(This measure has not been amended since it was amended by the Senate on December 13, 2011. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2011 - (Sec. 2) Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to prohibit any individual (including members appointed prior to enactment of this Act) from serving more than two terms as a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Requires, for any member serving on the date of enactment of this Act who has completed at least two full terms, that such member's term expire 90 days after such enactment. Bars a member from serving after the expiration of that member's term.
Prohibits: (1) a member attending less than 75% of the meetings during one of such member's terms from being eligible for reappointment, and (2) a member from being eligible to be elected as Chair of the Commission for a second, consecutive term.
Subjects members to specified Department of State and federal travel regulations governing authorized travel at government expense.
(Sec. 3) Requires, for purposes of providing remedies and procedures to address alleged violations of rights and protections that pertain to various specified antidiscrimination laws, that all employees of the Commission be treated as employees whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives and that the Commission be treated as an employing office of the Senate or House.
Authorizes such treatment for any administrative or judicial claim or action pending on the date of enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 4) Authorizes appropriations of $3 million for each of FY2012-FY2014.
(Sec. 5) Increases to $250,000 the maximum amount the Commission may expend in any fiscal year to procure temporary or intermittent services contracts for the conduct of certain activities necessary to Commission functions.
(Sec. 6) Extends the Commission's termination date to September 30, 2014.
(Sec. 7) Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) review the effectiveness of federal programs to promote international religious freedom; (2) assess the roles and functions of the Office on International Religious Freedom, the relationship to other offices in the Department of State, and the role of the Ambassador at Large; (3) analyze the Commission's structure as an independent nonpartisan entity in relation to other U.S. advisory commissions; and (4) review the relationship between the Ambassador at Large and the Commission.
[112th Congress Public Law 75]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[[Page 1271]]
UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REFORM AND
REAUTHORIZATION
ACT OF 2011
[[Page 125 STAT. 1272]]
Public Law 112-75
112th Congress
An Act
To reauthorize the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, and for
other purposes. <<NOTE: Dec. 23, 2011 - [H.R. 2867]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization
Act of 2011. 22 USC 6401 note.>>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States Commission on
International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act of
2011''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION.
(a) Terms.--Section 201(c) of the International Religious Freedom
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431(c)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
``(1) In general.--The <<NOTE: Time period.>> term of office
of each member of the Commission shall be 2 years. An
individual, including any member appointed to the Commission
prior to the date of the enactment of the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and
Reauthorization Act of 2011, shall not serve more than 2 terms
as a member of the Commission under any
circumstance. <<NOTE: Expiration date.>> For any member serving
on the Commission on such date who has completed at least 2 full
terms on the Commission, such member's term shall expire 90 days
after such date. A member of the Commission may not serve after
the expiration of that member's term.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) Ineligibility for reappointment.--If a member of the
Commission attends, by being physically present or by conference
call, less than 75 percent of the meetings of the Commission
during one of that member's terms on the Commission, the member
shall not be eligible for reappointment to the Commission.''.
(b) Election of Chair.--Section 201(d) of the International
Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431(d)) is amended by
inserting at the end the following: ``No member of the Commission is
eligible to be elected as Chair of the Commission for a second,
consecutive term.''.
(c) Application of Federal Travel Regulation and Department of State
Standardized Regulations to the Commission.--Section 201(i) of the
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6431(i)) is
amended by adding at the end the following: ``Members of the Commission
are subject to the requirements set forth in chapters 300 through 304 of
title 41, Code of Federal
[[Page 125 STAT. 1273]]
Regulations (commonly known as the `Federal Travel Regulation') and the
Department of State Standardized Regulations governing authorized travel
at government expense, including regulations concerning the mode of
travel, lodging and per diem expenditures, reimbursement payments, and
expense reporting and documentation requirements.''.
SEC. 3. APPLICATION OF ANTIDISCRIMINATION LAWS.
(a) In General.--Section 204 of the International Religious Freedom
Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6432b) is amended by inserting after subsection
(f) the following new subsection:
``(g) Application of Antidiscrimination Laws.--For purposes of
providing remedies and procedures to address alleged violations of
rights and protections that pertain to employment discrimination, family
and medical leave, fair labor standards, employee polygraph protection,
worker adjustment and retraining, veterans' employment and reemployment,
intimidation or reprisal, protections under the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, occupational safety and health, labor-
management relations, and rights and protections that apply to employees
whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief
Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, all employees of
the Commission shall be treated as employees whose pay is disbursed by
the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the
House of Representatives and the Commission shall be treated as an
employing office of the Senate or the House of Representatives.''.
(b) Pending Claims.--Any <<NOTE: 22 USC 6432b note.>> administrative
or judicial claim or action pending on the date of the enactment of this
Act may be maintained under section 204(g) of the International
Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as added by subsection (a).
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 207(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998
(22 U.S.C. 6435(a)) is amended by striking ``for the fiscal year 2003''
and inserting ``for each of the fiscal years 2012 through 2014''.
SEC. 5. STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND DISCLOSURE.
Section 208 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22
U.S.C. 6435a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``$100,000'' and
inserting ``$250,000''; and
(2) in subsection (e), by striking ``International
Relations'' and inserting ``Foreign Affairs''.
SEC. 6. TERMINATION.
Section 209 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22
U.S.C. 6436) is amended by striking ``September 30, 2011'' and inserting
``September 30, 2014''.
SEC. 7. REPORT ON EFFECTIVENESS OF PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
implementation of this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
[[Page 125 STAT. 1274]]
(b) Consultation.--The Comptroller General shall consult with the
appropriate congressional committees and nongovernmental organizations
for purposes of preparing the report.
(c) Matters To Be Included.--The report shall include the following:
(1) A review of the effectiveness of all United States
Government programs to promote international religious freedom,
including their goals and objectives.
(2) An assessment of the roles and functions of the Office
on International Religious Freedom established in section 101(a)
of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C.
6411(a)) and the relationship of the Office to other offices in
the Department of State.
(3) A review of the role of the Ambassador at Large for
International Religious Freedom appointed under section 101(b)
of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C.
6411(b)) and the placement of such position within the
Department of State.
(4) A review and assessment of the goals and objectives of
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)).
(5) A comparative analysis of the structure of the United
States Commission on International Religious Freedom as an
independent non-partisan entity in relation to other United
States advisory commissions, whether or not such commissions are
under the direct authority of Congress.
(6) A review of the relationship between the Ambassador at
Large for International Religious Freedom and the United States
Commission on International Religious Freedom, and possible
reforms that would improve the ability of both to reach their
goals and objectives.
(d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate
congressional committees'' has the meaning given the term in section 3
of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6402).
Approved December 23, 2011.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2867:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 157 (2011):
Sept. 14, 15, considered and passed House.
Dec. 13, considered and passed Senate, amended.
Dec. 16, House concurred in Senate amendments.
<all>
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 391 - 21 (Roll no. 709). (text: CR 9/14/2011 H6152-6153)
Roll Call #709 (House)Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S8552-8553)
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.(text: CR S8553)
Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote. (text: CR S8553)
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments. (consideration: CR H9810-9812)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on agreeing to the Senate amendments to H.R. 2867.
Enacted as Public Law 112-75
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Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.(text as House agreed to Senate amendment (CR H9810)
On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote. (text as House agreed to Senate amendment (CR H9810)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Presented to President.
Presented to President.
Signed by President.
Signed by President.
Became Public Law No: 112-75.
Became Public Law No: 112-75.