US Codex
Pub. L.
Notes

Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act

114th Congress · Approved Dec 16, 2016 · 130 Stat. 1426

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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa­tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 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.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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,”.