Title: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2019
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2019
This bill reauthorizes the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom through FY2023 and makes changes to the administration of the commission.
Specifically, the bill removes staggered terms for commissioners, replacing them with one, non-renewable three-year term, and it eliminates the requirement that each commissioner obtain a security clearance.
The bill prescribes certain procedures when a commissioner speaks at a public event in either a private or official capacity, and it requires commissioners to disclose any instance in which they were identified as a commissioner while participating in a public event in a private capacity. The bill also prohibits commissioners and staff from accepting nonfederal funding for official travel expenses, and it requires each member of the commission to disclose any international travel that was paid for or reimbursed by anyone other than the commissioner or the federal government. Further, the commission must make its rules, opinions, orders, records, and proceedings publicly available, and each commissioner must submit financial disclosure reports in the same form and manner as an officer or employee of Congress.
In addition, the bill revises provisions related to commission personnel and compensation.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2503 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2503

To reauthorize the United States Commission on International Religious 
                    Freedom, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 18, 2019

Mr. Rubio (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. 
Coons) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
                 to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To reauthorize the United States Commission on International Religious 
                    Freedom, 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 ``United States Commission on 
International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.

    Section 209 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6436) is amended by striking ``2019'' and inserting ``2023''.

SEC. 3. COMPOSITION OF COMMISSION.

    Section 201 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6431) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(2)--
                    (A) by striking ``(A) In general.--''; and
                    (B) by striking subparagraph (B);
            (2) in subsection (c)(1)--
                    (A) by striking ``2 years'' and inserting ``3 
                years''; and
                    (B) by striking the second and third sentences and 
                inserting the following: ``Individuals serving on the 
                Commission on the date of the enactment of the United 
                States Commission on International Religious Freedom 
                Reauthorization Act of 2019 who were previously 
                reappointed to the Commission may not remain in office 
                after the end of the term for which the member was 
                appointed. Individuals serving on the Commission as of 
                such date of enactment who were not previously 
                reappointed to the Commission may be reappointed for 1 
                additional 2-year term. Individuals appointed to the 
                Commission on or after such date of enactment may not 
                serve more than 1 term as members of the Commission 
                under any circumstance. Individuals whose service as 
                members of the Commission ended before such date of 
                enactment may not be reappointed to the Commission.'';
            (3) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
    ``(d) Election of Chair and Vice Chair.--At the first meeting of 
the Commission after May 30 of each year, a majority of the members of 
the Commission who are present and voting shall elect a Chair and a 
Vice Chair. The Vice Chair shall have been appointed by an officeholder 
from a different political party than the officeholder who appointed 
the member of the Commission who was elected Chair. The positions of 
Chair and Vice Chair shall be rotated annually between members who were 
appointed to the Commission by officeholders of different political 
parties.'';
            (4) in subsection (f), by striking ``Country Report on 
        Human Rights Practices'' and inserting ``International 
        Religious Freedom Report''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(j) Removal.--If a payment is made under section 415(a) of the 
Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1415(a)) for an 
award or settlement in connection with a claim alleging a violation of 
unlawful harassment, intimidation, reprisal, or discrimination under 
the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) 
that was committed personally by an individual who, at the time of 
committing the violation, was a Member of the Commission, the Member 
shall be removed from the Commission.''.

SEC. 4. DUTIES AND POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Duties.--Section 202 of the International Religious Freedom Act 
of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6432) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``globally and the 
        abuse of religion to justify human rights violations, including 
        those'' after ``freedom''; and
            (2) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Commission'' and inserting 
                the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Commission''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Tracking; review.--The Commission shall regularly--
                    ``(A) track the implementation by the United States 
                Government of the recommendations it makes under 
                paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) review, to the extent practicable, the 
                effectiveness of such implemented recommendations in 
                advancing religious freedom internationally.''.
    (b) Powers.--Section 203(e) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6432a(e)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Members of the Commission'' and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Members of the Commission'';
            (2) in paragraph (1), as redesignated, by inserting ``When 
        a member of the Commission is speaking at a public event in his 
        or her capacity as a private citizen, the event sponsor shall 
        not identify the member's affiliation with the Commission in 
        any printed materials or when introducing the member.'' after 
        ``private citizens.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Speaking at events in official capacity.--When a 
        Member of the Commission is invited to speak at an event in his 
        or her capacity as a Commissioner, the Member shall provide 
        notice of the request to all Commissioners and the Executive 
        Director as soon as the Commissioner becomes aware of the 
        request. When a specific Commissioner is requested to speak at 
        an event, but a different Commissioner has more relevant 
        subject-matter expertise, the Commission may propose that a 
        different Commissioner speak at the event. If more than 1 
        Commissioner would like to speak at an event and interested 
        Commissioners cannot reach a timely, amicable decision on who 
        shall speak, the Commission, as a whole, shall decide who shall 
        speak by majority vote. Speeches and responses to questions at 
        events shall reflect the views of the Commission. Speeches and 
        other prepared materials must be circulated to all 
        Commissioners in advance of the event.''.

SEC. 5. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 204 of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6432b) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``, without regard to civil service 
                laws and regulations,'';
                    (B) by striking ``and such other additional 
                personnel'' and inserting the following: ``. The 
                Executive Director, with the approval of the Chair and 
                the Vice Chair, may appoint or terminate additional 
                senior staff''; and
                    (C) by inserting ``The Executive Director, in 
                consultation with the relevant Directors, may appoint 
                or terminate such junior staff as may be necessary to 
                enable the Commission to perform its duties.'' after 
                ``duties.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``fix the compensation of the 
                Executive Director and other personnel'' and inserting 
                ``provide reasonable compensation to the Executive 
                Director'';
                    (B) by striking ``and other personnel may not 
                exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive 
                Schedule under section 5316'' and inserting ``may not 
                exceed the rate payable under level II of the Executive 
                Schedule under section 5313''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following: ``The rate 
                of pay for other personnel of the Commission may not 
                exceed the rate payable for level IV of the Executive 
                Schedule under section 5315 of such title. All 
                employees of the Commission shall otherwise be treated 
                as employees whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of 
                the Senate, including for purposes of applying the 
                Standing Rules of the Senate. The Commission shall be 
                treated as an employing office of the Senate'';
            (3) in subsection (f), by striking ``the commission, for 
        the executive director'' and inserting ``the Commission, for 
        the Executive Director''; and
            (4) by striking subsection (g).
    (b) Coverage of Commission Employees.--Section 101(b) of the 
Congressional Accountability Act (2 U.S.C. 1301) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``the United States 
        Commission on International Religious Freedom,'' after ``With 
        respect to'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 
                clauses (i) and (ii);
                    (B) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``Subject to 
                paragraph (3),''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Legal assistance and representation under 
                this chapter, including assistance and representation 
                with respect to the proposal or acceptance of the 
                disposition of a claim under this chapter, shall be 
                provided to the United States Commission on 
                International Religious Freedom by the Office of Senate 
                Chief Counsel for Employment of the Senate, in the case 
                of assistance and representation in connection with a 
                claim filed under subchapter IV (including all 
                subsequent proceedings under such subchapter in 
                connection with such claim).''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) the term `United States Commission on 
                International Religious Freedom' means the Commission 
                established under section 201 of the International 
                Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431 et 
                seq.).''.

SEC. 6. COMMISSION TRAVEL AND ANNUAL DISCLOSURES.

    (a) Duties.--Section 201(i) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431(i)) is amended by striking ``are subject 
to'' and inserting ``shall comply with''.
    (b) Powers.--Section 203(f) of the International Religious Freedom 
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6432a(f)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Members of the Commission'' and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The Members of the Commission''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Prohibition against payment of official travel by 
        non-federal sources.--Members of the Commission and Commission 
        staff may not accept payment from a non-Federal source for 
        expenses related to official travel on behalf of the 
        Commission.''.
    (c) Annual Disclosures.--Section 203 of the International Religious 
Freedom Act of 1998, as amended by subsection (b), is further amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Annual Disclosures.--Not later than March 1 of each year, 
each Member of the Commission shall submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees (as defined in section 4(a) of the United 
States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization 
Act of 2015 (22 U.S.C. 6433a(a)) that discloses, with respect to the 
most recently concluded 12-month period--
            ``(1) any travel by the Member outside of the United States 
        that was paid for or reimbursed by a person or entity other 
        than the Member, a relative of the Member, or the Federal 
        Government, including--
                    ``(A) who paid for or reimbursed the travel;
                    ``(B) a good faith estimate of the cost of the 
                travel; and
                    ``(C) brief details of the travel and events 
                related to such travel; and
            ``(2) any instances in which the Member was identified as a 
        Commissioner while speaking at, or otherwise participating in, 
        a public event in his or her capacity as a private citizen.''.

SEC. 7. STRATEGIC PLAN.

    Section 4(d) of the United States Commission on International 
Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015 (22 U.S.C. 6433a(d)) is 
amended by striking ``Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Act, and not less frequently than biennially 
thereafter'' and inserting ``Not later than December 15, 2019, and 
every 2 years thereafter''.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 207(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6435(a)) is amended by striking ``$3,500,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2016 to 2019'' and inserting ``$4,500,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2019 through 2023''.

SEC. 9. RECORD RETENTION.

    Section 208 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6435a) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Commission Records.--The Commission shall comply with all of 
the records management requirements set forth in chapter 31 of title 
44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the `Federal Records 
Act of 1950').
    ``(g) Official Email for Commission Business.--When conducting any 
Commission business through email, Commission Members and staff shall 
use official Commission email.''.
                                 <all>