Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-5846
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2014-12-10
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Advisory bodies

Africa

Asia

Congressional oversight

Department of State

Detention of persons

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Employment discrimination and employee rights

Executive agency funding and structure

Federal officials

Foreign aid and international relief

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Government trust funds

Higher education

Human rights

International law and treaties

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media

Lawyers and legal services

Nigeria

Pakistan

Religion

Sanctions

Teaching, teachers, curricula

Vietnam
Latest action: action_date: 2014-12-10
text: 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.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-12-10
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014 - Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to locate the Office on International Religious Freedom in the Office of the Secretary of State.</p> <p>Directs the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to seek to coordinate religious freedom policies and religious engagement strategies across all U.S. programs, projects, and activities.</p> <p>Specifies additional foreign government actions violating religious freedom for the Ambassador's Annual Report on International Religious Freedom, including a Special Watch List of countries or violent nonstate actors that have engaged in or tolerated such violations but do not yet meet the criteria for designation as countries of particular concern for religious freedom.</p> <p>Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to direct the Secretary to develop a curriculum for, and the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center to begin, mandatory training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers.</p> <p>Amends the IRFA to require the Commission on International Religious Freedom to compile and make publicly available regularly updated lists of persons imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith by: (1) a foreign government recommended for designation as a country of particular concern for religions freedom, or (2) a violent nonstate actor.</p> <p>Makes it a primary responsibility of the Commission to make annual recommendations on such countries and violent nonstate actors as well as specific policy responses or actions that may be taken regarding them.</p> <p>Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to establish within the National Security Council a permanent Interagency Policy Committee on Religious Freedom and Engagement headed by a presidentially appointed Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom Promotion, who shall develop and coordinate religious freedom policies and religion engagement strategies throughout the executive branch.</p> <p>Amends the IRFA to revise requirements, including reporting requirements, for presidential actions with respect to country and violent nonstate actor designations, in particular those countries on the Special Watch List.</p> <p>Declares the sense of Congress that:</p> <ul> <li>ongoing and persistent waivers for designated countries, especially those engaging in particularly severe violations of religious freedom, do not fulfill IRFA purposes;</li> <li>the President, the Secretary of State, and other executive branch officials, in consultation with Congress, should seek to find ways to address existing violations, on a country-by-country basis, through specified actions; and</li> <li>the country of particular concern for religious freedom designation should apply also to violent nonstate actors.</li> </ul> <p>Repeals the automatic termination of a presidential designation after two years.</p> <p>Makes funds available for FY2016-FY2021 for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund.</p> <p>Establishes in the State Department the Religious Freedom Defense Fund, to be administered by the Ambassador at Large.</p> <p>Authorizes the President to exercise specified authority to sanction persons responsible for committing particularly severe violations of international religious freedom.</p> <p>Declares the sense of Congress about: (1) adoption of codes of conduct by U.S. institutions of higher education outside the United States, and (2) national security strategy to promote religious freedom through U.S. foreign policy.</p> <p>Directs the Comptroller General to report to the appropriate congressional committees on whether Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam meet the criteria for designation as countries of particular concern for religious freedom.</p>

tv_txt: I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5846 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 10, 2014 Mr. Smith of New Jersey introduced the following 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 improve the ability of the United States to protect religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more timely and flexible political responses to religious freedom violations worldwide, and for other purposes.

1. Short Title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014 . 2. Findings; policy Section 2 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (4), in the fourth sentence, by inserting prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter, male infant circumcision, censorship of religious content, or worship on the Internet, after confiscations of property, ; (B) in paragraph (5), by amending the second sentence to read as follows: In many countries, religious believers are forced to meet secretly, and religious leaders and believers are targeted by national security forces, violent nonstate actors, and hostile mobs. ; (C) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (9); and (D) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraphs: (7) There is growing evidence that demonstrates a connection between the absence of religious freedom and increased levels of persecution of religious minorities, religiously motivated conflict, violent extremism, and terrorism, including the kind of terrorism that has reached the United States. (8) It is increasingly clear that understanding religion and the political and security implications of religious motivation and conviction is critical to the success of United States diplomacy and foreign policy initiatives as there are studies that show— (A) 75 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where the right to the freedom of religion and belief is severely restricted, either by the government or violent nonstate actors; and (B) 84 percent of the world’s population identifies strongly with a specific religious group. ; and (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (6) Because the promotion of international religious freedom is a foreign policy strategy that protects other, related human rights, advances democracy abroad, and is linked directly to United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies, religion engagement strategies, and diplomatic responses that are drawn from the expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic services, Congress, and other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, and are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies that are engaged with or conduct negotiations or United States Government funded programs with governments or violent nonstate actors that engage in or tolerate violations of religious freedom. . 3. Definitions Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ) is amended— (1) by amending paragraph (12) to read as follows: (12) Senior Director The term Senior Director means the Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom Promotion described in section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947. ; and (2) by adding at the end, the following new paragraphs: (14) Special Watch List The term Special Watch List means the Special Watch List described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii). (15) Violent nonstate actor The term violent nonstate actor means a nonsovereign entity or group that exercises significant political power or influence at a national or international level and which, through violence or the threat of violence, destabilizes existing government structures or gains defacto or actual control over large territories within existing countries and which engages in or tolerates violations of religious freedom. (16) Institution of Higher Education The term institution of higher education has the meaning given that term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001) . 4. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6411 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following new sentence: The Office shall be located in the Office of the Secretary of State. ; (2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the before the period the following: , and shall report directly to the Secretary of State. ; (3) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) by striking responsibility and inserting responsibilities ; (ii) by striking shall be to advance and inserting the following: shall be to— (A) advance ; (iii) in subparagraph (A), as so added, by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (iv) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (B) integrate United States international religious freedom policies and religious engagement strategies into democracy, civil society, conflict prevention and mitigation, and development efforts funded by the United States and into the counterterrorism policies of Federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, and the Department of the Treasury. ; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking a principal adviser and inserting the principal adviser ; (C) in paragraph (3)— (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking and at the end; (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (C) contacts with nongovernmental organizations that have an impact on the state of religious freedom in their respective societies or regions, or internationally. ; (D) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and (E) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new paragraph: (4) Coordination responsibilities In order to promote religious freedom as an interest of United States foreign policy, the Ambassador at Large shall seek to coordinate religious freedom policies and religious engagement strategies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States, including the programs, projects, and activities of the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the United States Agency for International Development. ; and (4) in subsection (d), by striking staff for the Office and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting individuals to fill at least 15 full-time equivalent staff positions, under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, including a senior advisor, for the Office, for the conduct of investigations by the Office, and for necessary travel to carry out the provisions of this section. The Secretary of State shall also provide to the Ambassador at Large representation funds equal to the amount of representation funds provided to other Ambassadors at Large in the Department of State. . 5. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom Paragraph (1) of section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (iii), by striking and at the end; (B) in clause (iv), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) by adding at the end the following new clause: (v) any action taken by a government or other entity to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online, including descriptions of the targeted religious group, the content, communication, or activities censored, the means used, and government or other entity engaged in such online censorship activities. ; (2) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend targeted religious groups or highlight religious freedom violations, prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter or male infant circumcision, after entire religions, ; and (B) by inserting policies that ban or restrict the public manifestation of religious belief and the peaceful involvement of religious groups or their members in the political life of each such foreign country, after such groups, ; (3) in subparagraph (C)— (A) by striking A description and inserting A comprehensive description ; (B) by striking policies in support and inserting religious engagement policies in support ; and (C) by adding at the end before the period the following: , and a unique, comprehensive, and country-specific analysis of the impact of actions by the United States on the status of religious freedom in each such country. ; and (4) in subparagraph (F), by adding at the end the following new clause: (iii) Special Watch List A list, to be known as the Special Watch List , which shall identify any country or violent nonstate actor that has engaged in or tolerated systematic, egregious, or ongoing violations of religious freedom during the previous reporting year but which the Secretary determines does not meet, at the time of the publication of the Annual Report, the criteria for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1). . 6. Training for Foreign Service officers; Report (a) Amendment to Foreign Service Act of 1980 Section 708 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ( 22 U.S.C. 4028 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; (2) in subsection (d), as redesignated, by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Refugees.— The Secretary of State ; (3) in subsection (e), as redesignated, by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Child Soldiers .—The Secretary of State ; (4) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: (a) Development of Curriculum The Secretary of State, with the assistance of other relevant officials, including the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom appointed under section 101(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, and other Federal officials as appropriate, and in consultation with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom established in section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, shall develop a curriculum for training United States Foreign Service officers in the meaning and strategic value of religious freedom, how violations of religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of religious freedom can advance such interests, how United States international religious freedom policy should be carried out in practice by United states diplomats and other Foreign Service officers, and the relevance and relationship of religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. (b) Training Program Not later than the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014 , the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center shall begin mandatory training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers, including all entry level officers and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. Such training shall, at minimum, be a separate, independent, and required segment of each of the following: (1) The A–100 course attended by all Foreign Service officers. (2) The courses required of every Foreign Service officer prior to a posting outside the United States, with segments tailored to the particular religious demography, religious freedom conditions, and United States strategies for advancing religious freedom, in each receiving country. (3) The courses required of all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. (c) Information Sharing The curriculum and training materials developed pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) shall be shared with the United States Armed Forces and intelligence community to provide training and particularized instruction on United States religious freedom policies, religious traditions, and religious and cultural issues for the countries the Armed Forces and intelligence community are responsible. . (b) Report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, with the assistance of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, and the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report containing a comprehensive plan for undertaking training for Foreign Service officers as required under section 708 of the Foreign Services Act of 1980, as amended by subsection (a) of this section. 7. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns Section 108 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6417 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in the heading, by striking Sense of the Congress and inserting Increased Diplomatic Advocacy ; and (B) by striking it is the sense of the Congress that officials of the executive branch of Government should promote and inserting appropriate officials of the executive branch, including the Secretary of State, the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom, and State Department officials from regional bureaus, shall promote ; (2) in subsection (c), by striking , as appropriate, provide and insert make available ; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d) Victims List Maintained by the Commission The Commission shall compile, maintain, and make publicly available online and in official publications, regularly updated lists of persons it determines are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith by a foreign government that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religions freedom under section 402(b) or a violent nonstate actor and include information on the conditions and circumstances of such individuals. In compiling such lists, the Commission shall exercise appropriate discretion, including consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the persons who may be included on the lists and their families. . 8. Duties of the Commission on International Religious Freedom Subsection (a) of section 202 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6432 ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking responsibility and inserting responsibilities ; (2) in paragraph (1), by striking and at the end; (3) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: (3) by making annual recommendations on countries, and violent nonstate actors, as appropriate, which commit particularly severe violations of religious freedom and issuing reports on any other countries and violent nonstate actors that the Commission believes to have engaged in or tolerated violations of religious freedom; and (4) recommending specific policy responses or actions that may be taken under section 405(a), including any commensurate actions that may be taken. . 9. Report of the Commission on International Religious Freedom Subsection (a) of section 205 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6433 ) is amended to read as follows: (a) In General The Commission shall— (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the submission of the report required of the Secretary of State under section 102(b), submit an annual report to the President, the Secretary of State, and the appropriate congressional committees setting forth its recommendation for United States policy options based on evaluations of country conditions under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 202(a); and (2) submit recommendations required under paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 202(a) sufficiently prior to the annual designation of each country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b) to allow for presidential consideration of such recommendations. . 10. Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom Promotion; Interagency Policy Committees (a) Amendments to National Security Act of 1947 Section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3021 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (k)— (A) in the first sentence, (i) by striking It is the sense of that there should be and inserting The President shall appoint ; and (ii) by striking Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom and inserting Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom Promotion ; and (B) by striking the second and third sentences and inserting the following: The Senior Director, shall develop and coordinate religious freedom policies and religion engagement strategies throughout the Executive Branch, serve as a resource for executive branch officials, compile and maintain information on the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom, assist in coordinating all programs, projects, and activities of the United States to promote religious freedom and religious engagement outside the United States, and make policy recommendations relevant to the programs, projects, activities of the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the United States Agency for International Development, and carry out all other applicable duties, responsibilities, and coordination activities enumerated in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The Senior Director shall serve as liaison with the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom and the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom described in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, Congress, religious and nongovernmental organizations, and, as appropriate, Cabinet-level agencies. ; and (2) by adding at the end, the following new subsections: (m) Interagency Policy Committee on Religious Freedom and Engagement (1) Establishment There is established within the National Security Council a permanent interagency policy committee to be known as the Interagency Policy Committee on Religious Freedom and Engagement (in this subsection referred to as the Committee ). (2) Membership The Committee shall be co-chaired by the Senior Director for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom Promotion and the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom described in section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. (3) Functions The Committee shall develop a religion engagement strategy globally and coordinate international religious freedom policy across the Executive Branch. (n) Interagency Policy Committee on Religion, Human rights, and National security (1) Establishment There is established within the National Security Council a permanent interagency policy committee to be known as the Interagency Policy Committee on Religion, Human Rights, and National Security (in this subsection referred to as the Committee ). (2) Membership The Committee shall be chaired by the Deputy National Security Advisor, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom described in section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. (3) Functions The Committee shall coordinate policy on the intersection of religion, human rights, and United States interests in preventing terrorism, countering violent extremism, and mitigating and preventing conflict. . (b) Regulations Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall promulgate regulations to carry out subsections (k), (m), and (n) of section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 as amended by subsection (a) of this section. 11. Presidential actions in response to violations of religious freedom Section 401(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6441(b) ) is amended, (1) in paragraph (1), by striking Special Adviser and inserting Senior Director ; and (2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) Deadline for Actions (A) In General Except as provided in subparagraph (B), not later than 90 days after the date on which each of the Annual Reports is submitted under section 102(b), the President shall take 1 or more of the actions referred to in section 405(a) or a commensurate action with respect to each foreign country and violent nonstate actor that has engaged in or tolerated violations of religious freedom at any time since the previous such report was submitted. (B) Additional Prerequisite The President may not take any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) or a commensurate action with respect to a foreign country or violent nonstate actor until the President certifies that the requirements under sections 403 and 404 have been satisfied with respect so such country or actor. . 12. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom Section 402 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: (A) In General Not later than 90 days after the date on which each Annual Report is submitted under section 102(b), the President shall— (i) review the status of religious freedom in each foreign country to determine whether the government of that country has engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom in each such country during the preceding 12 months or longer; and (ii) designate each country the government of which has engaged in or tolerated violations described in clause (i) as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b). ; and (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking prior to September 1 of the respective year and inserting before the date on which each Annual Report is submitted under section 102(b) ; (B) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows: (3) Congressional notification (A) In General Whenever the President designates a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A), the President shall, not later than 120 days after the designation is made, transmit to the appropriate congressional committees— (i) the designation of the country, signed by the President; (ii) the identification, if any, of responsible parties determined under paragraph (2); and (iii) a description of the actions taken under subsection (c), the purposes of the actions taken, and the effectiveness of the actions taken. (B) Removal of Designation A country that is designated as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A) shall retain such designation until the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the country should no longer be so designated. (C) Explanation for Nondesignation If the President does not designate a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A) after the Commission has recommended such designation, the President shall provide an explanation for the nondesignation to the appropriate congressional committees. ; and (C) by adding at the end, the following new paragraph: (4) Treatment of countries on Special Watch List (A) In General The President shall designate as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A) any country that appears on the Special Watch List— (i) in more than 2 consecutive Annual Reports; (ii) in any 4 Annual Reports; (iii) in more than 1 Annual Report after the expiration of a waiver issued under subparagraph (B); and (iv) in more than 1 Annual Report if the President has previously designated such country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A). (B) Exercise of Waiver Authority The President may waive the application of clauses (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A) with respect to a country for up to 2 years if the President certifies to the appropriate committees of Congress that— (i) the country has entered into an agreement with the United States to carry out specific and credible actions to improve religious freedom conditions and end religious freedom violations; (ii) the country has entered into an agreement with the United Nations, the European Union, or other ally of the United States, to carry out specific and credible actions to improve religious freedom conditions and end religious freedom violations; or (iii) waiver is in the national security interests of the United States. (C) Effect on Designation as Country of Particular Concern The presence or absence of a country from the Special Watch List in any given year shall not preclude the designation of such country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under paragraph (1)(A) in any such year. ; and (2) in subsection (c)(5), in the second sentence, by inserting and include a description of the impact of the designation of such sanction or sanctions that exist in each country after determines satisfy the requirements of this subsection . 13. Consultations Subsection (a) of section 403 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6443 ) is amended by striking As soon as practicable and inserting Not later than 90 days . 14. Report to Congress Subsection (a) of section 404 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444 ) is amended— (1) by striking decides to take action under section 401 and inserting takes action under section 401 ; (2) by striking decides to take action under paragraphs and inserting takes the required action under paragraphs ; and (3) in paragraph (4)(A)— (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking Special Adviser and inserting Senior Director ; (B) in clause (ii), by striking and at the end; (C) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (D) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) the impact on other policy tools, and a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counterterrorism. . 15. Presidential waiver Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6447 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by inserting , for a 180-day period beginning on the date of the initial designation, after may waive ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (c) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that ongoing and persistent waivers for any country designated as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b) for engaging in particularly severe violations of religious freedom do not fulfill the purposes of this Act, and, given that promotion of religious freedom is a compelling United States foreign policy priority, the President, the Secretary of State, and other executive branch officials, in consultation with Congress, should seek to find ways to address existing violations, on a country-by-country basis, through the actions specified in section 405 or other commensurate actions, possibly including through the actions described in section 605, or by some other action that addresses the specific religious freedom violations of each country designated. . 16. Termination of presidential actions Section 409 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6449 ) is amended to read as follows: 409. Termination of presidential actions Any Presidential action taken under this Act with respect to a foreign country shall terminate after a determination by the President, in consultation with the Commission, and written certification to Congress that the foreign government has ceased or taken substantial and verifiable steps to cease the particularly severe violations of religious freedom . 17. Country of particular concern designation for violent nonstate actors Title IV of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6441 et seq. ) is amended by inserting after section 405 the following new section: 405A. Sense of Congress regarding country of particular concern designation for violent nonstate actors It is the sense of Congress that the country of particular concern for religious freedom designation described in section 402(b) and the Presidential actions described in 405 should be applicable to violent nonstate actors. The President should include, in the report to Congress required by section 404, any reasons why such violent nonstate actors were not so designated (if the Council recommended doing so) and whether any presidential actions described in section 405 were taken against such violent nonstate actors . 18. Assistance for promoting religious freedom Section 501 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections: (c) Availability of Amounts Of the amounts made available for fiscal years 2016 through 2021 for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund established under section 664 of the Freedom Investment Act of 2002 (subtitle E of title VI of Public Law 107–228 ), the Secretary of State shall provide to the Office— (1) not less than 5 percent of such amounts for each such fiscal year for the promotion of international religious freedom through groups that are able to develop legal protections or promote cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom and groups that seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence; and not less than 1 percent of such amounts for each such fiscal year for the Religious Freedom Defense Fund established under subsection (d). (d) Religious Freedom Defense Fund (1) Establishment There is established in the Department of State a fund to be known as the Religious Freedom Defense Fund (referred to in this subsection as the Fund ) which shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large. (2) Amounts The Fund shall consist of amounts made available under subsection (c)(2). (3) Use of Fund The Ambassador at Large shall use amounts in the Fund to issue grants for the following: (A) Victims of religious freedom abuses and their families to cover legal and other expenses that may arise from detention, imprisonment, torture, fines, and other restrictions. (B) Projects to help create and support a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, sectarian violence, or legal or other restrictions of the right to the freedom of religion and belief. (4) Preference In issuing grants under paragraph (3), the Ambassador at Large shall, as appropriate, give preference to projects targeting religious freedom violations in countries designated as countries of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b) and those included on the Special Watch List. (e) Consultation The Ambassador at Large should consult, in developing priorities and policies for disbursing the funds referred to in subsection (c), including grant policies and the identification of potential grantees, with other Federal agencies, including the Commission, and the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy and, as appropriate, other nongovernmental organizations. . 19. Actions against persons responsible for committing particularly severe violations of international religious freedom Title VI of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6471 et seq. ) is amended— (1) by redesignating section 605 as section 606; and (2) by inserting after section 604 the following new section: 605. Actions against persons responsible for committing particularly severe violations of international religious freedom (a) Authority To sanction persons responsible for committing or ordering particularly severe violations of international religious freedom Notwithstanding section 202 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 ), the President may exercise the authority specified in section 203 of such Act with respect to— (1) any person that the President determines plays a role in committing, ordering, or materially supporting particularly severe violations of religious freedom; or (2) any person that the President determines to be providing material or other assistance supporting violent religious extremism. (b) Report to Congress on identification and sanction of persons responsible for particularly severe violations of international religious freedom (1) In General Upon exercising the authority described in subsection (a) with respect to a person, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report— (A) identifying the persons that the President determines to be subject to action under subsection (a) and the basis for such determination; and (B) describing the actions carried out against such persons pursuant to subsection (a). (2) Report on Removal of Sanctions Upon suspending or terminating any action imposed on a person under the authority of subsection (a), the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees written notification of such suspension or termination. (3) Submission of Classified Information Reports submitted under this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex. . 20. Miscellaneous Provisions Title VII of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6481 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following new sections: 702. Codes of conduct for United States institutions of higher education outside the United States (a) Finding Congress recognizes the enduring importance of United States institutions of higher education worldwide both for their potential for shaping positive leadership and new educational models in host countries and for their emphasis on teaching universally recognized rights of free inquiry and academic freedom. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that United States institutions of higher education operating campuses outside the United States or establishing any educational entities with foreign governments, particularly with or in countries the governments of which engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom as identified in the Annual Report and the annual report of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, should adopt a code of conduct— (1) upholding the right of freedom of religion of their employees and students, including the right to manifest that religion peacefully as protected in international law; (2) ensuring that the religious views and peaceful practice of belief in no way affect, or be allowed to affect, the status of a worker’s or faculty member’s employment or a student’s enrollment; and (3) affirming that all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to establish any educational entity, shall be open, transparent, and made available for public inspection before conclusion and that any such agreement shall affirm, at all times, academic freedom and universal rights to the freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, and association. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to promote religious freedom through United States foreign policy It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the annual national security strategy report of the President required by section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3043 ) should promote international religious freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority and should articulate that promotion of the right to freedom of religion or belief is a strategy that protects other, related human rights, and advances democracy outside the United States, and make clear its importance to United States foreign policy goals of stability, security, development, and diplomacy; (2) the national security strategy report should be a guide for the strategies and activities of relevant Federal agencies and inform the Department of Defense quadrennial defense review under section 118 of title 10, United States Code, and the Department of State Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review; and (3) in order to support the development of a national security strategy that emphasizes the challenges of integrating religious freedom into United States foreign policy at all levels, the President should consider— (A) adopting a whole-of-government approach to promote international religious freedom by creating senior policy positions and committees at the National Security Council, chaired by the Senior Directors of the National Security Council and the Ambassador at Large, and implemented through specific policy directives that guide the actions of other Federal agencies; and (B) requesting a national intelligence estimate on international religious freedom by the National Intelligence Council or any other intelligence agency as appropriate, which that analyzes conditions and trends of international religious freedom and identifies potential national security risks related to the absence of religious freedom, including threats to stability from authoritarian governments, terrorism, violent religious extremism, sectarian violence, and laws that restrict religious freedom. 704. Report on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam (a) In General Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2014 , the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on whether religious freedom conditions are such that the countries of Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam meet the criteria for designation as countries of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b). (b) Consultation The Comptroller General shall consult with the appropriate executive branch officials, appropriate congressional committees, and governmental and nongovernmental organizations for the purposes of preparing the report required by subsection (a). (c) Matters To be included The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) A multiyear comparison of country reports on Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam in the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the Annual Reports described in section 102(b), and the annual reports of the Commission. (2) A comparison of reports and publications on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam issued by foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations, and academic entities, to the findings of the reports issued by the United States. (3) Discussions with current and former United States officials, including Members of Congress, Commissioners, and staff of the Commission, about religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam, the requirements of this Act, and United States national interests in such countries. (4) Discussions with current and former United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Religion and Belief and their staffs, about religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam. (5) Discussions with academic and other experts, including representatives of religions and ethnic minority groups, about religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam, the effect of United States advocacy for religious freedom in such countries, and United States national interests in such countries. . 21. Clerical Amendments The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— (1) by inserting after the item relating to section 405 the following: Sec. 405A. Sense of Congress regarding country of particular concern designation for violent nonstate actors. ; (2) by striking the item relating to section 605 and inserting the following: Sec. 606. Studies on the effect of expedited removal provisions on asylum claims. ; (3) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the following: Sec. 605. Actions against persons responsible for committing particularly severe violations of international religious freedom. ; and (4) by adding at the end the following: Sec. 702. Codes of conduct for United States institutions of higher education operating outside the United States. Sec. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to promote religious freedom through United States foreign policy. Sec. 704. Report on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam. .