Title: Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act
This bill makes technical changes to the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 and other related Acts.
The bill provides the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with oversight authority regarding congressional reports on: (1) high-risk diplomatic and consular posts, (2) embassy construction costs, (3) combating sexual exploitation in United Nations (U.N.) peacekeeping operations, (4) Department of State overseas staffing levels, and (5) reducing illicit drug supply and abuse in the Western Hemisphere.
The bill provides such committees with oversight authority regarding the granting of consular immunity.
The Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 is amended regarding: (1) replacement of a specified reference to anti-Semitism with a reference to intolerance; (2) the definition of "change to the federal status" with respect to the Cuba Service and the Television Marti Service; (3) the report on the costs, strengths, and limitations of U.S. and U.N. peacekeeping operations; (4) U.N. peacekeeper training to reduce sexual exploitation; (5) the U.N. Secretary General; (6) Foreign Service entry; (7) completion of the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission report; and (8) ransoms to foreign terrorist organizations.
The United States should use its influence to prohibit U.N. Human Rights Council membership to a country: (1) designated as a Tier 3 human trafficking country, or (2) identified as having failed to prevent or address gross violations of human rights.
The President shall report to Congress regarding steps taken to encourage China to enter into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 371 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 371

 To make technical changes and other improvements to the Department of 
                State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2017

  Mr. Corker introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To make technical changes and other improvements to the Department of 
                State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act''.

SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT BY COMMITTEES ON APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986.--
Section 104(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act 
of 1986, as added by section 101 of the Department of State Authorities 
Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323), is amended by inserting 
``and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives'' after ``appropriate congressional committees''.
    (b) Annual Report on Embassy Construction Costs.--Section 118(a) of 
the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 
114-323) is amended by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives'' after ``appropriate 
congressional committees''.
    (c) Oversight of and Accountability for Peacekeeper Abuses.--
Section 301(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by inserting ``and the Committees 
on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives'' 
after ``appropriate congressional committees''.
    (d) Workforce Rightsizing Report.--Section 405(c) of the Department 
of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is 
amended by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives'' after ``appropriate 
congressional committees''.
    (e) Consular Immunity.--Subsection (b)(2) of section 4 of the 
Diplomatic Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 254c), as added by section 501 of 
the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 
114-323), is amended by striking ``of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations'' and inserting ``and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations''.
    (f) Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Report.--Section 
602(c) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-323) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``and the Committee on Appropriations'' 
        after ``Committee on Foreign Affairs''; and
            (2) by inserting ``and the Committee on Appropriations'' 
        after ``Committee on Foreign Relations'';

SEC. 3. PEACEKEEPING TRAINING.

    Section 301 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``enhance the 
                discovery'' and inserting ``investigate allegations'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``adequately 
                respond to complaints about such offenses by carrying 
                out swift and effective disciplinary action against the 
                personnel'' and inserting ``appropriately hold 
                accountable personnel''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, including 
                compensation to victims, as appropriate'' after 
                ``responses to such offenses'';
            (2) in subsection (f)(2), by striking ``any individual who 
        commits an act'' and inserting ``personnel who are found to 
        have committed acts''; and
            (3) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ``noteworthy''.

SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL.

    Section 310 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``The descriptions 
        referred to in subsection (a) shall include the following 
        elements'' and inserting ``In addition to the descriptions 
        referred to in subsection (a), each such candidate shall be 
        urged to describe the following''; and
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``such l'' and inserting 
        ``such agenda''.

SEC. 5. POLICY REGARDING THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL.

    Section 311(a)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; or'' and inserting 
        a semicolon; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
                    ``(E) which has been designated as a Tier 3 country 
                in the annual Department of State Trafficking in 
                Persons Report under the Trafficking Victims Protection 
                Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107); or
                    ``(F) which is identified as having failed to 
                prevent or address gross violations of human rights in 
                the annual Department of State Human Rights Report 
                under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade 
                Act of 1974.''.

SEC. 6. COMPARATIVE REPORT ON PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.

    Section 313 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations of 
        the Senate and the House of Representatives'' after 
        ``appropriate congressional committees''; and
            (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) a comparison of the costs of current United Nations 
        peacekeeping operations, including the costs incurred by the 
        United States for such operations, and the estimated cost of 
        such operations if implemented unilaterally by the United 
        States; and''.

SEC. 7. LATERAL ENTRY INTO THE FOREIGN SERVICE.

    Section 404(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by striking ``outstanding''.

SEC. 8. COMBATING INTOLERANCE.

    The section heading of section 419 of the Department of State 
Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by 
striking ``anti-semitism'' and inserting ``intolerance''.

SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTION REGARDING COMPLETION OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE 
              DRUG POLICY COMMISSION REPORT.

    Section 603(f)(1) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by striking ``section 
362'' and inserting ``section 602(c)''.

SEC. 10. BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS.

    Section 703(b)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by striking ``any 
significant restructuring,''.

SEC. 11. RANSOMS TO FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS.

    Section 709(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323) is amended by inserting ``, to the 
extent practicable,'' before ``transmit''.

SEC. 12. RESTORATION OF TIBET REPORT.

    Section 613 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 
2003 (Public Law 107-228, 22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as amended by section 
715(b)(1) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-323), is further amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``In General'' and 
        inserting the following: ``Policy.--
            ``(1) In general.--'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as paragraph (2) and 
        moving such paragraph, as so redesignated, two ems to the 
        right; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Periodic Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017, Improvements Act, and annually thereafter until December 31, 
2021, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on--
            ``(1) the steps taken by the President and the Secretary in 
        accordance with subsection (a)(1); and
            ``(2) the status of any discussions between the People's 
        Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives.''.
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