Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Chapter 73 — International Religious Freedom
§ 6473a. Designated persons list for particularly severe violations of religious freedom
Statutory text
List
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 1182(a)(2)(G) of title 8, or who are subject to financial sanctions or other measures for particularly severe violations of freedom religion.
Reference
The list required under paragraph (1) shall be known as the “Designated Persons List for Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom”.
Report
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—
the name of the individual and a description of the particularly severe violation of religious freedom committed by the individual;
the name of the country or other location in which such violation took place; and
a description of the actions taken pursuant to this chapter or any other Act or Executive order in response to such violation.
Submission and updates
The Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees—
the initial report required under paragraph (1) not later than 180 days after ; and
updates to the report every 180 days thereafter and as new information becomes available.
Form
The report required under paragraph (1) should be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.
Definition
In this subsection, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate;
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998
Pub. L. 105–292 title VI § 605 · 112 Stat. 2787
Enacted · 22 U.S.C. § 6473a
(Pub. L. 105–292, title VI, § 605, as added Pub. L. 114–281, title V, § 501(2), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1437.)
Source evidence
Code source credit
(Pub. L. 105–292, title VI, § 605, as added Pub. L. 114–281, title V, § 501(2), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1437.)Enacted provision · exact public law section
SEC. 605. STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF EXPEDITED REMOVAL PROVISIONS ON ASYLUM CLAIMS. (a) Studies.— (1) Commission request for participation by experts on refugee and asylum issues.— If the Commission so requests, the Attorney General shall invite experts designated by the Commission, who are recognized for their expertise and knowledge of refugee and asylum issues, to conduct a study, in cooperation with the Comptroller General of the United States, to determine whether immigration officers described in paragraph (2) are engaging in any of the conduct described in such paragraph. (2) Duties of comptroller general.— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study alone or, upon request by the Commission, in cooperation with experts designated by the Commission, to determine whether immigration officers performing duties under section 235(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1225(b)) with respect to aliens who may be eligible to be granted asylum are engaging in any of the following conduct: (A) Improperly encouraging such aliens to withdraw their applications for admission. (B) Incorrectly failing to refer such aliens for an interview by an asylum officer for a determination of whether they have a credible fear of persecution (within the meaning of section 235(b)(1)(B)(v) of such Act). (C) Incorrectly removing such aliens to a country where they may be persecuted. (D) Detaining such aliens improperly or in inappropriate conditions. (b) Reports.— (1) Participation by experts.— In the case of a Commission request under subsection (a), the experts designated by the Commission under that subsection may submit a report to the committees described in paragraph (2). Such report may be submitted with the Comptroller General’s report under subsection (a)(2) or independently. (2) Duties of comptroller general.— Not later than Reports. September 1, 2000, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report containing the results of the study conducted under subsection (a)(2). If the Commission requests designated experts to participate with the Comptroller General in the preparation and submission of the report, the Comptroller General shall grant the request. (c) Access to Proceedings.— (1) In general.— Except as provided in paragraph (2), to facilitate the studies and reports, the Attorney General shall permit the Comptroller General of the United States and, in the case of a Commission request under subsection (a), the experts designated under subsection (a) to have unrestricted access to all stages of all proceedings conducted under section 235(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (2) Exceptions.— Paragraph (1) shall not apply in cases in which the alien objects to such access, or the Attorney General determines that the security of a particular proceeding would be threatened by such access, so long as any restrictions on the access of experts designated by the Commission under subsection (a) do not contravene international law.
1 of 1 references resolved to an enrolled provision
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(C), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 105–292, , 112 Stat. 2787, known as the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6401 of this title and Tables.
Prior Provisions
A prior section 605 of Pub. L. 105–292 was renumbered section 606 and is classified to section 6474 of this title.
Credits
(Pub. L. 105–292, title VI, § 605, as added Pub. L. 114–281, title V, § 501(2), , 130 Stat. 1437.)