[115th Congress Public Law 94]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
DEPARTMENT OF STATE AUTHORITIES ACT, FISCAL YEAR 2017, IMPROVEMENTS ACT
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. <<NOTE: Dec. 18, 2017 - [S.
371]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Department of
State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act.>>
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 22 USC 2651 note.>> 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 Department of State Authorities
Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323), <<NOTE: 22 USC 4803.>> is
amended by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations of the
Senate and the House of Representatives'' after ``appropriate
congressional committees''.
(b) Annual Report on Embassy Construction Costs.--Section 118(a) of
the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law
114-323) <<NOTE: 22 USC 304.>> 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) <<NOTE: 22 USC 287 note.>> is amended by inserting
``and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of
Representatives'' after ``appropriate congressional committees''.
(d) Workforce Rightsizing Report.--Section 405(c) of the Department
of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
323) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1929.>> is amended by inserting ``and the
Committees on Appropriations 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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1937.>> is amended--
(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) <<NOTE: 22 USC 287 note.>> is amended--
(1) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``enhance the
discovery'' 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
compensation 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 GENERAL.
Section 310 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year
2017 (Public Law 114-323) <<NOTE: 22 USC 287 note.>> 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 subsection (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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1924.>> 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 Foreign 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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1926.>> is amended--
(1) by inserting ``and the Committees on Appropriations of
the Senate and the House of Representatives'' after
``appropriate congressional committees'';
(2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) <<NOTE: Cost estimate.>> 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
paragraph (2) of this section, the following new paragraph:
``(2) <<NOTE: Assessment.>> an assessment of the
operational, structural, and doctrinal differences between the
military and civilian infrastructures 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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1928.>> 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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat.
1935.>> 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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1937.>> 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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1938.>> 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) <<NOTE: 22 USC 1465b note.>> 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) <<NOTE: 130 Stat. 1943.>> is amended by
inserting ``, to the extent practicable,'' before ``transmit''.
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) <<NOTE: President.>> 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. <<NOTE: Reports.>> 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 Relations 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.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 371:
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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.
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