An act to make technical changes and other improvements to the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017
PL 115-94 (S.371), enacted 12/18/2017

131 STAT. 2038 
PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 
Public Law 115–94 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To make technical changes and other improvements to the Department of State 
Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of State Authorities 
Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REPORTS. 
(a) OMNIBUS DIPLOMATIC SECURITY AND ANTITERRORISM ACT 
OF 1986.—Section 104(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and 
Antiterrorism Act of 1986, as added by section 101 of the Depart-
ment of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114– 
323), is amended by inserting ‘‘and the Committees on Appropria-
tions of the Senate and the House of Representatives’’ after ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT ON EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION COSTS.—Sec-
tion 118(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by inserting ‘‘and the 
Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives’’ after ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’. 
(c) OVERSIGHT
OF
AND ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR PEACEKEEPER 
ABUSES.—Section 301(a) of the Department of State Authorities 
Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by inserting 
‘‘and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives’’ after ‘‘appropriate congressional commit-
tees’’. 
(d) WORKFORCE RIGHTSIZING REPORT.—Section 405(c) of the 
Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 
114–323) is amended by inserting ‘‘and the Committees on Appro-
priations of the Senate and the House of Representatives’’ after 
‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’. 
(e) CONSULAR IMMUNITY.—Subsection (b)(2) of section 4 of the 
Diplomatic Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 254c), as added by section 
501 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114–323), is amended by striking ‘‘of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations’’ and 
inserting ‘‘and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
Committee on Appropriations’’. 
(f) WESTERN HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY COMMISSION REPORT.— 
Section 602(c) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended— 
130 Stat. 1937. 
130 Stat. 1929. 
22 USC 287 note. 
22 USC 304. 
22 USC 4803. 
22 USC 2651 
note. 
Department of 
State Authorities 
Act, Fiscal Year 
2017, 
Improvements 
Act. 
Dec. 18, 2017 
[S. 371] 
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131 STAT. 2039 
PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and the Committee on Appropriations’’ 
after ‘‘Committee on Foreign Affairs’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘and the Committee on Appropriations’’ 
after ‘‘Committee on Foreign Relations’’; 
SEC. 3. PEACEKEEPING TRAINING. 
Section 301 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘enhance the dis-
covery’’ and inserting ‘‘investigate allegations’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘adequately respond 
to complaints about such offenses by carrying out swift 
and effective disciplinary action against the personnel’’ and 
inserting ‘‘appropriately hold accountable personnel’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, including com-
pensation to victims, as appropriate’’ after ‘‘responses to 
such offenses’’; 
(2) in subsection (f)(2), by striking ‘‘any individual who 
commits an act’’ and inserting ‘‘personnel who are found to 
have committed acts’’; and 
(3) in subsection (g)(1), by striking ‘‘noteworthy’’. 
SEC. 4. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GEN-
ERAL. 
Section 310 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘The descriptions referred 
to in subsection (a) shall include the following elements’’ and 
inserting ‘‘In addition to the descriptions referred to in sub-
section (a), each such candidate shall be urged to describe 
the following’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘such l’’ and inserting 
‘‘such agenda’’. 
SEC. 5. POLICY REGARDING THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS 
COUNCIL. 
Section 311(a)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(E) which has been designated as a Tier 3 country 
in the annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons 
Report under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 
2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107); or 
‘‘(F) which is identified as having failed to prevent 
or address gross violations of human rights in the annual 
Department of State Human Rights Report under the For-
eign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974; 
and’’. 
SEC. 6. COMPARATIVE REPORT ON PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS. 
Section 313 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended— 
130 Stat. 1926. 
130 Stat. 1924. 
22 USC 287 note. 
22 USC 287 note. 
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131 STAT. 2040 
PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and the Committees on Appropriations 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives’’ after ‘‘appro-
priate congressional committees’’; 
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) a comparison of the costs of current United Nations 
peacekeeping operations, including the costs incurred by the 
United States for such operations, and the estimated cost of 
such operations if implemented unilaterally by the United 
States;’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (1), as amended by para-
graph (2) of this section, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(2) an assessment of the operational, structural, and doc-
trinal differences between the military and civilian infrastruc-
tures of the United States and United Nations and other 
assumptions that impact cost estimates; and’’. 
SEC. 7. LATERAL ENTRY INTO THE FOREIGN SERVICE. 
Section 404(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by striking 
‘‘outstanding’’. 
SEC. 8. COMBATING INTOLERANCE. 
The section heading of section 419 of the Department of State 
Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended 
by striking ‘‘ANTI-SEMITISM’’ and inserting ‘‘INTOLERANCE’’. 
SEC. 9. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS REGARDING COMPLETION OF 
WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE 
DRUG 
POLICY 
COMMISSION 
REPORT. 
Section 603 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (f)(1), by striking ‘‘section 362’’ and 
inserting ‘‘section 602(c)’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows: 
‘‘(h) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission shall serve 
without pay or benefits.’’. 
SEC. 10. TECHNICAL CORRECTION REGARDING POWERS OF WESTERN 
HEMISPHERE DRUG POLICY COMMISSION. 
Section 604 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(f) GIFTS, BEQUESTS, AND DEVISES.—The Commission may 
solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of 
money, services, or property, both real and personal, for the purpose 
of carrying out any duty, power, or authority of the Commission.’’. 
SEC. 11. BROADCASTING BOARD OF GOVERNORS. 
Section 703(b)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by striking 
‘‘any significant restructuring,’’. 
SEC. 12. RANSOMS TO FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS. 
Section 709(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by inserting 
‘‘, to the extent practicable,’’ before ‘‘transmit’’. 
130 Stat. 1943. 
22 USC 1465b 
note. 
130 Stat. 1938. 
130 Stat. 1937. 
130 Stat. 1935. 
130 Stat. 1928. 
Assessment. 
Cost estimate. 
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131 STAT. 2041 
PUBLIC LAW 115–94—DEC. 18, 2017 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 371: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 163 (2017): 
May 1, considered and passed Senate. 
July 28, considered and passed House, amended. 
Dec. 4, Senate concurred in House amendment. 
SEC. 13. RESTORATION OF TIBET REPORT. 
Section 613 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228, 22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as amended 
by section 715(b)(1) of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323), is further amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘IN GENERAL’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘POLICY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (b) as paragraph (2) and 
moving such paragraph, as so redesignated, two ems to the 
right; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(b) PERIODIC REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of the Department of State Authorities Act, 
Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act, and annually thereafter until 
December 31, 2021, the President shall transmit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on— 
‘‘(1) the steps taken by the President and the Secretary 
in accordance with subsection (a)(1) to implement the Tibetan 
Policy Act of 2002; and 
‘‘(2) the status of any discussions between the People’s 
Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives 
or a successor selected by a method of the 14th Dalai Lama’s 
own choosing or the representatives of such successor.’’. 
SEC. 14. DEPARTMENT OF STATE REORGANIZATIONS. 
The report required under subsection (l) of section 7034 of 
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115–31) 
shall also be provided to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions in the Senate concurrent with the submission of such report 
to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate pursuant to 
such subsection. 
Approved December 18, 2017. 
Reports. 
President. 
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