Title: Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019
This bill modifies and reauthorizes various programs and provisions related to Tibet and China.
The President shall provide grants to nongovernmental organizations for projects supporting Tibetan communities in Tibet in areas such as sustainable economic development, cultural preservation, and education.
The Department of State shall (1) seek to establish a U.S. consulate in Lhasa, Tibet; (2) establish a Tibet section in the U.S. embassy in Beijing; (3) make diplomatic efforts on issues such as water security in the region; and (4) encourage Nepal to provide legal documentation to certain Tibetan residents in Nepal. The State Department shall not authorize any additional Chinese consulates in the United States until the U.S. consulate in Lhasa is established.
The bill reauthorizes the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and expands the office's duties to include additional tasks, such as pursuing international coalitions to ensure that the next Dalai Lama is appointed solely by the Tibetan Buddhist faith community.
The bill also adds China-related topics to an existing annual report on international religious freedom.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2539 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2539

To modify and reauthorize the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 2019

  Mr. Rubio (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
 Cotton, and Mr. Markey) introduced the following bill; which was read 
        twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To modify and reauthorize the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO AND REAUTHORIZATION OF THE TIBETAN POLICY ACT 
              OF 2002.

    (a) Tibet Negotiations.--Section 613 of the Tibetan Policy Act of 
2002 (subtitle B of title VI of division A of Public law 107-228; 22 
U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by inserting ``without preconditions'' 
                        after ``a dialogue'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``or Central Tibetan 
                        Administration representatives'' after ``his 
                        representatives''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end before the 
                        period the following: ``and should coordinate 
                        with other governments in multilateral efforts 
                        toward this goal'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph 
                (3); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(2) Policy communication.--The President shall direct the 
        Secretary of State to ensure that, in accordance with this Act, 
        United States policy on Tibet, as coordinated by the United 
        States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, is communicated 
        to all Federal departments and agencies in contact with the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``until December 31, 
                        2021''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``and direct the 
                        Department of State to make public on its 
                        website'' after ``appropriate congressional 
                        committees'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraphs:
            ``(3) the steps taken by the United States Government to 
        promote and protect the human rights and the distinct 
        religious, cultural, linguistic, and national identity of the 
        Tibetan people, including the right of the Tibetan people to 
        choose their own religious leaders in accordance with their 
        established religious practice and system; and
            ``(4) an analysis of United States business activities in 
        Tibet, whether those activities employ Tibetans and how many, 
        whether those activities are consistent with the protection of 
        the environment and Tibetan cultural traditions, and whether 
        those activities contribute to or support, through goods or 
        services, the surveillance of the people of Tibet.''.
    (b) Economic Development in Tibet.--Section 616 of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``human 
                rights,'' after ``respect Tibetan'';
                    (B) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(10) neither provide incentive for, nor facilitate the 
        involuntary or coerced relocation of, Tibetan nomads from their 
        traditional pasturelands into concentrated settlements.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(e) Private Sector Investment.--The Secretary of State, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, should--
            ``(1) encourage United States businesses and individuals 
        that are engaged in commerce or investing in enterprises in 
        Tibet to abide by the principles specified in subsection (d) 
        and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human 
        Rights; and
            ``(2) request that such businesses and individuals provide 
        to the Department of State periodic reports on their adherence 
        to such principles.
    ``(f) United States Assistance.--The President shall provide grants 
to nongovernmental organizations to support sustainable economic 
development, cultural and historical preservation, health care, 
education, and environmental sustainability projects for Tibetan 
communities in Tibet, in accordance with the principles specified in 
subsection (d) and subject to the review and approval of the United 
States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues under section 621(d) or, 
if the Coordinator has not been appointed, the Assistant Secretary of 
State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.''.
    (c) Diplomatic Representation Relating to Tibet.--Section 618 of 
such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 618. DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION RELATING TO TIBET.

    ``(a) United States Consulate in Lhasa, Tibet.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall seek to establish a 
        United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, to provide consular 
        services to United States citizens traveling in Tibet and to 
        monitor political, economic, and cultural developments in 
        Tibet.
            ``(2) Consular districts.--The Secretary should organize 
        the United States Embassy's consular districts within the 
        People's Republic of China so that all areas designated as 
        autonomous for Tibetans are contained within the same consular 
        district.
    ``(b) Tibet Section in United States Embassy in Beijing, China.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a Tibet 
        section within the United States Embassy in Beijing, China, to 
        follow political, economic, and social developments in Tibet 
        until such time as a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, 
        is established under subsection (a).
            ``(2) Duties.--The Tibet section established under 
        paragraph (1) shall have the primary responsibility of 
        reporting on human rights issues and access to Tibet by United 
        States Government officials, journalists, nongovernmental 
        organizations, and the Tibetan diaspora and shall work in close 
        cooperation with the United States Special Coordinator for 
        Tibetan Issues.
    ``(c) Policy.--The Secretary shall not authorize the establishment 
in the United States of any additional consulate of the People's 
Republic of China until such time as a United States consulate in 
Lhasa, Tibet, is established under subsection (a).''.
    (d) Religious Persecution in Tibet.--Section 620(b) of such Act (22 
U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended by adding at the end before the period the 
following: ``, including with respect to the reincarnation system of 
Tibetan Buddhism''.
    (e) United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.--Section 
621 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 note) is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
    ``(c) Objectives.--The objectives of the Special Coordinator are 
to--
            ``(1) promote substantive dialogue without preconditions 
        between the Government of the People's Republic of China and 
        the Dalai Lama or his representatives or Central Tibetan 
        Administration representatives leading to a negotiated 
        agreement on Tibet;
            ``(2) encourage the Government of the People's Republic of 
        China to address the aspirations of the Tibetan people 
        regarding their cultural, religious, linguistic, and national 
        identity;
            ``(3) promote the human rights and religious freedoms of 
        the Tibetan people, including women's human rights;
            ``(4) promote activities to preserve the distinct 
        environment and water resources of the Tibetan plateau;
            ``(5) promote economic development as enumerated in section 
        616(e); and
            ``(6) promote access to Tibet in accordance with the 
        Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018 (Public law 115-330).'';
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph 
                (8); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following 
                new paragraphs:
            ``(6) review and approve all projects carried out pursuant 
        to section 616(f) of this Act and section 7(b) of the Tibetan 
        Policy and Support Act of 2019;
            ``(7) seek to establish international diplomatic coalitions 
        to--
                    ``(A) oppose any effort by the Government of the 
                People's Republic of China to identify or install 
                Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders in a manner 
                inconsistent with the established religious practice 
                and system of Tibetan Buddhism; and
                    ``(B) ensure that the identification and 
                installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, 
                including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is determined 
                solely within the Tibetan Buddhist faith community, in 
                accordance with the universally recognized right to 
                religious freedom; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Personnel.--The Secretary shall assign not less than three 
individuals to the Office of the Special Coordinator to assist in the 
management of the responsibilities of this section.''.
    (f) Geographic Definition of Tibet.--Such Act (22 U.S.C. 6901 
note), as so amended, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``SEC. 622. GEOGRAPHIC DEFINITION OF TIBET.

    ``In this Act and in implementing policies relating to the Tibetan 
people under other provisions of law, the term `Tibet', unless 
otherwise specified, means--
            ``(1) the Tibet Autonomous Region; and
            ``(2) the Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and 
        Yunnan provinces.''.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY REGARDING THE SUCCESSION OR REINCARNATION 
              OF THE DALAI LAMA.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Tibetan Buddhism is practiced in many countries, 
        including the People's Republic of China, Bhutan, Nepal, 
        Mongolia, India, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
            (2) No single political entity encompasses the territory in 
        which Tibetan Buddhism is practiced.
            (3) The Dalai Lama is widely revered by Tibetan Buddhists 
        and those who practice Tibetan Buddhism around the world, 
        including those in the United States, as their spiritual 
        leader.
            (4) Under the Tibetan Buddhist belief system, there have 
        been 14 persons recognized as the Dalai Lama, each a 
        manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, selected 
        according to the spiritual traditions and practices of Tibetan 
        Buddhism.
            (5) The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, issued a statement 
        on September 24, 2011, explaining the traditions and spiritual 
        precepts of the selection of Dalai Lamas, setting forth his 
        views on the considerations and process for selecting his 
        successor, and providing a response to the claims of the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China that only that 
        Government has the ultimate authority in the selection process 
        of the Dalai Lama.
            (6) The 14th Dalai Lama said in his statement that if a 
        decision to continue the institution of the Dalai Lama is made, 
        that the responsibility shall primarily rest with the Dalai 
        Lama's Gaden Phodrang Trust, who will be informed by the 
        written instructions of the 14th Dalai Lama.
            (7) Since 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama has reiterated publicly 
        on numerous occasions that decisions on the succession or 
        reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama belong to the Tibetan 
        Buddhist faith community alone.
            (8) The Government of the People's Republic of China has 
        interfered in the process of recognizing a successor or 
        reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including in 1995 by 
        arbitrarily detaining Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a 6-year-old boy 
        who was identified as the 11th Panchen Lama, and purporting to 
        install its own candidate as the Panchen Lama.
            (9) During his confirmation hearings to be Secretary of 
        State, Michael Pompeo testified to the Committee on Foreign 
        Relations of the Senate, ``If confirmed, I will press the 
        Chinese government to respect the legitimacy of Tibetan 
        Buddhists' religious practices. This includes the decisions of 
        Tibetan Buddhists in selecting, educating, and venerating the 
        lamas who lead the faith, such as the Dalai Lama.''.
            (10) The Department of State's Report on International 
        Religious Freedom for 2017 reported on policies and efforts of 
        the Government of the People's Republic of China to exert 
        control over the selection of Tibetan Buddhist religious 
        leaders, including reincarnate lamas, and stated that ``U.S. 
        officials underscored that decisions on the reincarnation of 
        the Dalai Lama should be made solely by faith leaders''.
            (11) In July 2015, Under Secretary of State for Civilian 
        Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, serving 
        concurrently as United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan 
        Issues, testified to Congress that ``the basic and universally 
        recognized right of religious freedom demands that any decision 
        on the next Dalai Lama be reserved to the current Dalai Lama, 
        Tibetan Buddhist leaders, and the Tibetan people''.
            (12) On June 8, 2015, the United States House of 
        Representatives unanimously approved House Resolution 337 
        (114th Congress) which calls on the United States Government to 
        ``underscore that government interference in the Tibetan 
        reincarnation process is a violation of the internationally 
        recognized right to religious freedom, and that matters related 
        to reincarnations in Tibetan Buddhism are of keen interest to 
        Tibetan Buddhist populations worldwide''.
            (13) On April 25, 2018, the United States Senate 
        unanimously approved Senate Resolution 429 (115th Congress), 
        which ``expresses its sense that the identification and 
        installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, including a 
        future 15th Dalai Lama, is a matter that should be determined 
        solely within the Tibetan Buddhist faith community, in 
        accordance with the inalienable right to religious freedom''.
    (b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States 
that--
            (1) decisions regarding the identification and installation 
        of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, including a future 15th 
        Dalai Lama, are exclusively spiritual matters that should be 
        made by the appropriate religious authorities within the 
        Tibetan Buddhist tradition and in the context of the will of 
        religious practitioners and the instructions of the 14th Dalai 
        Lama; and
            (2) interference by the Government of the People's Republic 
        of China or any other government in the process of recognizing 
        a successor or reincarnation of the Dalai Lama would represent 
        a clear violation of the fundamental religious freedoms of 
        Tibetan Buddhists and the Tibetan people.
    (c) Amendments to Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 
1990 and 1991.--Section 901(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization 
Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 (Public Law 101-246; 104 Stat. 80) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (7), (8), and (9) as 
        paragraphs (8), (9), and (10), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(7) protecting the internationally recognized right to 
        the freedom of religion and belief, including ensuring that the 
        identification and installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious 
        leaders, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is a matter 
        determined solely within the Tibetan Buddhist faith community, 
        based on instructions of the 14th Dalai Lama, without 
        interference by the Government of the People's Republic of 
        China;''.
    (d) Holding Chinese Officials Responsible for Religious Freedom 
Abuses Targeting Tibetan Buddhists.--It is the policy of the United 
States--
            (1) to consider any effort by the Government of the 
        People's Republic of China to identify or install its own 
        candidate as the future 15th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism to 
        be--
                    (A) a serious human rights abuse as such term is 
                used in Executive Order No. 13818 (relating to blocking 
                the property of persons involved in serious human 
                rights abuse or corruption); and
                    (B) a particularly severe violation of religious 
                freedom for purposes of applying section 212(a)(2)(G) 
                of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
                1182(a)(2)(G); and
            (2) to consider any official of the Government of the 
        People's Republic of China determined to be complicit in 
        identifying or installing a government-approved candidate as 
        the future 15th Dalai Lama, contrary to the instructions 
        provided by the 14th Dalai Lama, and one not recognized by the 
        faith community of Tibetan Buddhists globally, to be subject to 
        sanctions described in Executive Order No. 13818 and to 
        inadmissibility into the United States under section 
        212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
        1182(a)(2)).
    (e) Department of State Programming To Promote Religious Freedom 
for Tibetan Buddhists.--Consistent with section 401 of the Frank R. 
Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (Public Law 114-281; 130 Stat. 
1436), using funds available to the Department of State for 
international religious freedom programs, the Ambassador at Large for 
International Religious Freedom should provide funding to vigorously 
protect and promote international religious freedom in China and for 
programs to protect Tibetan Buddhism in China and elsewhere.

SEC. 4. REPORTING ON TIBET UNDER THE INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
              ACT OF 1998.

    Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``, including 
        policies'' and inserting ``, including interference in the 
        right of religious communities to choose their leaders, 
        policies''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(H) China.--Because matters relating to religious 
                freedom in China are complex in scope and intensity and 
                often vary by ethnicity and geographic or 
                administrative region, each chapter on China in the 
                Annual Report shall include separate sections on--
                            ``(i) Tibet;
                            ``(ii) the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous 
                        Region;
                            ``(iii) Hong Kong and Macau;
                            ``(iv) unrecognized or independent Catholic 
                        and Protestant `house churches'; and
                            ``(v) Falun Gong and faith-based or new 
                        religious movements.''.

SEC. 5. POLICY REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER RESOURCES ON THE 
              TIBETAN PLATEAU.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Glaciers in Tibet feed 10 of the major rivers of South 
        and East Asia, which supply fresh water to an estimated 
        1,800,000,000 people.
            (2) Chinese scientists have reported that since 1960 the 
        Tibetan Plateau's annual average temperature has increased at 
        twice the global average, causing melting of the glaciers, 
        which will result in variable water flows in the future.
            (3) Tibet's rivers support wetlands that play a key role in 
        water storage, water quality, and the regulation of water flow, 
        and support biodiversity, foster vegetation growth, and act as 
        carbon sinks.
            (4) The grasslands of Tibet play a significant role in 
        carbon production and sequestration.
            (5) Changes in permafrost levels can affect the water 
        supply, cause desertification, and destabilize infrastructure 
        on the Tibetan Plateau and beyond.
            (6) The warming of the Tibetan Plateau may cause changes in 
        the monsoon cycle in South and Southeast Asia, which could lead 
        to droughts or floods that overwhelm infrastructure and damage 
        crops.
            (7) The resettlement of nomads from Tibetan grasslands 
        undermines the application of traditional stewardship practices 
        developed through centuries of pastoral practices, which can be 
        key to mitigating the negative effects of warming on the 
        Tibetan Plateau.
            (8) The construction of large hydroelectric power dams in 
        Tibet, planned to be used in part to transmit power to Chinese 
        provinces outside of Tibet, as well as other infrastructure 
        projects, including the Sichuan-Tibet railroad may also lead to 
        the resettlement of thousands of Tibetans and transform the 
        environment.
            (9) Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam are members of 
        the Mekong River Commission, which promotes sustainable 
        management and development of water and related resources among 
        member nations.
            (10) The People's Republic of China is not a full party to 
        the Mekong River Commission.
            (11) The People's Republic of China has approximately 20 
        percent of the world's population but only around 7 percent of 
        the world's water supply, with India and the rest of South and 
        Southeast Asia also relying on the rivers flowing from the 
        Himalayas of the Tibetan Plateau.
            (12) The People's Republic of China has already completed 
        water transfer programs diverting billions of cubic meters of 
        water yearly and there are plans to divert more waters from the 
        Tibetan plateau in China.
    (b) Water Resources in Tibet and the Tibetan Watershed.--The 
Secretary of State, in coordination with relevant agencies of the 
United States Government, shall--
            (1) pursue efforts to monitor the environment on the 
        Tibetan Plateau, including glacial retreat, temperature rise, 
        and carbon levels, in order to promote a greater understanding 
        of the effects on permafrost, river flows, grasslands and 
        desertification, and the monsoon cycle;
            (2) engage with the Government of the People's Republic of 
        China, the Central Tibetan Administration, and nongovernmental 
        organizations to encourage the participation of Tibetan nomads 
        and other Tibetan stakeholders in the development and 
        implementation of grassland management policies, in order to 
        utilize their indigenous experience in mitigation and 
        stewardship of the land, and to assess policies on the forced 
        resettlement of nomads; and
            (3) encourage a regional framework on water security or use 
        existing frameworks, such as the Lower Mekong Initiative, to 
        facilitate cooperative agreements among all riparian nations 
        that would promote transparency, sharing of information, 
        pollution regulation, and arrangements on impounding and 
        diversion of waters that originate on the Tibetan Plateau.
    (c) Tibetan Water Resources and National Security.--Section 1202(b) 
of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-65; 
10 U.S.C. 113 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(29) Tibet's strategic importance and the strategic 
        importance of water resources from the Tibetan Plateau in 
        regional and territorial disputes.''.

SEC. 6. DEMOCRACY IN THE TIBETAN EXILE COMMUNITY.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The 14th Dalai Lama has overseen a process of 
        democratization within the Tibetan policy, beginning in Tibet 
        in the 1950s and continuing in exile from the 1960s to the 
        present.
            (2) The first representative body in Tibetan history, 
        formed on September 2, 1960, was the precursor of the Tibetan 
        Parliament-in-Exile, the legislative branch within the Central 
        Tibetan Administration.
            (3) The first direct election for the chief executive of 
        the Central Tibetan Administration was held on July 29, 2001, 
        with the election of Professor Samdhong Rinpoche.
            (4) On March 10, 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama announced that 
        he would relinquish his political responsibilities and on 
        August 8, 2011, he transferred full political power to the 
        elected leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration.
            (5) On March 20, 2011, members of the Tibetan exile 
        community across some 30 countries held elections, monitored by 
        international observers and assessed to be free and fair, to 
        select the next parliament and chief executive.
            (6) As a result of the codification of the transfer of 
        political power from the Dalai Lama, the Kalon Tripa, or Chief 
        of the Cabinet, assumed full executive authority and the 
        Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile assumed full legislative authority 
        within the Central Tibetan Administration.
            (7) As a result of the 2011 elections, the 15th Tibetan 
        Parliament was seated and Lobsang Sangay was chosen as Kalon 
        Tripa, a title changed to Sikyong in 2012.
            (8) Approximately 6,000,000 Tibetans in Tibet do not enjoy 
        a democratic form of government or the ability to elect their 
        political representatives.
            (9) Section 355 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
        Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993 (Public law 102-138; 105 Stat 713), 
        expressed the sense of Congress that Tibet's true 
        representatives are the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-
        in-exile as recognized by the Tibetan people and that Tibet has 
        maintained throughout its history a distinctive and sovereign 
        national, cultural, and religious identity separate from that 
        of China and, except during periods of illegal Chinese 
        occupation, has maintained a separate and sovereign political 
        and territorial identity.
            (10) The Middle Way Approach, the official policy of the 
        Central Tibetan Administration, seeks genuine autonomy for the 
        6,000,000 Tibetans in Tibet.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) Tibetan exile communities around the world should be 
        commended for the successful adoption of a system of self-
        governance with democratic institutions and free elections to 
        choose their leaders;
            (2) the Dalai Lama should be commended for his decision to 
        transfer political authority to elected leaders in accordance 
        with democratic principles;
            (3) the Central Tibetan Administration legitimately 
        represents and reflects the aspirations of Tibetan people 
        around the world, and the Sikyong is the President of the 
        Central Tibetan Administration;
            (4) as consistent with section 621(d)(3) of the Tibetan 
        Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), the United States 
        Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues should continue to 
        maintain close contact with the religious, cultural, and 
        elected leaders of the Tibetan people; and
            (5) the adoption of democracy within the Tibetan exile 
        community can serve as an example to other exiled, subnational, 
        or nonsovereign communities around the world.

SEC. 7. SUSTAINABILITY IN TIBETAN COMMUNITIES SEEKING TO PRESERVE THEIR 
              CULTURE, RELIGION, AND LANGUAGE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Following the flight into exile of the Dalai Lama and 
        tens of thousands of fellow Tibetans, the Government of India 
        graciously granted land on which the Tibetan refugees could 
        settle.
            (2) Under the leadership of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan 
        refugees established settlements in India, Nepalese, and 
        Bhutanese monastic, cultural, and educational institutions for 
        the purpose of preserving their religion, culture, and language 
        until the time that they could return to Tibet.
            (3) Many of the Tibetan settlements are more than 50 years 
        old, with aging infrastructure, challenging the capacity to 
        absorb new refugees and provide modern services and gainful 
        employment.
            (4) The threats to Tibetan culture, religion, and language 
        in the People's Republic of China justify support for efforts 
        by Tibetans outside China to preserve their heritage.
            (5) Many long-staying Tibetans in Nepal have not received 
        documentation that would provide legal resident status and 
        allow them fuller access to educational opportunities and 
        sustainable participation in the economy and society of Nepal.
            (6) It is United States policy to promote the human rights 
        of the Tibetan people and the preservation of the distinct 
        Tibetan cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage.
            (7) The Dalai Lama has said that the Central Tibetan 
        Administration will cease to exist once a negotiated settlement 
        has been achieved that allows Tibetans to freely enjoy their 
        culture, religion, and language in Tibet.
    (b) Development Assistance.--Of the amount authorized to be 
appropriated for development assistance for fiscal year 2020, such sums 
as may be necessary are authorized to be available to support the 
preservation of Tibetan cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage, 
as well as the education, skills development, and entrepreneurship of 
Tibetans residing in settlements in South Asia, subject to review and 
approval of the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.
    (c) Status of Tibetans in Nepal.--The Secretary of State shall urge 
the Government of Nepal to provide legal documentation to long-staying 
Tibetan residents in Nepal who fled a credible threat of persecution in 
Tibet, in order to allow them to more fully participate in the economy 
and society of Nepal.
    (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Office 
of Tibet in Washington, DC, is the representative office in the United 
States of the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration.
    (e) Sunset.--This section shall terminate on the date that is one 
year after the date on which the Secretary of State certifies to 
Congress that a negotiated settlement between the Government of the 
People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or 
Central Tibetan Administration representatives on Tibet has been 
concluded.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Office of the United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan 
Issues.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Department 
of State for administration of foreign affairs, not less than 
$1,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2020 and 
each subsequent fiscal year for the Office of the United States Special 
Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.
    (b) Tibetan Scholarship Program and ``Ngwang Choepel Exchange 
Programs''.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for 
educational and cultural exchange programs for fiscal year 2020 and 
each subsequent fiscal year--
            (1) Not less than $750,000 is authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out the Tibetan scholarship program established under 
        section 103(b)(1) of the Human Rights, Refugee, and Other 
        Foreign Relations Provisions Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-319; 
        110 Stat. 3865); and
            (2) Not less than $650,000 is authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out the ``Ngwang Choepel Exchange Programs'' (formerly 
        known as ``programs of educational and cultural exchange 
        between the United States and the people of Tibet'') under 
        section 103(a) of the Human Rights, Refugee, and Other Foreign 
        Relations Provisions Act of 1996.
    (c) Humanitarian Assistance to Tibetan Refugees in South Asia.--Of 
the amounts authorized to be appropriated for migration and refugee 
assistance for fiscal year 2020 and each subsequent fiscal year, such 
sums as may be necessary are authorized to be appropriated for 
humanitarian assistance, including food, medicine, clothing, and 
medical and vocational training, to Tibetan refugees in South Asia who 
have fled facing a credible threat of persecution in the People's 
Republic of China.
    (d) Development Assistance.--Of the funds appropriated under the 
heading ``Economic Support Fund'' for fiscal year 2020 and each 
subsequent fiscal year, not less than $6,000,000 is authorized for 
programs to promote and preserve Tibetan culture and language both in 
the refugee and diaspora Tibetan communities, development, and the 
resilience of Tibetan communities and the Central Tibetan 
Administration in India and Nepal, and to assist in the education and 
development of the next generation of Tibetan leaders from such 
communities.
    (e) Tibetan Governance.--Of the funds appropriated under the 
heading ``Economic Support Fund'' for fiscal year 2020 and each 
subsequent fiscal year, not less than $3,000,000 is authorized for 
programs to strengthen the capacity of the Central Tibetan 
Administration, institutions and strengthen democracy, governance, 
information and international outreach, and research.
                                 <all>