of paragraph (1), United States diplomatic 
personnel shall consult with human rights organizations, 
technology and internet companies, and other appropriate 
nongovernmental organizations. 
‘‘(3) In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘electronic communication’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 2510 of title 
18, United States Code; 
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‘‘(B) the term ‘internet’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 231(e)(3) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 231(e)(3)); 
‘‘(C) the term ‘personally identifiable informa-
tion’ means data in a form that identifies a par-
ticular person; and 
‘‘(D) the term ‘wire communication’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2510 of title 18, 
United States Code.’’. 
SEC. 7. PROHIBITION ON FUNDING FOR THE MINISTRY OF 
PUBLIC SECURITY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF 
VIETNAM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: — 
(1) The Vietnam-based group APT 32, or 
OceanLotus Group, is one of the most active cyber 
espionage units in the world and has, since 2014, 
carried out intrusions into private sector companies 
and attempted to both surveil and steal the sensitive 
personal information of Vietnamese dissidents living 
outside of Vietnam as well as foreign governments. 
(2) APT 32 consistently acts in the interests of 
the Government of Vietnam, hacking individuals in 
Germany, China, Cambodia, and the Philippines and 
taking over the websites of Vietnamese Catholics 
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and hacking, news services, industrial plants, steel 
companies, and other entities. 
(3) The military of Vietnam operates a group 
of 10,000 ‘‘cybertroops’’, named Force 47, whose 
members intimidate and harass Vietnamese citizens 
online who speak out against government policies or 
otherwise peacefully exercise their human rights in a 
way determined by the Government of Vietnam as 
unacceptable. 
(b) PROHIBITION.—Consistent with section 620M of 
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2378d), 
no assistance may be furnished under the Foreign Assist-
ance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) or the Arms 
Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) to assist, 
directly or indirectly, any unit of the Ministry of Public 
Security of the Government of Vietnam or any other unit 
of the Government of Vietnam engaged in cyber-espionage 
activities. 
(c) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 75 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State, in consultation with the Director of Na-
tional Intelligence and the Director of the Federal 
Bureau of Investigations, shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report on the 
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extraterritorial activities of entities affiliated with or 
employed by the Government of Vietnam to engage 
in cyber espionage or surveil and harass Vietnamese 
dissidents living outside of Vietnam who are critical 
of policies of the Government of Vietnam or who ad-
vocate for internationally recognized human rights. 
(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report 
required by this subsection shall include information 
on the steps taken by the United States Government 
to address cyber espionage from Vietnam and the 
protection of United States companies and United 
States citizens and permanent resident aliens. 
(3) FORM.—The report required by this sub-
section shall be submitted in unclassified form, by 
may include a classified annex with respect to infor-
mation that is sensitive to United States national se-
curity interests, as determined by the Secretary. The 
public element of the report may be issued as part 
of testimony by the Secretary of State before the 
House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate 
Foreign Relations Committee. 
(4) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘appropriate 
congressional committees’’ means— 
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(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on Homeland Security, and the Per-
manent Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations, 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs, and the Select Committee on 
Intelligence of the Senate. 
SEC. 8. INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The promotion and protection of the univer-
sally recognized right to the freedom of religion is a 
priority of United States foreign policy as stated in 
section 402 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442) and the Bipartisan 
Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability 
Act of 2015 (title I of Public Law 114–26; 19 
U.S.C. 4201 et seq.) which requires the Administra-
tion to take religious freedom into account when ne-
gotiating trade agreements. 
(2) Countries that protect religious freedom are 
more prosperous, stable, peaceful and democratic. 
Thus, the severe restrictions faced by religious 
groups in Vietnam, such as members of the United 
Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV), Catholics, 
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and independent Hoa Hao Buddhists, Cao Dai, and 
Protestants groups, are detrimental to the interests 
of both the United States and Vietnam. 
(3) The Government of Vietnam has reportedly 
stepped up its efforts to force Montagnard and 
Hmong Christians to renounce their faith, expro-
priate lands and other real properties belonging to 
independent religious communities, destroy Hoa Hao 
Buddhist and Cao Dai houses of worship, and arrest 
and detain religious leaders. Religious leaders and 
advocates of religious freedom remain in prison. 
(b) STATEMENT OF POLICY.—Since the protection of 
religious freedom is vital to peace, stability, and pros-
perity, and countries with the highest levels of restrictions 
on religious freedom are often those countries seeking to 
undermine United States national interests or ignore 
international legal norms and standards, it is the policy 
of the United States to— 
(1) prioritize religious freedom in bilateral rela-
tions, including with the Government of Vietnam, by 
fully implementing the provisions of the Frank R. 
Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (Public 
Law 114–281); and 
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(2) strategically employ sanctions and other 
tools under the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.). 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) Vietnam should be designated as a country 
of particular concern for religious freedom under 
section 402(b) of the International Religious Free-
dom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442(b)) because there 
are a significant number of individuals imprisoned 
for their religious activity or advocacy for religious 
freedom and for ‘‘systematic, egregious, and ongo-
ing’’ violations of religious freedom; 
(2) the President, in making the annual des-
ignations under section 402(b) of such Act, should 
take into account the annual report of the United 
States Commission on International Religious Free-
dom under section 203 of such Act and the Commis-
sion’s assessment that the designation of Vietnam as 
a country of particular concern for religious freedom 
from 2004 to 2006 led to tangible improvements in 
religious freedom conditions while trade and security 
cooperation increased; and 
(3) because the Government of Vietnam tightly 
controls religious institutions and then persecutes 
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those individuals who establish or operate inde-
pendent religious institutions and genuinely non-
governmental organizations, the Secretary of State 
should— 
(A) use all available diplomatic, develop-
ment, economic assistance, and political tools to 
ensure that independent religious and civil soci-
ety organizations can operate freely and without 
restriction in Vietnam; and 
(B) raise these issues in all appropriate 
statements, dialogues, reports, and negotiations 
between the United States and Vietnam and in 
multi-lateral institutions where the United 
States and Vietnam are members. 
SEC. 9. UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT COUNT-
ING OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN VIETNAM. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Vietnam remains a ‘‘source and, to a lesser 
extent, a destination country . . . for sex trafficking 
and forced labor.’’. 
(2) Vietnamese men and women are subject to 
forced labor in ‘‘rehabilitation’’ centers, detention 
centers, and prisons and, according to the 2016 An-
nual Report on Trafficking in Persons. 
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(3) Vietnamese migrants working in ‘‘state- 
owned, private, or joint-stock companies’’ live in 
‘‘situations of exploitation’’ in the construction, fish-
ing, agriculture, mining, logging and manufacturing 
sectors in other countries. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GIRLS COUNT ACT OF 
2015 IN VIETNAM.— 
(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(A) Vietnam’s male to female sex-ratio dis-
parity has increased despite the Vietnamese 
Government’s ending of its policy limiting mar-
ried couples to 2 children. 
(B) Experts believe sex ratio disparities 
have critical economic and social ramifications 
that effect United States interests, exacerbating 
the vulnerabilities of women to trafficking, child 
marriage, and reducing the ability of women to 
seek employment and participate in educational 
opportunities and civil society. 
(2) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of State 
is authorized to establish and support programs to— 
(A) monitor and halt bride and sex traf-
ficking of girls and women in Vietnam and 
women from other countries in Asia, including 
China, as appropriate; and 
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(B) address Vietnam’s growing sex-ratio 
disparity through economic support and pro-
grams described in section 4(a) of the Girls 
Count Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–24; 22 
U.S.C. 2151 note). 
SEC. 10. ANNUAL REPORTS ON UNITED STATES-VIETNAM 
HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE MEETINGS. 
Section 702 of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228; 22 U.S.C. 
2151n note) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(9) Ending incidents of torture, police beat-
ings, deaths in police custody, and mob or societal 
violence targeting religious groups or dissidents. 
‘‘(10) Returning properties of independent reli-
gious communities or organizations that have been 
reportedly expropriated by the Government of Viet-
nam or by government-sanctioned religious organiza-
tions. 
‘‘(11) Addressing individual claims by United 
States citizens whose properties have been expropri-
ated by the Government of Vietnam without effec-
tive, prompt, and fair compensation. 
‘‘(12) Implementing section 4 of the Girls 
Count Act of (Public Law 114–24; 22 U.S.C. 2151 
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note) and how such section has been applied in Viet-
nam. 
‘‘(13) Ensuring internet freedom and specific 
efforts to ensure the safety and privacy of Viet-
namese bloggers and journalists on the internet or 
other forms of electronic communication.’’. 
SEC. 11. RESTRICTIONS ON NONHUMANITARIAN ASSIST-
ANCE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that, except as provided in subsection (b), the Sec-
retary of State should consider restricting certain assist-
ance to the Government of Vietnam unless— 
(1) the Government of Vietnam makes substan-
tial progress toward releasing all political and reli-
gious prisoners from imprisonment, house arrest, 
and other forms of detention; 
(2) the Government of Vietnam has made sub-
stantial progress toward— 
(A) respecting the right to freedom of reli-
gion, including the right to participate in reli-
gious activities and institutions without inter-
ference, harassment, or involvement of the Gov-
ernment, for all of Vietnam’s diverse religious 
communities; and 
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(B) returning estates and properties con-
fiscated from the churches and religious com-
munities; 
(3) the Government of Vietnam has made sub-
stantial progress toward respecting the right to in- 
person and online freedom of expression, assembly, 
and association, including the release of independent 
journalists, bloggers, and democracy and labor activ-
ists; 
(4) the Government of Vietnam has made sub-
stantial progress toward repealing or revising laws 
that criminalize peaceful dissent, independent media, 
unsanctioned religious activity, and nonviolent dem-
onstrations and rallies, in accordance with inter-
national standards and treaties to which Vietnam is 
a party; 
(5) the Government of Vietnam has made sub-
stantial progress toward allowing Vietnamese nation-
als free and open access to United States refugee 
programs; 
(6) the Government of Vietnam has made sub-
stantial progress toward respecting the human rights 
of members of all ethnic and minority groups; and 
(7) neither any official of the Government of 
Vietnam nor any agency or entity wholly or partly 
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owned by the Government of Vietnam was complicit 
in a severe form of trafficking in persons, or the 
Government of Vietnam took all appropriate steps to 
end any such complicity and hold such official, agen-
cy, or entity fully accountable for such conduct. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—The restriction described in sub-
section (a) should not apply to assistance under the For-
eign Assistance Act of 1961 for the following purposes: 
(1) Disaster relief assistance, including any as-
sistance under chapter 9 of part I of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 2292 et seq.). 
(2) Assistance which involves the provision of 
food (including monetization of food) or medicine. 
(3) Assistance for environmental remediation of 
dioxin-contaminated sites and related health activi-
ties. 
(4) Assistance to combat severe forms of traf-
ficking in persons (as such term is defined in section 
103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102)). 
(5) Assistance to combat pandemic diseases. 
(6) Assistance for refugees. 
(7) Assistance to combat HIV/AIDS, including 
any assistance under section 104A of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 2151b–2). 
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