Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act

Bill: 114-hr-1150
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2015-02-27
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Department of State

Detention of persons

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Employment discrimination and employee rights

Executive Office of the President

Executive agency funding and structure

Federal officials

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government information and archives

Government trust funds

Higher education

Human rights

Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information

International law and treaties

Religion

Sanctions

School administration

Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Teaching, teachers, curricula

Terrorism

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

Violent crime
Latest action: action_date: 2016-12-16
text: Became Public Law No: 114-281.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-02-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015</strong></p> <p> 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 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> Extends the Commission's termination date.</p> <p>Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to direct the President to appoint in the National Security Council a Special Adviser for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom (in lieu of the Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom) who shall assist the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to coordinate executive branch international religious freedom policies and global religion engagement strategies. </p> <p> Establishes within the National Security Council: (1) the Interagency Policy Committee on Religious Freedom and Engagement; and (2) the Interagency Policy Committee on Religion, International Religious Freedom, and National Security.</p> <p>Amends 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; and </li> <li>the President, the Secretary, 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.</li> </ul> <p>Repeals the automatic termination of a presidential designation after two years.</p> <p> States that it should be U.S. policy that violent nonstate actors should be eligible for designation as countries of particular concern and that specified presidential actions should apply to them or individual members of such groups.</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 take specified actions against foreign persons: (1) responsible for committing or supporting systemic violations of religious freedom, or (2) supporting violence or terrorist acts targeting members of religious groups. </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>

action_date: 2016-05-16
action_desc: Passed House amended
text: <p><strong>Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act</strong></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to state in the congressional findings that the freedom of thought and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs as well as the right not to profess or practice any religion.</p> <p>TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE ACTIVITIES</p> <p>(Sec. 101) In order to promote religious freedom as a U.S. foreign policy interest, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom: (1) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all U.S. programs and activities, and (2) is urged to participate in any interagency processes in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance U.S. national security interests. </p> <p> The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of State should consider elevating the office of International Religious Freedom and the position of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to the Office of the Secretary.</p> <p>(Sec. 102) The deadline for submitting the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom is changed from September 1 to May 1 (or the first day thereafter on which the appropriate House of Congress is in session).</p> <p> Such report shall include information about: </p> <ul> <li> severe violations of religious freedom in a country where a government does not exist or does not control its territory; </li> <li> identification of prisoners in a country; </li> <li>action taken by a government to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online;</li> <li>persecution of human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of religious groups or highlight religious freedom violations, including prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter or male infant circumcision; and </li> <li>country-specific analysis of the impact of U.S. actions on religious freedom. </li> </ul> <p>The executive summary of each such report shall include: (1) information about a country in which a non-state actor is designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, and (2) a Special Watch List that shall identify each country that engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom but which the President determines does not meet all the criteria for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom.</p> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the State Department and the Commission on International Religious Freedom work together to fulfill the original intent of the IRFA.</p> <p>(Sec. 103) The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to direct the State Department 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. The State Department shall submit a plan within 180 days for undertaking such training.</p> <p>(Sec. 104) The commission shall make publicly available lists of persons who are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of religious faith by the government of a foreign country or by a non-state actor that the commission recommends for designation as a country or entity of particular concern for religious freedom. </p> <p>TITLE II--NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL</p> <p>(Sec. 201) The National Security Act of 1947 is amended to express the sense of Congress that there should be within the National Security Council staff a Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom with primary responsibility to serve as a religious freedom resource for executive branch officials.</p> <p>TITLE III--PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS</p> <p>(Sec. 301) The President: (1) concurrent with the annual review of the status of religious freedom in foreign countries required under the IFRA, shall identify any non-state actors operating in a reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; (2) shall designate each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom; and (3) shall submit a report detailing the reasons for such designation. </p> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the State Department should work with Congress to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors. </p> <p> The President shall, with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, determine the specific officials or members who are responsible for such violations. </p> <p>(Sec. 302) The deadline for such annual review is changed from September 1 to not later than 90 days after a review is submitted. </p> <p>The President shall designate as a country of particular concern for religious freedom a country that appears on the special watch list in more than two consecutive annual reports. </p> <p>(Sec. 303) The President's report on action taken in response to violations of religious freedom or on designation of a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom shall include: (1) an evaluation of the impact on the advancement of U.S. interests in democracy, human rights, and security; and (2) a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counter-terrorism.</p> <p>(Sec. 304) The waiver of specified presidential actions subsequent to the designation of a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom is limited to 180 days. The bill prescribes additional presidential waiver authority after such 180-period.</p> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) ongoing waivers do not fulfill the purposes of the IRFA; and (2) the President, the State Department, and other executive branch officials should find ways to address existing violations through presidential actions.</p> <p>(Sec. 305) The bill directs the President to publish in the Federal Register: (1) any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, and (2) the identities of individuals responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors.</p> <p>TITLE IV--PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM</p> <p>(Sec. 401) The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the State Department should make specified assistance available to promote international religious freedom, and (2) preference for such assistance should be given to projects targeting religious freedom violations in countries designated as countries of particular concern for religious freedom and in countries on the special watch list.</p> <p>TITLE V--DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM </p> <p>(Sec. 501) The State Department shall establish the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom of foreign individuals who are sanctioned (through visa denials, financial sanctions, or other measures) for ordering or otherwise directing particularly severe violations of freedom religion. The State Department shall submit the initial list within 180 days and provide updates every 180 days. </p> <p>TITLE VI--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS</p> <p>(Sec. 601) The bill express the sense of Congress that U.S. institutions of higher education operating campuses outside the United States or establishing educational entities with foreign governments, particularly with or in countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom, should adopt a voluntary code of operating conduct that should: </p> <ul> <li>uphold the right of freedom of religion of their employees and students; </li> <li>ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion in no way affect the status of a worker's or faculty member's employment or a student's enrollment; and </li> <li>make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.</li> </ul> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the President's annual national security strategy report should (1) promote international religious freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority; and (2) be a guide for the strategies and activities of relevant federal agencies, including the Department of Defense quadrennial defense review.</p>

action_date: 2016-12-16
action_desc: Public Law
text: <p><strong>Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act</strong></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) a foreign country's practice of routinely denying visa applications for religious workers can be indicative of a poor state of religious freedom in that country, and (2) the U.S. government should seek to reverse any such policy by reviewing the bilateral relationship between such country and the United States. </p> <p>TITLE I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE ACTIVITIES</p> <p>(Sec. 101) The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) is amended to provide that in order to promote religious freedom as a U.S. foreign policy interest, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom: (1) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all U.S. programs and activities, and (2) is urged to participate in any interagency processes in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance U.S. national security interests. </p> <p> It is the sense of Congress that maintaining an adequate staffing level at the Office of International Religious Freedom is necessary for the office to carry out its work.</p> <p>(Sec. 102) The deadline for submitting the Annual Report on International Religious Freedom is changed from September 1 to May 1 (or the first day thereafter on which the appropriate House of Congress is in session).</p> <p> Such report shall include information about: </p> <ul> <li> severe violations of religious freedom in a country where a government does not function or does not control its territory; </li> <li> identification of prisoners in a country; </li> <li>action taken by a government to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online;</li> <li>persecution of human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of religious groups or highlight religious freedom violations, including prohibitions on ritual animal slaughter or male infant circumcision; and </li> <li>country-specific analysis of the impact of U.S. actions on religious freedom. </li> </ul> <p>The executive summary of each such report shall include information about a country in which a non-state actor is designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. </p> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the Department of State coordinates with the Commission on International Religious Freedom to fulfill IRFA's original intent. </p> <p>(Sec. 103) The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to require the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center to conduct training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. The State Department shall submit a plan within 180 days for undertaking such training.</p> <p>Such curriculum and training materials shall be shared with the Armed Forces and other federal agencies with overseas personnel.</p> <p>(Sec. 104) The commission shall make publicly available lists of persons who are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of religious faith by the government of a foreign country or by a non-state actor that the commission recommends for designation as a country or entity of particular concern for religious freedom. </p> <p>TITLE II--NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL</p> <p>(Sec. 201) The Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom is urged to assist the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to coordinate executive branch international religious freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and within any interagency policy committee of which the Ambassador at Large is a member. </p> <p>TITLE III--PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS</p> <p>(Sec. 301) The President: (1) concurrent with the annual review of the status of religious freedom in foreign countries required under the IFRA, shall identify any non-state actors operating in a reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; (2) shall designate each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom; (3) shall submit a report detailing the reasons for such designation; and (4) is urged to take specific actions against such non-state actors.</p> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the State Department should work with Congress to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors. </p> <p> The President shall, with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, determine the specific officials or members who are responsible for such violations. </p> <p>(Sec. 302) The deadline for such annual review is changed from September 1 to not later than 90 days after a review is submitted. </p> <p>(Sec. 303) The President's report on action taken in response to violations of religious freedom or on designation of a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom shall include: (1) an evaluation of the impact on the advancement of U.S. interests in democracy, human rights, and security; and (2) a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counter-terrorism.</p> <p>(Sec. 304) The waiver of specified presidential actions subsequent to the designation of a country as a country of particular concern for religious freedom is limited to 180 days. The bill prescribes additional presidential waiver authority after such 180-period.</p> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) ongoing waivers do not fulfill the purposes of the IRFA; and (2) the President, the State Department, and other executive branch officials should find ways to address existing violations through presidential actions.</p> <p>(Sec. 305) The bill directs the President to publish in the Federal Register: (1) any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, and (2) the identities of individuals responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors.</p> <p>TITLE IV--PROMOTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM</p> <p>(Sec. 401) The bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the President should request sufficient appropriations to promote international religious freedom, and (2) preference for such assistance should be given to projects targeting religious freedom violations in watch list countries countries and in countries designated as countries of particular concern for religious freedom. </p> <p>TITLE V--DESIGNATED PERSONS LIST FOR PARTICULARLY SEVERE VIOLATIONS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM </p> <p>(Sec. 501) The State Department shall establish the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom of foreign individuals who are sanctioned (through visa denials, financial sanctions, or other measures) for ordering or otherwise directing particularly severe violations of freedom religion. The State Department shall submit the initial list within 180 days and provide updates every 180 days. </p> <p>TITLE VI--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS</p> <p>(Sec. 601) The bill express the sense of Congress that U.S. institutions of higher education operating campuses outside the United States or establishing educational entities with foreign governments, particularly with or in countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom, should adopt a voluntary code of operating conduct that should: </p> <ul> <li>uphold the right of freedom of religion of their employees and students; </li> <li>ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion in no way affect the status of a worker's or faculty member's employment or a student's enrollment; and </li> <li>make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.</li> </ul> <p>The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the President's annual national security strategy report should (1) promote international religious freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority; (2) be a guide for the strategies and activities of relevant federal agencies, and (3) inform the Department of Defense quadrennial defense review and the Department of State Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1150 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 27, 2015 Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Ms. Eshoo ) 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 advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism worldwide, and for other purposes.

1. Short title and table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2015 . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings; policy. Sec. 3. Definitions. Title I—Department of State activities Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report. Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. Title II—Commission on International Religious Freedom Sec. 201. Establishment and composition. Sec. 202. Commission personnel matters. Sec. 203. Authorization of appropriations. Sec. 204. Standards of conduct and disclosure. Sec. 205. Termination. Title III—National Security Council Sec. 301. Special Adviser for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom; Interagency Policy Committees. Title IV—Presidential actions Sec. 401. Presidential actions in response to violations of religious freedom. Sec. 402. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Sec. 403. Consultations. Sec. 404. Report to Congress. Sec. 405. Presidential waiver. Sec. 406. Termination of Presidential actions. Sec. 407. Statement of policy regarding country of particular concern designation for violent nonstate actors. Title V—Promotion of religious freedom Sec. 501. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. Title VI—Refugee, asylum, and consular matters Sec. 601. Actions against persons responsible for committing particularly severe violations of international religious freedom. Title VII—Miscellaneous provisions Sec. 701. Miscellaneous provisions. Sec. 702. Clerical amendments. 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 advances United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies, global 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) Special Adviser The term Special Adviser means the Special Advisor for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom 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— (A) exercises significant political power or influence at a national or international level; and (B) engages in, finances, or tolerates violations of religious freedom, terrorism, or violence or discrimination targeting religious minorities. (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 ) . I Department of State activities 101. 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 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 coordinate religious freedom policies and religious engagement strategies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States, including any appropriate 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 20 full-time equivalent staff positions, and other temporary staff positions as needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual Report, including a senior advisor for the Office, under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, for the conduct of investigations by the Office on conditions of religious freedom on a worldwide basis, and for any necessary travel to carry out the provisions of this Act. The Secretary of State shall also provide to the Ambassador at Large representation funds that are sufficient to carry out the duties described in this section at levels at least equal to the amount of representation funds provided to other Ambassadors at Large in the Department of State. . 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking September 1 and inserting May 1 ; (2) 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. ; (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of 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, ; (4) 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 (5) 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 tolerates violations of religious freedom during the previous reporting year but which the President determines does not meet, at the time of the publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria described in section 3(11) for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1). . 103. 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 (1) In general The Secretary of State shall develop a curriculum for training United States Foreign Service officers in the scope and strategic value of international religious freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of international 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 international religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts to combat violent extremism. The Secretary of State shall ensure the availability of sufficient resources to develop and implement such curriculum. (2) Role of other officials The Secretary of State shall carry out paragraph (1)— (A) with the assistance of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom appointed under section 101(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; (B) in coordination with the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center and other Federal officials as appropriate; and (C) in consultation with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom established in section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. (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 2015 , 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, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the United States, 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, religious engagement strategies, 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, intelligence community (as such term is defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947), and all other Federal departments and agencies whose personnel serve as attachés, advisors, or detailees in United States embassies globally to provide training and particularized instruction on United States religious freedom policies, religious traditions, religious engagement strategies, religious and cultural issues, and efforts to combat terrorism and violent religious extremism. . (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. 104. 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 Policy statement on diplomatic advocacy for prisoners of conscience ; and (B) by striking it is the sense of the Congress that officials of the executive branch of Government should promote and inserting it shall be the policy of the United States Government that all officials of the executive branch, including the Secretary of State, the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom, and State Department officials from regional bureaus, as appropriate, 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 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 for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by a foreign government or violent nonstate actor that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b) and include as much publically available information as possible on the conditions and circumstances of such individuals. In compiling such lists, the Commission shall exercise all 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. . II Commission on International Religious Freedom 201. Establishment and composition (a) In general Subsection (a) of section 201 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6431 ) is amended by inserting before the period at the end the following: , which shall be an independent Federal Government advisory body . (b) Selection Subsection (b)(2)(A) of such section is amended by inserting at the end the following new sentence: The Commission as a whole shall also have expertise on the variety of faiths practiced around the world. . (c) Membership Subsection (b)(3) of such section is amended by striking The appointments required by paragraph (1) shall be made not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. and inserting the following: An appointment required by subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) should be made within 90 days of a vacancy on the Commission. . (d) Vacancies Subsection (g) of such section is amended by striking the second sentence. 202. Commission personnel matters (a) In general Subsection (a) of section 204 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6432b ) is amended in the second sentence, by inserting voting after nine . (b) Compensation Subsection (b) of such section is amended by inserting voting members of the after The . (c) Security clearances Subsection (e) of such section is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: The Department of State is encouraged to allow Commissioners and Commission staff with the appropriate security clearance access to classified information, in order to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of their positions. . (d) Application of antidiscrimination laws Subsection (g) of such section is amended by inserting , including discrimination on the basis of religion after employment discrimination . 203. Authorization of appropriations Section 207(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6435(a) ) is amended by striking 2015 and inserting 2021 . 204. Standards of conduct and disclosure Section 208(d)(2) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6435a(d)(2) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (H) Intern, fellowship, and volunteer programs that are primarily of educational benefit to the intern, fellow, or volunteer. Sponsoring private parties may provide compensation and benefits to interns, fellows, and volunteers, provided that no conflict of interest arises. The number, duration, and funding source of any such internship, fellowship, or volunteer programs shall be described in the annual financial report required by subsection (e). . 205. Termination Section 209 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6436 ) is amended by striking September 30, 2015 and inserting September 30, 2021 . III National Security Council 301. Special Adviser for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom; 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, whose position should be comparable to that of a director and inserting Special Adviser for Global Religion Engagement and International Religious Freedom, whose position shall be comparable to that of a senior director ; and (B) by striking the second and third sentences and inserting the following: The Special Adviser, shall assist the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom described in section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to coordinate international religious freedom policies and global religion engagement strategies throughout the Executive Branch and develop policy recommendations and strategies relevant to the programs, projects, activities of the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the United States Agency for International Development. The Special Adviser shall serve as a resource and liaison for executive branch officials, Congress, and nongovernmental organizations as appropriate on matters relating to international religious freedom policy and engagement with religious communities outside the United States. ; and (2) by adding at the end, the following new subsections: (m) Interagency Policy Committee on International Religious Freedom and Global Religion Engagement (1) Establishment There should be established within the National Security Council a permanent interagency policy committee to be known as the Interagency Policy Committee on International Religious Freedom and Global Religion Engagement (in this subsection referred to as the Committee ). (2) Membership The Committee should be chaired by the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom described in section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and include all appropriate executive agency officials needed to carry out the functions of this Act. (3) Functions The Committee should develop a global religion engagement strategy globally to advance international religious freedom, develop strategies to better advance international religious freedom policy, and help coordinate such strategies across the Executive Branch. (n) Interagency Policy Committee on Religion, International Religious Freedom, and National security (1) Establishment There should be established within the National Security Council a permanent interagency policy committee to be known as the Interagency Policy Committee on Religion, International Religious Freedom, and National Security (in this subsection referred to as the Committee ). (2) Membership The Committee should be co-chaired by the Deputy National Security Advisor and the Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom described in section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. (3) Functions The Committee should analyze conditions and trends of international religious freedom and identify potential national security risks related to the absence of religious freedom globally, including threats to stability from authoritarian governments, terrorism, violent religious extremism, sectarian and religiously related violence, and laws that restrict religious freedom and develop strategies to address such threats. In addition, the Committee should coordinate policy on the intersection of religion, international religious freedom, 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 should 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. IV Presidential actions 401. Presidential actions in response to violations of religious freedom Section 401(b)(2) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6441(b)(2) ) is amended 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 to such country or actor. . 402. 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 September 1 of the respective year and inserting 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 90 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; or (iii) 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 . 403. Consultations Section 403(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6443(a) ) is amended by striking As soon as practicable and inserting Not later than 90 days . 404. Report to Congress Section 404(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444(a) ) 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 clause (ii), by striking and at the end; (B) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (C) 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. . 405. 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, 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 or tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom do not fulfill the purposes of this Act, and, given that promotion of religious freedom is a compelling interest of United States foreign policy, 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. . 406. 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 taken substantial and verifiable steps to cease the particularly severe violations of religious freedom. . 407. Statement of policy regarding 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. Statement of policy regarding country of particular concern designation for violent nonstate actors (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Since 1998, various administrations have made designations targeting violent nonstate actors who engaged in or tolerated systematic, egregious, or ongoing violations of religious freedom, such as the Taliban and Serbian groups carrying on atrocities against Bosnians. (2) Over the past 10 years the number of violent nonstate actors has increased, as have violations of religious freedom perpetuated by such actors. (b) Statement of policy It should be the policy of the United States Government that— (1) violent nonstate actors should be eligible for designation as countries of particular concern described in section 402(b) and that Presidential actions described in section 405, 604, or 605 of this Act should be applicable to violent nonstate actors or individual members of such groups; and (2) the President should include, in the report to Congress required by section 404, any reasons why violent nonstate actors that engaged in or tolerated restrictions on religious freedom, were not designated as countries of particular concern, particularly if the Commission made a recommendation for such a designation to the President and whether any Presidential actions described in section 405, 604, or 605 were taken against violent nonstate actors or individual members of such groups. . V Promotion of religious freedom 501. 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 10 percent of such amounts for each such fiscal year for the promotion of international religious freedom through— (A) groups that are able to develop legal protections or promote cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom; (B) groups that seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat violent extremism; and (C) those seeking to strengthen investigations, reporting and monitoring of religious freedom violations; and (2) not less than 2 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 training of a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, strengthen legal representation, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize legal or other restrictions of the right to the freedom of religion. (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. . VI Refugee, asylum, and consular matters 601. 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 engaging in or tolerating particularly severe violations of international religious freedom (a) Authority To sanction persons responsible for engaging in or tolerating 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 foreign person that the President determines, based on credible evidence, plays a role in committing, ordering, sponsoring, or materially supporting systemic, egregious, and ongoing violations of religious freedom; or (2) any foreign person that the President determines to be providing material or other assistance supporting violence or terrorist acts targeting members of religious groups. (b) Report to Congress on identification and sanction of persons engaging in or tolerating particularly severe violations of international religious freedom (1) In General Upon exercising the authority described in subsection (a) with respect to a foreign person, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report— (A) identifying the foreign 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 foreign 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. (4) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means— (i) the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and (ii) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. (B) Foreign person The term foreign person means a person that is not a United States person. (C) Person The term person means an individual or entity. (D) United States person The term United States person means— (i) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States; or (ii) an entity organized under the laws of the United States or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a foreign branch of such entity. . VII Miscellaneous provisions 701. 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 religion 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 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; and (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. . 702. 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. Statement of policy 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. .

tv_txt: IIB 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1150 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 17, 2016 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations AN ACT To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the ability of the United States to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism worldwide, and for other purposes.

1. Short title and table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings; Policy. Sec. 3. Definitions. Title I—Department of State activities Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report. Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. Title II—National Security Council Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. Title III—Presidential actions Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Sec. 303. Report to Congress. Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. Title IV—Promotion of religious freedom Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. Title V—Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. Title VI—Miscellaneous provisions Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 2. Findings; Policy (a) Findings Section 2(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting immediately prior to the penultimate sentence the following new sentence: The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs as well as the right not to profess or practice any religion. ; and (2) in paragraph (6)— (A) by inserting and the specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs after religious persecution ; and (B) by inserting and in regions where non-state actors exercise significant political power and influence after religious majorities . (b) Policy Section 2(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (6) Because the promotion of international religious freedom protects human rights, advances democracy abroad, and advances United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies, and diplomatic responses that are drawn from the expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, and are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies. . 3. Definitions Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (13)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) not professing a particular religion, or any religion; ; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by inserting conscience, non-theistic views, or before religious belief or practice ; and (ii) by inserting after forced religious conversion the following: , forcibly compelling non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert ; 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 as contained in the Executive Summary to the Annual Report and described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii). (15) Non-state actor The term non-state actor means a nonsovereign entity that exercises significant political power and is able to exert influence at a national or international level but does not belong to or ally itself to any particular country and often employs illegal violence in pursuit of its objectives. (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 ) . I Department of State activities 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6411 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end before the period the following: , and shall report directly to the Secretary of State ; (2) 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 strategies into the foreign policy efforts of the United States. ; (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting the principal adviser to before the Secretary of State ; (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— (A) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States; and (B) should participate in any interagency processes on issues in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance United States national security interests, including in democracy promotion, stability, security, and development globally. ; and (3) 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 25 full-time equivalent staff positions, and any other temporary staff positions as needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual Report under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, and for the conduct of investigations by the Office and for necessary travel to carry out the provisions of this Act. The Secretary of State should also provide to the Ambassador at Large funds that are sufficient to carry out the duties described in this section, including as necessary representation funds, in amounts comparable to those provided to other Ambassadors at Large in the Department of State. . (b) Sense of Congress Because international religious freedom is a vital foreign policy interest and one that needs coordination across many regional bureaus and among Special Envoys and Special Representatives with overlapping mandates, the Secretary of State should consider elevating the office of International Religious Freedom and the position of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to the Office of the Secretary, similar to other Ambassador at Large positions that now report directly to the Secretary. Providing the Office of International Religious Freedom with additional resources and status will demonstrate both the strategic importance of international religious freedom policy within the State Department bureaucracy and show persecuted religious groups globally that the United States gives priority to the protection and promotion of international religious freedom as mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking September 1 and inserting May 1 ; (2) in subparagraph (A)— (A) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (vii); and (B) by inserting after clause (iii) the following new clauses: (iv) particularly severe violations of religious freedom in that country in the case of a foreign country with respect to which a government does not exist or the government does not control its territory; (v) an identification of prisoners in that country pursuant to section 108; (vi) any action taken by the government of that country to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online, including descriptions of the targeted religious group, the content, communication, or activities censored, and the means used. ; (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of 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, ; (4) in subparagraph (C)— (A) by striking A description and inserting A comprehensive description ; (B) by striking policies in support and inserting diplomatic and political coordination efforts, and other policies in support ; and (C) by adding at the end before the period the following: , and a 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 (5) in subparagraph (F)— (A) in clause (i)— (i) by striking section 402(b)(1) and inserting section 402(b)(1)(B)(i) ; and (ii) by adding at the end the following: Any country in which a non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act is located shall be included in this section of the report. ; and (B) 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 each country that engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year but which the President determines does not meet, at the time of the publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria described in section 3(11) for designation under section 402(b)(1). . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ) was to require annual reports from both the Department of State and the Commission on International Religious Freedom to be delivered each year, during the same calendar year, and with at least 5 months separating these reports, in order to provide updated information for policy-makers, Members of Congress, and nongovernmental organizations; and (2) given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the Department of State and the Commission work together to fulfill the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 103. 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 (1) In general The Secretary of State shall develop a curriculum for training United States Foreign Service officers in the scope and strategic value of international religious freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of international 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 international religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. The Secretary of State shall ensure the availability of sufficient resources to develop and implement such curriculum. (2) Role of other officials The Secretary of State shall carry out paragraph (1)— (A) with the assistance of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom appointed under section 101(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; (B) in coordination with the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center and other Federal officials as appropriate; and (C) in consultation with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom established in section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and other relevant stakeholders. (b) Training Program Not later than the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act , 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, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the United States, 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) should be made available to all other Federal agencies. . (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. 104. 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 (b), by striking faith and inserting activities, religious freedom advocacy, or efforts to protect and advance the universally recognized right to the freedom of religion, ; (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 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (1) In general The Commission shall make publicly available online and in official publications lists of persons it determines are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign country that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1) or by a non-state actor that the Commission recommends for designation as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and include as much publicly available information as possible on the conditions and circumstances of such persons. (2) Discretion In compiling such lists, the Commission shall exercise all appropriate discretion, including consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the persons who may be included on the lists and the families of such persons. . II National Security Council 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom Section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3021 ) is amended by striking subsection (k) and inserting the following: (k) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that there should be within the staff of the National Security Council a Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom, whose position should be comparable to that of a director within the Executive Office of the President, with the primary responsibility to serve as a resource for executive branch officials on international religious freedom, compiling and maintaining information on the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom (as defined in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998), and making relevant policy recommendations to advance United States international religious freedom policy. The Special Advisor should also assist the Ambassador at Large to coordinate international religious freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and within any interagency policy committees where the Ambassador at Large participates. . III Presidential actions 301. Non-state actor designations (a) In general The President shall, concurrent with the annual foreign country review required by section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) )— (1) review and identify any non-state actors operating in any such reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and (2) designate, in a manner consistent with such Act, each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. (b) Report Whenever the President designates a non-state actor under subsection (a) as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, the President shall, as soon as practicable after the designation is made, submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the reasons for such designation. (c) Actions The President should take specific actions to address severe violations of religious freedom of non-state actors that are designated under subsection (a), including taking actions commensurate to those actions described in section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6445 ). (d) Department of State annual report The Secretary of State should include information detailing the reasons the President designated a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a) in the Annual Report required in section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ). (e) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should work with Congress to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors and to update the actions the President can take in section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. (f) Determinations of responsible parties In order to appropriately target Presidential actions under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 in response, the President shall with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a), seek to determine the specific officials or members thereof that are responsible for the particularly severe violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by that entity. (g) Definitions In this section, the terms appropriate congressional committees , non-state actor , and particularly severe violations of religious freedom have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ), as amended by section 3 of this Act. 302. 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. ; and (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking September 1 of the respective year and inserting 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 90 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. ; 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 in more than two consecutive Annual Reports. (B) Exercise of Waiver Authority The President may waive the application 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) the 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 . 303. Report to Congress Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) the impact on the advancement of United States interests in democracy, human rights, and security, and a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counter-terrorism. . 304. Presidential waiver Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6447 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking subsection (b) and inserting subsection (c) ; and (B) by inserting , for a single 180-day period, after may waive ; (2) by striking that— and all that follows and inserting that the exercise of such waiver authority would further the purposes of this Act. ; (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (4) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) Additional authority Subject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for any additional period of time after the 180-day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or a commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a country, if the President determines and so reports to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or (2) the exercise of such authority is important to the national interests of the United States. . (5) in subsection (c), by inserting or (b) after subsection (a) ; and (6) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this Act; and (2) because the promotion of religious freedom is a compelling interest of United States foreign policy, 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 case-by-case basis, through the actions specified in section 405 or other commensurate action in substitution thereto. . 305. Publication in the Federal Register Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, together with, when applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of individuals determined to be responsible for the violations under subsection (e) of such section. . IV Promotion of religious freedom 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom (a) Availability of assistance It is the sense of Congress that for each fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department of State should make available— (1) an amount equal to not less than 10 percent of the amounts available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund for the promotion of international religious freedom and for projects to advance United States interests in the protection and advancement of international religious freedom, in particular, through grants to— (A) groups that are able to develop legal protections or promote cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom; (B) groups that seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat violent extremism; and (C) groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations; and (2) an amount equal to not less than 2 percent of amounts available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund to be made available for the establishment of a Religious Freedom Defense Fund, administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, to provide grants for— (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; and (B) projects to help create and support training of a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, strengthen legal representation, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize legal or other restrictions of the right to freedom of religion. (b) Preference It is the sense of Congress that, in providing grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should, 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)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ) and countries included on the Special Watch List described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(F)(iii) ). (c) Administration and consultations (1) Administration Amounts made available in accordance with subsection (a) shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. (2) Consultations In developing priorities and policies for providing grants in accordance with subsection (a), including priorities and policies for identification of potential grantees, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom shall consult with other Federal agencies, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and, as appropriate, nongovernmental organizations. V Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 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. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom (a) List (1) In general The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador at Large and in consultation with relevant government and non-government experts, shall establish and maintain a list of foreign individuals who are sanctioned, through visa denials, financial sanctions, or other measures, because they are responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing particularly severe violations of freedom religion. (2) Reference The list required under paragraph (1) shall be known as the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom . (b) Report (1) In general The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the list required under subsection (a), including, with respect to each foreign individual on the list— (A) the name of the individual and a description of the particularly severe violation of religious freedom committed by the individual; (B) the name of the country or other location in which such violation took place; and (C) a description of the actions taken pursuant to this Act or any other Act or Executive order in response to such violation; and (2) Submission and updates The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) the initial report required under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section; and (B) updates to the report every 180 days thereafter and as new information becomes available. (3) Form The report required under paragraph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (4) Definition In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. . VI Miscellaneous provisions 601. 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. Voluntary 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, should seek to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries that should— (1) uphold 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) ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion 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) make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 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 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; and (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. . 602. Clerical amendments The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— (1) 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. ; (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the following: Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: Sec. 702. Voluntary 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. .

Passed the House of Representatives May 16, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1150 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the ability of the United States to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism worldwide, and for other purposes.

1. Short title and table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings; Policy. Sec. 3. Definitions. Title I—Department of State activities Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report. Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. Title II—National Security Council Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. Title III—Presidential actions Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Sec. 303. Report to Congress. Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. Title IV—Promotion of religious freedom Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. Title V—Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. Title VI—Miscellaneous provisions Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 2. Findings; Policy (a) Findings Section 2(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting immediately prior to the penultimate sentence the following new sentence: The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs as well as the right not to profess or practice any religion. ; and (2) in paragraph (6)— (A) by inserting and the specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs after religious persecution ; and (B) by inserting and in regions where non-state actors exercise significant political power and influence after religious majorities . (b) Policy Section 2(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (6) Because the promotion of international religious freedom protects human rights, advances democracy abroad, and advances United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies, and diplomatic responses that are drawn from the expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, and are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies. . 3. Definitions Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (13)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) not professing a particular religion, or any religion; ; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by inserting conscience, non-theistic views, or before religious belief or practice ; and (ii) by inserting after forced religious conversion the following: , forcibly compelling non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert ; 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 as contained in the Executive Summary to the Annual Report and described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii). (15) Non-state actor The term non-state actor means a nonsovereign entity that exercises significant political power and is able to exert influence at a national or international level but does not belong to or ally itself to any particular country and often employs illegal violence in pursuit of its objectives. (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 ) . I Department of State activities 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6411 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end before the period the following: , and shall report directly to the Secretary of State ; (2) 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 strategies into the foreign policy efforts of the United States. ; (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting the principal adviser to before the Secretary of State ; (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— (A) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States; and (B) should participate in any interagency processes on issues in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance United States national security interests, including in democracy promotion, stability, security, and development globally. ; and (3) 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 25 full-time equivalent staff positions, and any other temporary staff positions as needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual Report under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, and for the conduct of investigations by the Office and for necessary travel to carry out the provisions of this Act. The Secretary of State should also provide to the Ambassador at Large funds that are sufficient to carry out the duties described in this section, including as necessary representation funds, in amounts comparable to those provided to other Ambassadors at Large in the Department of State. . (b) Sense of Congress Because international religious freedom is a vital foreign policy interest and one that needs coordination across many regional bureaus and among Special Envoys and Special Representatives with overlapping mandates, the Secretary of State should consider elevating the office of International Religious Freedom and the position of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to the Office of the Secretary, similar to other Ambassador at Large positions that now report directly to the Secretary. Providing the Office of International Religious Freedom with additional resources and status will demonstrate both the strategic importance of international religious freedom policy within the State Department bureaucracy and show persecuted religious groups globally that the United States gives priority to the protection and promotion of international religious freedom as mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking September 1 and inserting May 1 ; (2) in subparagraph (A)— (A) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (vii); and (B) by inserting after clause (iii) the following new clauses: (iv) particularly severe violations of religious freedom in that country in the case of a foreign country with respect to which a government does not exist or the government does not control its territory; (v) an identification of prisoners in that country pursuant to section 108; (vi) any action taken by the government of that country to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online, including descriptions of the targeted religious group, the content, communication, or activities censored, and the means used. ; (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of 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, ; (4) in subparagraph (C)— (A) by striking A description and inserting A comprehensive description ; (B) by striking policies in support and inserting diplomatic and political coordination efforts, and other policies in support ; and (C) by adding at the end before the period the following: , and a 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 (5) in subparagraph (F)— (A) in clause (i)— (i) by striking section 402(b)(1) and inserting section 402(b)(1)(B)(i) ; and (ii) by adding at the end the following: Any country in which a non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act is located shall be included in this section of the report. ; and (B) 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 each country that engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year but which the President determines does not meet, at the time of the publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria described in section 3(11) for designation under section 402(b)(1). . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ) was to require annual reports from both the Department of State and the Commission on International Religious Freedom to be delivered each year, during the same calendar year, and with at least 5 months separating these reports, in order to provide updated information for policy-makers, Members of Congress, and nongovernmental organizations; and (2) given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the Department of State and the Commission work together to fulfill the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 103. 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 (1) In general The Secretary of State shall develop a curriculum for training United States Foreign Service officers in the scope and strategic value of international religious freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of international 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 international religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. The Secretary of State shall ensure the availability of sufficient resources to develop and implement such curriculum. (2) Role of other officials The Secretary of State shall carry out paragraph (1)— (A) with the assistance of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom appointed under section 101(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; (B) in coordination with the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center and other Federal officials as appropriate; and (C) in consultation with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom established in section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and other relevant stakeholders. (b) Training Program Not later than the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act , 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, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the United States, 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) should be made available to all other Federal agencies. . (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. 104. 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 (b), by striking faith and inserting activities, religious freedom advocacy, or efforts to protect and advance the universally recognized right to the freedom of religion, ; (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 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (1) In general The Commission shall make publicly available online and in official publications lists of persons it determines are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign country that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1) or by a non-state actor that the Commission recommends for designation as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and include as much publicly available information as possible on the conditions and circumstances of such persons. (2) Discretion In compiling such lists, the Commission shall exercise all appropriate discretion, including consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the persons who may be included on the lists and the families of such persons. . II National Security Council 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom Section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3021 ) is amended by striking subsection (k) and inserting the following: (k) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that there should be within the staff of the National Security Council a Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom, whose position should be comparable to that of a director within the Executive Office of the President, with the primary responsibility to serve as a resource for executive branch officials on international religious freedom, compiling and maintaining information on the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom (as defined in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998), and making relevant policy recommendations to advance United States international religious freedom policy. The Special Advisor should also assist the Ambassador at Large to coordinate international religious freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and within any interagency policy committees where the Ambassador at Large participates. . III Presidential actions 301. Non-state actor designations (a) In general The President shall, concurrent with the annual foreign country review required by section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) )— (1) review and identify any non-state actors operating in any such reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and (2) designate, in a manner consistent with such Act, each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. (b) Report Whenever the President designates a non-state actor under subsection (a) as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, the President shall, as soon as practicable after the designation is made, submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the reasons for such designation. (c) Actions The President should take specific actions to address severe violations of religious freedom of non-state actors that are designated under subsection (a), including taking actions commensurate to those actions described in section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6445 ). (d) Department of State annual report The Secretary of State should include information detailing the reasons the President designated a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a) in the Annual Report required in section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ). (e) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should work with Congress to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors and to update the actions the President can take in section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. (f) Determinations of responsible parties In order to appropriately target Presidential actions under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 in response, the President shall with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a), seek to determine the specific officials or members thereof that are responsible for the particularly severe violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by that entity. (g) Definitions In this section, the terms appropriate congressional committees , non-state actor , and particularly severe violations of religious freedom have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ), as amended by section 3 of this Act. 302. 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. ; and (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking September 1 of the respective year and inserting 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 90 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. ; 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 in more than two consecutive Annual Reports. (B) Exercise of Waiver Authority The President may waive the application 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) the 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 . 303. Report to Congress Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) the impact on the advancement of United States interests in democracy, human rights, and security, and a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counter-terrorism. . 304. Presidential waiver Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6447 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking subsection (b) and inserting subsection (c) ; and (B) by inserting , for a single 180-day period, after may waive ; (2) by striking that— and all that follows and inserting that the exercise of such waiver authority would further the purposes of this Act. ; (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (4) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) Additional authority Subject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for any additional period of time after the 180-day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or a commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a country, if the President determines and so reports to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or (2) the exercise of such authority is important to the national interests of the United States. . (5) in subsection (c), by inserting or (b) after subsection (a) ; and (6) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this Act; and (2) because the promotion of religious freedom is a compelling interest of United States foreign policy, 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 case-by-case basis, through the actions specified in section 405 or other commensurate action in substitution thereto. . 305. Publication in the Federal Register Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, together with, when applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of individuals determined to be responsible for the violations under subsection (e) of such section. . IV Promotion of religious freedom 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom (a) Availability of assistance It is the sense of Congress that for each fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department of State should make available— (1) an amount equal to not less than 10 percent of the amounts available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund for the promotion of international religious freedom and for projects to advance United States interests in the protection and advancement of international religious freedom, in particular, through grants to— (A) groups that are able to develop legal protections or promote cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom; (B) groups that seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat violent extremism; and (C) groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations; and (2) an amount equal to not less than 2 percent of amounts available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund to be made available for the establishment of a Religious Freedom Defense Fund, administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, to provide grants for— (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; and (B) projects to help create and support training of a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, strengthen legal representation, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize legal or other restrictions of the right to freedom of religion. (b) Preference It is the sense of Congress that, in providing grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should, 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)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ) and countries included on the Special Watch List described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(F)(iii) ). (c) Administration and consultations (1) Administration Amounts made available in accordance with subsection (a) shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. (2) Consultations In developing priorities and policies for providing grants in accordance with subsection (a), including priorities and policies for identification of potential grantees, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom shall consult with other Federal agencies, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and, as appropriate, nongovernmental organizations. V Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 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. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom (a) List (1) In general The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador at Large and in consultation with relevant government and non-government experts, shall establish and maintain a list of foreign individuals who are sanctioned, through visa denials, financial sanctions, or other measures, because they are responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing particularly severe violations of freedom religion. (2) Reference The list required under paragraph (1) shall be known as the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom . (b) Report (1) In general The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the list required under subsection (a), including, with respect to each foreign individual on the list— (A) the name of the individual and a description of the particularly severe violation of religious freedom committed by the individual; (B) the name of the country or other location in which such violation took place; and (C) a description of the actions taken pursuant to this Act or any other Act or Executive order in response to such violation; and (2) Submission and updates The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) the initial report required under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section; and (B) updates to the report every 180 days thereafter and as new information becomes available. (3) Form The report required under paragraph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (4) Definition In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. . VI Miscellaneous provisions 601. 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. Voluntary 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, should seek to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries that should— (1) uphold 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) ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion 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) make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 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 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; and (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. . 602. Clerical amendments The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— (1) 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. ; (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the following: Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: Sec. 702. Voluntary 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. .

Passed the House of Representatives May 16, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.

tv_txt: 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H.R. 1150 In the Senate of the United States, December 10 (legislative day, December 9), 2016. Amendment:

That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 1150) entitled An Act to amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the ability of the United States to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism worldwide, and for other purposes. , do pass with the following Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 1. Short title; table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings; policy; sense of Congress. Sec. 3. Definitions. TITLE I—Department of State activities Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers. Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. TITLE II—National Security Council Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. TITLE III—Presidential actions Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Sec. 303. Report to Congress. Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. TITLE IV—Promotion of religious freedom Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. TITLE V—Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. TITLE VI—Miscellaneous provisions Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 2. Findings; policy; sense of Congress (a) Findings Section 2(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs and the right not to profess or practice any religion. before Governments ; (2) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the following: A policy or practice of routinely denying applications for visas for religious workers in a country can be indicative of a poor state of religious freedom in that country. ; and (3) in paragraph (6)— (A) by inserting and the specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs after religious persecution ; and (B) by inserting and in regions where non-state actors exercise significant political power and territorial control before the period at the end. (b) Policy Section 2(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(b) ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E); (2) by striking the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as redesignated, and inserting the following: (1) In general The following shall be the policy of the United States: ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (2) Evolving policies and coordinated diplomatic responses Because the promotion of international religious freedom protects human rights, advances democracy abroad, and advances United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies and diplomatic responses that— (A) are drawn from the expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations; and (B) are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies. . (c) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) a policy or practice by the government of any foreign country of routinely denying visa applications for religious workers can be indicative of a poor state of religious freedom in that country; and (2) the United States Government should seek to reverse any such policy by reviewing the entirety of the bilateral relationship between such country and the United States. 3. Definitions Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (16); (2) by redesignating paragraphs (10), (11), and (12) as paragraphs (12), (13), and (14), respectively; (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following: (10) 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 ). (11) Non-state actor The term non-state actor means a nonsovereign entity that— (A) exercises significant political power and territorial control; (B) is outside the control of a sovereign government; and (C) often employs violence in pursuit of its objectives. ; (4) by inserting after paragraph (14), as redesignated, the following: (15) Special watch list The term Special Watch List means the Special Watch List described in section 402(b)(1)(A)(iii). ; and (5) in paragraph (16), as redesignated— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) not professing a particular religion, or any religion; ; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by inserting conscience, non-theistic views, or before religious belief or practice ; and (ii) by inserting forcibly compelling non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert, after forced religious conversion, . I Department of State activities 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6411 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by inserting , and shall report directly to the Secretary of State before the period at the end; (2) 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 redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (iv) by adding at the end the following: (B) integrate United States international religious freedom policies and strategies into the foreign policy efforts of the United States. ; (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting the principal adviser to before the Secretary of State ; (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: (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: (4) Coordination responsibilities In order to promote religious freedom as an interest of United States foreign policy, the Ambassador at Large— (A) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States; and (B) should participate in any interagency processes on issues in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance United States national security interests, including in democracy promotion, stability, security, and development globally. ; and (3) in subsection (d), by striking staff for the Office and all that follows and inserting appropriate staff for the Office, including full-time equivalent positions and other temporary staff positions needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual Report under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, and for the conduct of investigations by the Office and for necessary travel to carry out this Act. The Secretary of State should provide the Ambassador at Large with sufficient funding to carry out the duties described in this section, including, as necessary, representation funds. On the date on which the President’s annual budget request is submitted to Congress, the Secretary shall submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes a report on staffing levels for the International Religious Freedom Office. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that maintaining an adequate staffing level at the Office, such as was in place during fiscal year 2016, is necessary for the Office to carry out its important work. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking September 1 and inserting May 1 ; (2) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (iii), by striking ; and and inserting as well as the routine denial of visa applications for religious workers; ; (B) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (vii); and (C) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) particularly severe violations of religious freedom in that country if such country does not have a functioning government or the government of such country does not control its territory; (v) the identification of prisoners, to the extent possible, in that country pursuant to section 108(d); (vi) any action taken by the government of that country to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online, including descriptions of the targeted religious group, the content, communication, or activities censored, and the means used; and ; (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of 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, ; (4) in subparagraph (C), by striking A description of United States actions and and inserting A detailed description of United States actions, diplomatic and political coordination efforts, and other ; and (5) in subparagraph (F)(i)— (A) by striking section 402(b)(1) and inserting section 402(b)(1)(A)(ii) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: Any country in which a non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act is located shall be included in this section of the report. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ) was to require annual reports from both the Department of State and the Commission on International Religious Freedom to be delivered each year, during the same calendar year, and with at least 5 months separating these reports, in order to provide updated information for policymakers, Members of Congress, and nongovernmental organizations; and (2) given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the Department of State coordinate with the Commission to fulfill the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers (a) Amendments to Foreign Service Act of 1980 Section 708 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ( 22 U.S.C. 4028 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), respectively; (B) by striking (a) The Secretary of State and inserting the following: (a) Human rights, religious freedom, and human trafficking training (1) In general The Secretary of State ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (2) Religious freedom training (A) In general In carrying out the training required under paragraph (1)(B), the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center shall, not later than the one year after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act , conduct training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers, including all entry level officers, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the United States, and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. Such training shall be included in— (i) the A–100 course attended by all Foreign Service officers; (ii) 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; and (iii) the courses required of all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. (B) Development of curriculum In carrying out the training required under paragraph (1)(B), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, in coordination with 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 under section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6431(a) ), shall make recommendations to the Secretary of State regarding a curriculum for the training of United States Foreign Service officers under paragraph (1)(B) on the scope and strategic value of international religious freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of international 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 international religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. The Secretary of State should ensure the availability of sufficient resources to develop and implement such curriculum. (C) Information sharing The curriculum and training materials developed under this paragraph shall be shared with the United States Armed Forces and other Federal departments and agencies with personnel who are stationed overseas, as appropriate, to provide training on— (i) United States religious freedom policies; (ii) religious traditions; (iii) religious engagement strategies; (iv) religious and cultural issues; and (v) efforts to counter violent religious extremism. ; (2) in subsection (b), by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Refugees.— The Secretary of State ; and (3) in subsection (c), by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Child Soldiers .—The Secretary of State . (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 Foreign Service Institute, located at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that contains a plan for undertaking training for Foreign Service officers under section 708 of the Foreign Services Act of 1980, as amended by subsection (a). 104. 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 (b), by striking faith, and inserting activities, religious freedom advocacy, or efforts to protect and advance the universally recognized right to the freedom of religion, ; (2) in subsection (c), by striking , as appropriate, provide and insert make available ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (d) Victims list maintained by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (1) In general The Commission shall make publicly available, to the extent practicable, online and in official publications, lists of persons it determines are imprisoned or detained, have disappeared, been placed under house arrest, been tortured, or subjected to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign country that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1)(A)(ii) or by a non-state actor that the Commission recommends for designation as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and include as much publicly available information as practicable on the conditions and circumstances of such persons. (2) Discretion In compiling lists under paragraph (1), the Commission shall exercise all appropriate discretion, including consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the persons who may be included on the lists and the families of such persons. . II National Security Council 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom The position described in section 101(k) of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3021(k) ) should assist the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to coordinate international religious freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and within any interagency policy committee of which the Ambassador at Large is a member. III Presidential actions 301. Non-state actor designations (a) In general The President, concurrent with the annual foreign country review required under section 402(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)(A) ), shall— (1) review and identify any non-state actors operating in any such reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and (2) designate, in a manner consistent with such Act, each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. (b) Report Whenever the President designates a non-state actor under subsection (a) as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, the President, as soon as practicable after the designation is made, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the reasons for such designation. (c) Actions The President should take specific actions, when practicable, to address severe violations of religious freedom of non-state actors that are designated under subsection (a)(2). (d) Department of State annual report The Secretary of State should include information detailing the reasons the President designated a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a) in the Annual Report required under section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ). (e) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Secretary of State should work with Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom— (A) to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors; and (B) to update the actions the President can take under section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6445 ); (2) governments must ultimately be held accountable for the abuses that occur in their territories; and (3) any actions the President takes after designating a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern should also involve high-level diplomacy with the government of the country in which the non-state actor is operating. (f) Determinations of responsible parties In order to appropriately target Presidential actions under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ), the President, with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a), shall seek to determine, to the extent practicable, the specific officials or members that are responsible for the particularly severe violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by such non-state actor. (g) Definitions In this section, the terms appropriate congressional committees , non-state actor , and particularly severe violations of religious freedom have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ), as amended by section 3 of this Act. 302. 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; (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; and (iii) designate each country that engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year, but does not meet, in the opinion of the President at the time of publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria described in section 3(15) for designation under clause (ii) as being placed on a Special Watch List . ; 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)(ii), the President, not later than 90 days after such designation, shall submit 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)(ii) shall retain such designation until the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the country should no longer be so designated. ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (4) 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)(ii) in any such year. ; and (2) in subsection (c)(5), by striking the President must designate the specific sanction or sanctions which he determines satisfy the requirements of this subsection. and inserting the President shall designate the specific sanction or sanctions that the President determines satisfy the requirements under this subsection and include a description of the impact of such sanction or sanctions on each country. . 303. Report to Congress Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (ii), by striking and at the end; (2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (iv) the impact on the advancement of United States interests in democracy, human rights, and security, and a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counterterrorism. . 304. Presidential waiver Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6447 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking subsection (b) and inserting subsection (c) ; (B) by inserting , for a single, 180-day period, after may waive ; (C) by striking paragraph (1); and (D) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) Additional authority Subject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for any additional specified period of time after the 180-day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or a commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country, if the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or (2) the important national interest of the United States requires the exercise of such waiver authority. ; (4) in subsection (c), as redesignated, by inserting or (b) after subsection (a) ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (d) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this Act; and (2) because the promotion of religious freedom is an important interest of United States foreign policy, 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 case-by-case basis, through the actions described in section 405 or other commensurate substitute action. . 305. Publication in the Federal Register Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and, if applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of individuals determined to be responsible for violations described in subsection (f) of such section. . IV Promotion of religious freedom 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom (a) Availability of assistance It is the sense of Congress that for each fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President should request sufficient appropriations from Congress to support— (1) the vigorous promotion of international religious freedom and for projects to advance United States interests in the protection and advancement of international religious freedom, in particular, through grants to groups that— (A) are capable of developing legal protections or promoting cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom; (B) seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat violent extremism; or (C) seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide perpetrated against religious minorities; and (2) the establishment of an effective Religious Freedom Defense Fund, to be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, to provide grants for— (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; and (B) projects to help create and support training of a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, strengthen legal representation, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize legal or other restrictions of the right to freedom of religion. (b) Preference It is the sense of Congress that, in providing grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should, as appropriate, give preference to projects targeting religious freedom violations in countries— (1) designated as countries of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ); or (2) included on the Special Watch List described in section 402(b)(1)(A)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as added by section 302(1)(A)(i) of this Act. (c) Administration and consultations (1) Administration Amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. (2) Consultations In developing priorities and policies for providing grants authorized under subsection (a), including programming and policy, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should consult with other Federal agencies, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and, as appropriate, nongovernmental organizations. V Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 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: 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom (a) List (1) In general The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador at Large and in consultation with relevant government and nongovernment experts, shall establish and maintain a list of foreign individuals to whom a consular post has denied a visa on the grounds of particularly severe violations of religious freedom under section 212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(G) ), or who are subject to financial sanctions or other measures for particularly severe violations of freedom religion. (2) Reference The list required under paragraph (1) shall be known as the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom . (b) Report (1) In general The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that contains the list required under subsection (a), including, with respect to each foreign individual on the list— (A) the name of the individual and a description of the particularly severe violation of religious freedom committed by the individual; (B) the name of the country or other location in which such violation took place; and (C) a description of the actions taken pursuant to this Act or any other Act or Executive order in response to such violation. (2) Submission and updates The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) the initial report required under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act ; and (B) updates to the report every 180 days thereafter and as new information becomes available. (3) Form The report required under paragraph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (4) Definition In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate ; (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate ; (C) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate ; (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives ; (E) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives ; and (F) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives . . VI Miscellaneous provisions 601. 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: 702. Voluntary 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— (1) for their potential for shaping positive leadership and new educational models in host countries; and (2) 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, should seek to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries that should— (1) uphold 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) ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion 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) make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to promote religious freedom through United States foreign policy It is the sense of Congress that the annual national security strategy report of the President required under section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3043 )— (1) should promote international religious freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority; and (2) should articulate that promotion of the right to freedom of religion is a strategy that— (A) protects other, related human rights, and advances democracy outside the United States; and (B) makes clear its importance to United States foreign policy goals of stability, security, development, and diplomacy; (3) should be a guide for the strategies and activities of relevant Federal agencies; and (4) should 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. . 602. Clerical amendments The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— (1) 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. ; (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the following: Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: Sec. 702. Voluntary 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. .

Secretary

tv_txt: I One Hundred Fourteenth Congress of the United States of America At the Second Session Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the fourth day of January, two thousand and sixteen H. R. 1150 AN ACT To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the ability of the United States to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism worldwide, and for other purposes.

1. Short title; table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings; policy; sense of Congress. Sec. 3. Definitions. TITLE I—Department of State activities Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers. Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. TITLE II—National Security Council Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. TITLE III—Presidential actions Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Sec. 303. Report to Congress. Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. TITLE IV—Promotion of religious freedom Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. TITLE V—Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. TITLE VI—Miscellaneous provisions Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 2. Findings; policy; sense of Congress (a) Findings Section 2(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs and the right not to profess or practice any religion. before Governments ; (2) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the following: A policy or practice of routinely denying applications for visas for religious workers in a country can be indicative of a poor state of religious freedom in that country. ; and (3) in paragraph (6)— (A) by inserting and the specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs after religious persecution ; and (B) by inserting and in regions where non-state actors exercise significant political power and territorial control before the period at the end. (b) Policy Section 2(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(b) ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E); (2) by striking the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as redesignated, and inserting the following: (1) In general The following shall be the policy of the United States: ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (2) Evolving policies and coordinated diplomatic responses Because the promotion of international religious freedom protects human rights, advances democracy abroad, and advances United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies and diplomatic responses that— (A) are drawn from the expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations; and (B) are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies. . (c) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) a policy or practice by the government of any foreign country of routinely denying visa applications for religious workers can be indicative of a poor state of religious freedom in that country; and (2) the United States Government should seek to reverse any such policy by reviewing the entirety of the bilateral relationship between such country and the United States. 3. Definitions Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (16); (2) by redesignating paragraphs (10), (11), and (12) as paragraphs (12), (13), and (14), respectively; (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following: (10) 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 ). (11) Non-state actor The term non-state actor means a nonsovereign entity that— (A) exercises significant political power and territorial control; (B) is outside the control of a sovereign government; and (C) often employs violence in pursuit of its objectives. ; (4) by inserting after paragraph (14), as redesignated, the following: (15) Special watch list The term Special Watch List means the Special Watch List described in section 402(b)(1)(A)(iii). ; and (5) in paragraph (16), as redesignated— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) not professing a particular religion, or any religion; ; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by inserting conscience, non-theistic views, or before religious belief or practice ; and (ii) by inserting forcibly compelling non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert, after forced religious conversion, . I Department of State activities 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6411 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by inserting , and shall report directly to the Secretary of State before the period at the end; (2) 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 redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (iv) by adding at the end the following: (B) integrate United States international religious freedom policies and strategies into the foreign policy efforts of the United States. ; (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting the principal adviser to before the Secretary of State ; (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: (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: (4) Coordination responsibilities In order to promote religious freedom as an interest of United States foreign policy, the Ambassador at Large— (A) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States; and (B) should participate in any interagency processes on issues in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance United States national security interests, including in democracy promotion, stability, security, and development globally. ; and (3) in subsection (d), by striking staff for the Office and all that follows and inserting appropriate staff for the Office, including full-time equivalent positions and other temporary staff positions needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual Report under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, and for the conduct of investigations by the Office and for necessary travel to carry out this Act. The Secretary of State should provide the Ambassador at Large with sufficient funding to carry out the duties described in this section, including, as necessary, representation funds. On the date on which the President’s annual budget request is submitted to Congress, the Secretary shall submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes a report on staffing levels for the International Religious Freedom Office. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that maintaining an adequate staffing level at the Office, such as was in place during fiscal year 2016, is necessary for the Office to carry out its important work. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking September 1 and inserting May 1 ; (2) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (iii), by striking ; and and inserting as well as the routine denial of visa applications for religious workers; ; (B) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (vii); and (C) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) particularly severe violations of religious freedom in that country if such country does not have a functioning government or the government of such country does not control its territory; (v) the identification of prisoners, to the extent possible, in that country pursuant to section 108(d); (vi) any action taken by the government of that country to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online, including descriptions of the targeted religious group, the content, communication, or activities censored, and the means used; and ; (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of 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, ; (4) in subparagraph (C), by striking A description of United States actions and and inserting A detailed description of United States actions, diplomatic and political coordination efforts, and other ; and (5) in subparagraph (F)(i)— (A) by striking section 402(b)(1) and inserting section 402(b)(1)(A)(ii) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: Any country in which a non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act is located shall be included in this section of the report. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ) was to require annual reports from both the Department of State and the Commission on International Religious Freedom to be delivered each year, during the same calendar year, and with at least 5 months separating these reports, in order to provide updated information for policymakers, Members of Congress, and nongovernmental organizations; and (2) given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the Department of State coordinate with the Commission to fulfill the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers (a) Amendments to Foreign Service Act of 1980 Section 708 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ( 22 U.S.C. 4028 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), respectively; (B) by striking (a) The Secretary of State and inserting the following: (a) Human rights, religious freedom, and human trafficking training (1) In general The Secretary of State ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (2) Religious freedom training (A) In general In carrying out the training required under paragraph (1)(B), the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center shall, not later than the one year after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act , conduct training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers, including all entry level officers, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the United States, and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. Such training shall be included in— (i) the A–100 course attended by all Foreign Service officers; (ii) 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; and (iii) the courses required of all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. (B) Development of curriculum In carrying out the training required under paragraph (1)(B), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, in coordination with 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 under section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6431(a) ), shall make recommendations to the Secretary of State regarding a curriculum for the training of United States Foreign Service officers under paragraph (1)(B) on the scope and strategic value of international religious freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of international 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 international religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. The Secretary of State should ensure the availability of sufficient resources to develop and implement such curriculum. (C) Information sharing The curriculum and training materials developed under this paragraph shall be shared with the United States Armed Forces and other Federal departments and agencies with personnel who are stationed overseas, as appropriate, to provide training on— (i) United States religious freedom policies; (ii) religious traditions; (iii) religious engagement strategies; (iv) religious and cultural issues; and (v) efforts to counter violent religious extremism. ; (2) in subsection (b), by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Refugees.— The Secretary of State ; and (3) in subsection (c), by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Child Soldiers .—The Secretary of State . (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 Foreign Service Institute, located at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that contains a plan for undertaking training for Foreign Service officers under section 708 of the Foreign Services Act of 1980, as amended by subsection (a). 104. 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 (b), by striking faith, and inserting activities, religious freedom advocacy, or efforts to protect and advance the universally recognized right to the freedom of religion, ; (2) in subsection (c), by striking , as appropriate, provide and insert make available ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (d) Victims list maintained by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (1) In general The Commission shall make publicly available, to the extent practicable, online and in official publications, lists of persons it determines are imprisoned or detained, have disappeared, been placed under house arrest, been tortured, or subjected to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign country that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1)(A)(ii) or by a non-state actor that the Commission recommends for designation as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and include as much publicly available information as practicable on the conditions and circumstances of such persons. (2) Discretion In compiling lists under paragraph (1), the Commission shall exercise all appropriate discretion, including consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the persons who may be included on the lists and the families of such persons. . II National Security Council 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom The position described in section 101(k) of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3021(k) ) should assist the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to coordinate international religious freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and within any interagency policy committee of which the Ambassador at Large is a member. III Presidential actions 301. Non-state actor designations (a) In general The President, concurrent with the annual foreign country review required under section 402(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)(A) ), shall— (1) review and identify any non-state actors operating in any such reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and (2) designate, in a manner consistent with such Act, each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. (b) Report Whenever the President designates a non-state actor under subsection (a) as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, the President, as soon as practicable after the designation is made, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the reasons for such designation. (c) Actions The President should take specific actions, when practicable, to address severe violations of religious freedom of non-state actors that are designated under subsection (a)(2). (d) Department of State annual report The Secretary of State should include information detailing the reasons the President designated a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a) in the Annual Report required under section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ). (e) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Secretary of State should work with Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom— (A) to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors; and (B) to update the actions the President can take under section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6445 ); (2) governments must ultimately be held accountable for the abuses that occur in their territories; and (3) any actions the President takes after designating a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern should also involve high-level diplomacy with the government of the country in which the non-state actor is operating. (f) Determinations of responsible parties In order to appropriately target Presidential actions under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ), the President, with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a), shall seek to determine, to the extent practicable, the specific officials or members that are responsible for the particularly severe violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by such non-state actor. (g) Definitions In this section, the terms appropriate congressional committees , non-state actor , and particularly severe violations of religious freedom have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ), as amended by section 3 of this Act. 302. 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; (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; and (iii) designate each country that engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year, but does not meet, in the opinion of the President at the time of publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria described in section 3(15) for designation under clause (ii) as being placed on a Special Watch List . ; 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)(ii), the President, not later than 90 days after such designation, shall submit 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)(ii) shall retain such designation until the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the country should no longer be so designated. ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (4) 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)(ii) in any such year. ; and (2) in subsection (c)(5), by striking the President must designate the specific sanction or sanctions which he determines satisfy the requirements of this subsection. and inserting the President shall designate the specific sanction or sanctions that the President determines satisfy the requirements under this subsection and include a description of the impact of such sanction or sanctions on each country. . 303. Report to Congress Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (ii), by striking and at the end; (2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (iv) the impact on the advancement of United States interests in democracy, human rights, and security, and a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counterterrorism. . 304. Presidential waiver Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6447 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking subsection (b) and inserting subsection (c) ; (B) by inserting , for a single, 180-day period, after may waive ; (C) by striking paragraph (1); and (D) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) Additional authority Subject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for any additional specified period of time after the 180-day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or a commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country, if the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or (2) the important national interest of the United States requires the exercise of such waiver authority. ; (4) in subsection (c), as redesignated, by inserting or (b) after subsection (a) ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (d) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this Act; and (2) because the promotion of religious freedom is an important interest of United States foreign policy, 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 case-by-case basis, through the actions described in section 405 or other commensurate substitute action. . 305. Publication in the Federal Register Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and, if applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of individuals determined to be responsible for violations described in subsection (f) of such section. . IV Promotion of religious freedom 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom (a) Availability of assistance It is the sense of Congress that for each fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President should request sufficient appropriations from Congress to support— (1) the vigorous promotion of international religious freedom and for projects to advance United States interests in the protection and advancement of international religious freedom, in particular, through grants to groups that— (A) are capable of developing legal protections or promoting cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom; (B) seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat violent extremism; or (C) seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide perpetrated against religious minorities; and (2) the establishment of an effective Religious Freedom Defense Fund, to be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, to provide grants for— (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; and (B) projects to help create and support training of a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, strengthen legal representation, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize legal or other restrictions of the right to freedom of religion. (b) Preference It is the sense of Congress that, in providing grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should, as appropriate, give preference to projects targeting religious freedom violations in countries— (1) designated as countries of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ); or (2) included on the Special Watch List described in section 402(b)(1)(A)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as added by section 302(1)(A)(i) of this Act. (c) Administration and consultations (1) Administration Amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. (2) Consultations In developing priorities and policies for providing grants authorized under subsection (a), including programming and policy, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should consult with other Federal agencies, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and, as appropriate, nongovernmental organizations. V Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 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: 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom (a) List (1) In general The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador at Large and in consultation with relevant government and nongovernment experts, shall establish and maintain a list of foreign individuals to whom a consular post has denied a visa on the grounds of particularly severe violations of religious freedom under section 212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(G) ), or who are subject to financial sanctions or other measures for particularly severe violations of freedom religion. (2) Reference The list required under paragraph (1) shall be known as the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom . (b) Report (1) In general The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that contains the list required under subsection (a), including, with respect to each foreign individual on the list— (A) the name of the individual and a description of the particularly severe violation of religious freedom committed by the individual; (B) the name of the country or other location in which such violation took place; and (C) a description of the actions taken pursuant to this Act or any other Act or Executive order in response to such violation. (2) Submission and updates The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) the initial report required under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act ; and (B) updates to the report every 180 days thereafter and as new information becomes available. (3) Form The report required under paragraph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (4) Definition In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate ; (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate ; (C) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate ; (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives ; (E) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives ; and (F) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives . . VI Miscellaneous provisions 601. 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: 702. Voluntary 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— (1) for their potential for shaping positive leadership and new educational models in host countries; and (2) 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, should seek to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries that should— (1) uphold 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) ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion 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) make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to promote religious freedom through United States foreign policy It is the sense of Congress that the annual national security strategy report of the President required under section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3043 )— (1) should promote international religious freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority; and (2) should articulate that promotion of the right to freedom of religion is a strategy that— (A) protects other, related human rights, and advances democracy outside the United States; and (B) makes clear its importance to United States foreign policy goals of stability, security, development, and diplomacy; (3) should be a guide for the strategies and activities of relevant Federal agencies; and (4) should 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. . 602. Clerical amendments The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— (1) 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. ; (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the following: Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: Sec. 702. Voluntary 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. .

Speaker of the House of Representatives. Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 705 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 1150 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 17, 2016 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations December 7, 2016 Reported by Mr. Corker , with an amendment Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic AN ACT To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to improve the ability of the United States to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts, and through stronger and more flexible political responses to religious freedom violations and violent extremism worldwide, and for other purposes.

1. Short title and table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings; Policy. Sec. 3. Definitions. Title I—Department of State activities Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report. Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. Title II—National Security Council Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. Title III—Presidential actions Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Sec. 303. Report to Congress. Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. Title IV—Promotion of religious freedom Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. Title V—Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. Title VI—Miscellaneous provisions Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 2. Findings; Policy (a) Findings Section 2(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting immediately prior to the penultimate sentence the following new sentence: The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs as well as the right not to profess or practice any religion. ; and (2) in paragraph (6)— (A) by inserting and the specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs after religious persecution ; and (B) by inserting and in regions where non-state actors exercise significant political power and influence after religious majorities . (b) Policy Section 2(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(b) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (6) Because the promotion of international religious freedom protects human rights, advances democracy abroad, and advances United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies, and diplomatic responses that are drawn from the expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, and are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies. . 3. Definitions Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (13)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) not professing a particular religion, or any religion; ; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by inserting conscience, non-theistic views, or before religious belief or practice ; and (ii) by inserting after forced religious conversion the following: , forcibly compelling non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert ; 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 as contained in the Executive Summary to the Annual Report and described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii). (15) Non-state actor The term non-state actor means a nonsovereign entity that exercises significant political power and is able to exert influence at a national or international level but does not belong to or ally itself to any particular country and often employs illegal violence in pursuit of its objectives. (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 ) . I Department of State activities 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6411 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end before the period the following: , and shall report directly to the Secretary of State ; (2) 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 strategies into the foreign policy efforts of the United States. ; (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting the principal adviser to before the Secretary of State ; (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— (A) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States; and (B) should participate in any interagency processes on issues in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance United States national security interests, including in democracy promotion, stability, security, and development globally. ; and (3) 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 25 full-time equivalent staff positions, and any other temporary staff positions as needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual Report under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, and for the conduct of investigations by the Office and for necessary travel to carry out the provisions of this Act. The Secretary of State should also provide to the Ambassador at Large funds that are sufficient to carry out the duties described in this section, including as necessary representation funds, in amounts comparable to those provided to other Ambassadors at Large in the Department of State. . (b) Sense of Congress Because international religious freedom is a vital foreign policy interest and one that needs coordination across many regional bureaus and among Special Envoys and Special Representatives with overlapping mandates, the Secretary of State should consider elevating the office of International Religious Freedom and the position of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to the Office of the Secretary, similar to other Ambassador at Large positions that now report directly to the Secretary. Providing the Office of International Religious Freedom with additional resources and status will demonstrate both the strategic importance of international religious freedom policy within the State Department bureaucracy and show persecuted religious groups globally that the United States gives priority to the protection and promotion of international religious freedom as mandated by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking September 1 and inserting May 1 ; (2) in subparagraph (A)— (A) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (vii); and (B) by inserting after clause (iii) the following new clauses: (iv) particularly severe violations of religious freedom in that country in the case of a foreign country with respect to which a government does not exist or the government does not control its territory; (v) an identification of prisoners in that country pursuant to section 108; (vi) any action taken by the government of that country to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online, including descriptions of the targeted religious group, the content, communication, or activities censored, and the means used. ; (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of 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, ; (4) in subparagraph (C)— (A) by striking A description and inserting A comprehensive description ; (B) by striking policies in support and inserting diplomatic and political coordination efforts, and other policies in support ; and (C) by adding at the end before the period the following: , and a 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 (5) in subparagraph (F)— (A) in clause (i)— (i) by striking section 402(b)(1) and inserting section 402(b)(1)(B)(i) ; and (ii) by adding at the end the following: Any country in which a non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act is located shall be included in this section of the report. ; and (B) 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 each country that engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year but which the President determines does not meet, at the time of the publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria described in section 3(11) for designation under section 402(b)(1). . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ) was to require annual reports from both the Department of State and the Commission on International Religious Freedom to be delivered each year, during the same calendar year, and with at least 5 months separating these reports, in order to provide updated information for policy-makers, Members of Congress, and nongovernmental organizations; and (2) given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the Department of State and the Commission work together to fulfill the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 103. 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 (1) In general The Secretary of State shall develop a curriculum for training United States Foreign Service officers in the scope and strategic value of international religious freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of international 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 international religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. The Secretary of State shall ensure the availability of sufficient resources to develop and implement such curriculum. (2) Role of other officials The Secretary of State shall carry out paragraph (1)— (A) with the assistance of the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom appointed under section 101(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998; (B) in coordination with the Director of the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center and other Federal officials as appropriate; and (C) in consultation with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom established in section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 and other relevant stakeholders. (b) Training Program Not later than the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act , 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, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the United States, 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) should be made available to all other Federal agencies. . (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. 104. 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 (b), by striking faith and inserting activities, religious freedom advocacy, or efforts to protect and advance the universally recognized right to the freedom of religion, ; (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 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (1) In general The Commission shall make publicly available online and in official publications lists of persons it determines are imprisoned, detained, disappeared, placed under house arrest, tortured, or subject to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign country that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1) or by a non-state actor that the Commission recommends for designation as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and include as much publicly available information as possible on the conditions and circumstances of such persons. (2) Discretion In compiling such lists, the Commission shall exercise all appropriate discretion, including consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the persons who may be included on the lists and the families of such persons. . II National Security Council 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom Section 101 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3021 ) is amended by striking subsection (k) and inserting the following: (k) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that there should be within the staff of the National Security Council a Special Adviser to the President on International Religious Freedom, whose position should be comparable to that of a director within the Executive Office of the President, with the primary responsibility to serve as a resource for executive branch officials on international religious freedom, compiling and maintaining information on the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom (as defined in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998), and making relevant policy recommendations to advance United States international religious freedom policy. The Special Advisor should also assist the Ambassador at Large to coordinate international religious freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and within any interagency policy committees where the Ambassador at Large participates. . III Presidential actions 301. Non-state actor designations (a) In general The President shall, concurrent with the annual foreign country review required by section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) )— (1) review and identify any non-state actors operating in any such reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and (2) designate, in a manner consistent with such Act, each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. (b) Report Whenever the President designates a non-state actor under subsection (a) as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, the President shall, as soon as practicable after the designation is made, submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing the reasons for such designation. (c) Actions The President should take specific actions to address severe violations of religious freedom of non-state actors that are designated under subsection (a), including taking actions commensurate to those actions described in section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6445 ). (d) Department of State annual report The Secretary of State should include information detailing the reasons the President designated a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a) in the Annual Report required in section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ). (e) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should work with Congress to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors and to update the actions the President can take in section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. (f) Determinations of responsible parties In order to appropriately target Presidential actions under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 in response, the President shall with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a), seek to determine the specific officials or members thereof that are responsible for the particularly severe violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by that entity. (g) Definitions In this section, the terms appropriate congressional committees , non-state actor , and particularly severe violations of religious freedom have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ), as amended by section 3 of this Act. 302. 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. ; and (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking September 1 of the respective year and inserting 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 90 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. ; 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 in more than two consecutive Annual Reports. (B) Exercise of Waiver Authority The President may waive the application 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) the 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 . 303. Report to Congress Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iv) the impact on the advancement of United States interests in democracy, human rights, and security, and a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counter-terrorism. . 304. Presidential waiver Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6447 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking subsection (b) and inserting subsection (c) ; and (B) by inserting , for a single 180-day period, after may waive ; (2) by striking that— and all that follows and inserting that the exercise of such waiver authority would further the purposes of this Act. ; (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (4) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) Additional authority Subject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for any additional period of time after the 180-day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or a commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a country, if the President determines and so reports to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or (2) the exercise of such authority is important to the national interests of the United States. . (5) in subsection (c), by inserting or (b) after subsection (a) ; and (6) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (d) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this Act; and (2) because the promotion of religious freedom is a compelling interest of United States foreign policy, 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 case-by-case basis, through the actions specified in section 405 or other commensurate action in substitution thereto. . 305. Publication in the Federal Register Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, together with, when applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of individuals determined to be responsible for the violations under subsection (e) of such section. . IV Promotion of religious freedom 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom (a) Availability of assistance It is the sense of Congress that for each fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department of State should make available— (1) an amount equal to not less than 10 percent of the amounts available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund for the promotion of international religious freedom and for projects to advance United States interests in the protection and advancement of international religious freedom, in particular, through grants to— (A) groups that are able to develop legal protections or promote cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom; (B) groups that seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat violent extremism; and (C) groups that seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations; and (2) an amount equal to not less than 2 percent of amounts available in that fiscal year for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund to be made available for the establishment of a Religious Freedom Defense Fund, administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, to provide grants for— (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; and (B) projects to help create and support training of a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, strengthen legal representation, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize legal or other restrictions of the right to freedom of religion. (b) Preference It is the sense of Congress that, in providing grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should, 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)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ) and countries included on the Special Watch List described in section 102(b)(1)(F)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1)(F)(iii) ). (c) Administration and consultations (1) Administration Amounts made available in accordance with subsection (a) shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. (2) Consultations In developing priorities and policies for providing grants in accordance with subsection (a), including priorities and policies for identification of potential grantees, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom shall consult with other Federal agencies, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and, as appropriate, nongovernmental organizations. V Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 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. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom (a) List (1) In general The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador at Large and in consultation with relevant government and non-government experts, shall establish and maintain a list of foreign individuals who are sanctioned, through visa denials, financial sanctions, or other measures, because they are responsible for ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing particularly severe violations of freedom religion. (2) Reference The list required under paragraph (1) shall be known as the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom . (b) Report (1) In general The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the list required under subsection (a), including, with respect to each foreign individual on the list— (A) the name of the individual and a description of the particularly severe violation of religious freedom committed by the individual; (B) the name of the country or other location in which such violation took place; and (C) a description of the actions taken pursuant to this Act or any other Act or Executive order in response to such violation; and (2) Submission and updates The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) the initial report required under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section; and (B) updates to the report every 180 days thereafter and as new information becomes available. (3) Form The report required under paragraph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (4) Definition In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. . VI Miscellaneous provisions 601. 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. Voluntary 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, should seek to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries that should— (1) uphold 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) ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion 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) make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 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 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; and (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. . 602. Clerical amendments The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— (1) 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. ; (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the following: Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: Sec. 702. Voluntary 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. .

1. Short title and table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings; policy; sense of Congress. Sec. 3. Definitions. TITLE I—Department of State activities Sec. 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. Sec. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom. Sec. 103. Training for Foreign Service officers; report. Sec. 104. Prisoner lists and issue briefs on religious freedom concerns. TITLE II—National Security Council Sec. 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom. TITLE III—Presidential actions Sec. 301. Non-state actor designations. Sec. 302. Presidential actions in response to particularly severe violations of religious freedom. Sec. 303. Report to Congress. Sec. 304. Presidential waiver. Sec. 305. Publication in the Federal Register. TITLE IV—Promotion of religious freedom Sec. 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom. TITLE V—Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom Sec. 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. TITLE VI—Miscellaneous provisions Sec. 601. Miscellaneous provisions. Sec. 602. Clerical amendments. 2. Findings; policy; sense of Congress (a) Findings Section 2(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting The freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is understood to protect theistic and non-theistic beliefs and the right not to profess or practice any religion. before Governments ; (2) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the following: A policy or practice of routinely denying applications for visas for religious workers in a country can be indicative of a poor state of religious freedom in that country. ; and (3) in paragraph (6)— (A) by inserting and the specific targeting of non-theists, humanists, and atheists because of their beliefs after religious persecution ; and (B) by inserting and in regions where non-state actors exercise significant political power and territorial control before the period at the end. (b) Policy Section 2(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401(b) ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E); (2) by striking the matter preceding subparagraph (A), as redesignated, and inserting the following: (1) In general The following shall be the policy of the United States: ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (2) Evolving policies and coordinated diplomatic responses Because the promotion of international religious freedom protects human rights, advances democracy abroad, and advances United States interests in stability, security, and development globally, the promotion of international religious freedom requires new and evolving policies and diplomatic responses that— (A) are drawn from the expertise of the national security agencies, the diplomatic services, and other governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations; and (B) are coordinated across and carried out by the entire range of Federal agencies. . (c) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) a policy or practice by the government of any foreign country of routinely denying visa applications for religious workers can be indicative of a poor state of religious freedom in that country; and (2) the United States Government should seek to reverse any such policy by reviewing the entirety of the bilateral relationship between such country and the United States. 3. Definitions Section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (16); (2) by redesignating paragraphs (10), (11), and (12) as paragraphs (12), (13), and (14), respectively; (3) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following: (10) 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 ). (11) Non-state actor The term non-state actor means a nonsovereign entity that— (A) exercises significant political power and territorial control; (B) is outside the control of a sovereign government; and (C) often employs violence in pursuit of its objectives. ; (4) by inserting after paragraph (14), as redesignated, the following: (15) Special watch list The term Special Watch List means the Special Watch List described in section 402(b)(1)(A)(iii). ; and (5) in paragraph (16), as redesignated— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by redesignating clauses (iv) and (v) as clauses (v) and (vi), respectively; and (ii) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) not professing a particular religion, or any religion; ; and (B) in subparagraph (B)— (i) by inserting conscience, non-theistic views, or before religious belief or practice ; and (ii) by inserting forcibly compelling non-believers or non-theists to recant their beliefs or to convert, after forced religious conversion, . I Department of State activities 101. Office on International Religious Freedom; Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 101 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6411 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by inserting , and shall report directly to the Secretary of State before the period at the end; (2) 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 redesignated, by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (iv) by adding at the end the following: (B) integrate United States international religious freedom policies and strategies into the foreign policy efforts of the United States. ; (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting the principal adviser to before the Secretary of State ; (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: (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: (4) Coordination responsibilities In order to promote religious freedom as an interest of United States foreign policy, the Ambassador at Large— (A) shall coordinate international religious freedom policies across all programs, projects, and activities of the United States; and (B) should participate in any interagency processes on issues in which the promotion of international religious freedom policy can advance United States national security interests, including in democracy promotion, stability, security, and development globally. ; and (3) in subsection (d), by striking staff for the Office and all that follows and inserting adequate staff for the Office, including full-time equivalent positions and any other temporary staff positions needed to compile, edit, and manage the Annual Report under the direct supervision of the Ambassador at Large, and for the conduct of investigations by the Office and for necessary travel to carry out this Act. The Secretary of State should provide the Ambassador at Large with sufficient funding to carry out the duties described in this section, including, as necessary, representation funds. On the date on which the President’s annual budget request is submitted to Congress, the Secretary shall submit an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes a report on staffing levels for the International Religious Freedom Office. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) periodic severe understaffing in the past has hindered the vital work of the International Religious Freedom Office; and (2) maintaining an adequate staffing level at the Office, such as was in place during fiscal year 2016, is necessary for the Office to carry on its vital work. 102. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom (a) In general Section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ) is amended— (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking September 1 and inserting May 1 ; (2) in subparagraph (A)— (A) in clause (iii), by striking ; and and inserting as well as the routine denial of visa applications for religious workers; ; (B) by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (vii); and (C) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: (iv) particularly severe violations of religious freedom in that country if such country does not have a functioning government or the government of such country does not control its territory; (v) the identification of prisoners, to the extent possible, in that country pursuant to section 108(d); (vi) any action taken by the government of that country to censor religious content, communications, or worship activities online, including descriptions of the targeted religious group, the content, communication, or activities censored, and the means used; and ; (3) in subparagraph (B), in the matter preceding clause (i)— (A) by inserting persecution of lawyers, politicians, or other human rights advocates seeking to defend the rights of members of 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, ; (4) in subparagraph (C), by striking A description of United States actions and and inserting A detailed description of United States actions, diplomatic and political coordination efforts, and other ; and (5) in subparagraph (F)(i)— (A) by striking section 402(b)(1) and inserting section 402(b)(1)(A)(ii) ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: Any country in which a non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act is located shall be included in this section of the report. . (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ) was to require annual reports from both the Department of State and the Commission on International Religious Freedom to be delivered each year, during the same calendar year, and with at least 5 months separating these reports, in order to provide updated information for policymakers, Members of Congress, and nongovernmental organizations; and (2) given that the annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices no longer contain updated information on religious freedom conditions globally, it is important that the Department of State coordinate with the Commission to fulfill the original intent of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. 103. 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 (e) and (f), respectively; (2) in subsection (a), by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Human rights, religious freedom, and human trafficking training .—The Secretary of State ; (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (a) Additional training Not later than the one year after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act , 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, all officers prior to departure for posting outside the United States, and all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. Such training shall be a separate, independent, and required segment of each of— (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; and (3) the courses required of all outgoing deputy chiefs of mission and ambassadors. (b) Development of curriculum In developing curriculum for the training under subsection (b)(2), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, on behalf of the Secretary of State and in consultation with the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom established under section 201(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, shall develop a curriculum for training United States Foreign Service officers in the scope and strategic value of international religious freedom, how violations of international religious freedom harm fundamental United States interests, how the advancement of international 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 international religious freedom to United States defense, diplomacy, development, and public affairs efforts. The Secretary of State shall ensure the availability of sufficient resources to develop and implement such curriculum. (c) Information sharing The curriculum and training materials developed pursuant to subsections (b) and (c) should be made available to all other Federal agencies. ; (4) in subsection (e), as redesignated, by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Refugees.— The Secretary of State ; and (5) in subsection (f), as redesignated, by striking The Secretary of State and inserting Child Soldiers .—The Secretary of State . (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 Foreign Service Institute, located at the George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that contains a comprehensive plan for undertaking training for Foreign Service officers under section 708 of the Foreign Services Act of 1980, as amended by subsection (a). 104. 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 (b), by striking faith, and inserting activities, religious freedom advocacy, or efforts to protect and advance the universally recognized right to the freedom of religion, ; (2) in subsection (c), by striking , as appropriate, provide and insert make available ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (d) Victims list maintained by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (1) In general The Commission shall make publicly available, to the extent possible, online and in official publications, lists of persons it determines are imprisoned or detained, have disappeared, been placed under house arrest, been tortured, or subjected to forced renunciations of faith for their religious activity or religious freedom advocacy by the government of a foreign country that the Commission recommends for designation as a country of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1)(A)(ii) or by a non-state actor that the Commission recommends for designation as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and include as much publicly available information as possible on the conditions and circumstances of such persons. (2) Discretion In compiling lists under paragraph (1), the Commission shall exercise all appropriate discretion, including consideration of the safety and security of, and benefit to, the persons who may be included on the lists and the families of such persons. . II National Security Council 201. Special Adviser for International Religious Freedom The position described in section 101(k) of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 2031(k) should assist the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to coordinate international religious freedom policies and strategies throughout the executive branch and within any interagency policy committee of which the Ambassador at Large is a member. III Presidential actions 301. Non-state actor designations (a) In general The President, concurrent with the annual foreign country review required under section 402(b)(1)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1)(A) ), shall— (1) review and identify any non-state actors operating in any such reviewed country or surrounding region that have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom; and (2) designate, in a manner consistent with such Act, each such non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom. (b) Report Whenever the President designates a non-state actor under subsection (a) as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom, the President, as soon as practicable after the designation is made, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the reasons for such designation. (c) Actions The President should take specific actions, when practicable, to address severe violations of religious freedom of non-state actors that are designated under subsection (a)(2). (d) Department of State annual report The Secretary of State should include information detailing the reasons the President designated a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a) in the Annual Report required under section 102(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6412(b)(1) ). (e) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the Secretary of State should work with Congress and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom— (A) to create new political, financial, and diplomatic tools to address severe violations of religious freedom by non-state actors; and (B) to update the actions the President can take under section 405 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6445 ); (2) governments must ultimately be held accountable for the abuses that occur in their territories; and (3) any actions the President takes after designating a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern should also involve high-level diplomacy with the government of the country in which the non-state actor is operating. (f) Determinations of responsible parties In order to appropriately target Presidential actions under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 et seq. ), the President, with respect to each non-state actor designated as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under subsection (a), shall seek to determine the specific officials or members that are responsible for the particularly severe violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by such non-state actor. (g) Definitions In this section, the terms appropriate congressional committees , non-state actor , and particularly severe violations of religious freedom have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6402 ), as amended by section 3 of this Act. 302. 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; (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; and (iii) designate each country that engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom during the previous year, but does not meet, in the opinion of the President at the time of publication of the Annual Report, all of the criteria described in section 3(15) for designation under clause (ii) as being placed on a Special Watch List . ; 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)(ii), the President, not later than 90 days after such designation, shall submit 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)(ii) shall retain such designation until the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that the country should no longer be so designated. ; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (4) 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)(ii) in any such year. ; and (2) in subsection (c)(5), by striking the President must designate the specific sanction or sanctions which he determines satisfy the requirements of this subsection. and inserting the President shall designate the specific sanction or sanctions that the President determines satisfy the requirements under this subsection and include a description of the impact of such sanction or sanctions on each country. . 303. Report to Congress Section 404(a)(4)(A) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6444(a)(4)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (ii), by striking and at the end; (2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (iv) the impact on the advancement of United States interests in democracy, human rights, and security, and a description of policy tools being applied in the country, including programs that target democratic stability, economic growth, and counterterrorism. . 304. Presidential waiver Section 407 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6447 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking subsection (b) and inserting subsection (c) ; (B) by inserting , for a single, 180-day period, after may waive ; (C) by striking paragraph (1); and (D) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: (b) Additional authority Subject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for any additional specified period of time after the 180-day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or a commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country, if the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that— (1) the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or (2) the important national interest of the United States requires the exercise of such waiver authority. ; (4) in subsection (c), as redesignated, by inserting or (b) after subsection (a) ; and (5) by adding at the end the following: (d) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of section 405(a) (or commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this Act; and (2) because the promotion of religious freedom is a compelling interest of United States foreign policy, 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 case-by-case basis, through the actions described in section 405 or other commensurate substitute action. . 305. Publication in the Federal Register Section 408(a)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6448(a)(1) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: Any designation of a non-state actor as an entity of particular concern for religious freedom under section 301 of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act and, if applicable and to the extent practicable, the identities of individuals determined to be responsible for violations described in subsection (f) of such section. . IV Promotion of religious freedom 401. Assistance for promoting religious freedom (a) Availability of assistance It is the sense of Congress that for each fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State should make available, from amounts available— (1) sufficient funds for the vigorous promotion of international religious freedom and for projects to advance United States interests in the protection and advancement of international religious freedom, in particular, through grants to groups that— (A) are capable of developing legal protections or promoting cultural and societal understanding of international norms of religious freedom; (B) seek to address and mitigate religiously motivated and sectarian violence and combat violent extremism; or (C) seek to strengthen investigations, reporting, and monitoring of religious freedom violations, including genocide perpetrated against religious minorities; and (2) sufficient funds for the establishment of an effective Religious Freedom Defense Fund, to be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, to provide grants for— (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; and (B) projects to help create and support training of a new generation of defenders of religious freedom, including legal and political advocates, and civil society projects which seek to create advocacy networks, strengthen legal representation, train and educate new religious freedom defenders, and build the capacity of religious communities and rights defenders to protect against religious freedom violations, mitigate societal or sectarian violence, or minimize legal or other restrictions of the right to freedom of religion. (b) Preference It is the sense of Congress that, in providing grants under subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should, as appropriate, give preference to projects targeting religious freedom violations in countries— (1) designated as countries of particular concern for religious freedom under section 402(b)(1) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6442(b)(1) ); or (2) included on the Special Watch List described in section 402(b)(1)(A)(iii) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as added by section 302(1)(A)(i) of this Act. (c) Administration and consultations (1) Administration Amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be administered by the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom. (2) Consultations In developing priorities and policies for providing grants authorized under subsection (a), including programming and policy , the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom should consult with other Federal agencies, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and, as appropriate, nongovernmental organizations. V Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom 501. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of 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: 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom (a) List (1) In general The Secretary of State, in coordination with the Ambassador at Large and in consultation with relevant government and nongovernment experts, shall establish and maintain a list of foreign individuals to whom a consular post has denied a visa on the grounds of particularly severe violations of religious freedom under section 212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(G) ), or who are subject to financial sanctions or other measures for particularly severe violations of freedom religion. (2) Reference The list required under paragraph (1) shall be known as the Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom . (b) Report (1) In general The Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that contains the list required under subsection (a), including, with respect to each foreign individual on the list— (A) the name of the individual and a description of the particularly severe violation of religious freedom committed by the individual; (B) the name of the country or other location in which such violation took place; and (C) a description of the actions taken pursuant to this Act or any other Act or Executive order in response to such violation. (2) Submission and updates The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees— (A) the initial report required under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act ; and (B) updates to the report every 180 days thereafter and as new information becomes available. (3) Form The report required under paragraph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. (4) Definition In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate ; (B) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate ; (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives ; and (D) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives . . VI Miscellaneous provisions 601. 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: 702. Voluntary 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— (1) for their potential for shaping positive leadership and new educational models in host countries; and (2) 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, should seek to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries that should— (1) uphold 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) ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion 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) make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 703. Sense of Congress regarding national security strategy to promote religious freedom through United States foreign policy It is the sense of Congress that the annual national security strategy report of the President required under section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 ( 50 U.S.C. 3043 )— (1) should promote international religious freedom as a foreign policy and national security priority; and (2) should articulate that promotion of the right to freedom of religion is a strategy that— (A) protects other, related human rights, and advances democracy outside the United States; and (B) makes clear its importance to United States foreign policy goals of stability, security, development, and diplomacy; (3) should be a guide for the strategies and activities of relevant Federal agencies; and (4) should 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. . 602. Clerical amendments The table of contents of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 ( 22 U.S.C. 6401 note) is amended— (1) 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. ; (2) by inserting after the item relating to section 604 the following: Sec. 605. Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom. ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: Sec. 702. Voluntary 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. .

December 7, 2016 Reported with an amendment