,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fec  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #bb1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,blunt 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,levin1  
and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7 introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide for  
the establishment of the ,special ,envoy
 to ,promote ,religious ,freedom of     
,religious ,minorities in the ,near     
,east and ,south ,central ,asia4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,near ,east and ,south ,central     
,asia ,religious ,freedom ,act of #bjac4
  #b4 ,special envoy ,to promote        
religious freedom of religious          
minorities in the ,near ,east and ,south
 ,central ,asia  7a7 ,appointment ,the  
,president may appoint a ,special ,envoy
 to ,promote ,religious ,freedom of     
,religious ,minorities in the ,near     
,east and ,south ,central ,asia 7in this
 ,act referred to as the ,special       
,envoy7 within the ,department of       

,state4 ,the ,special ,envoy shall have 
the rank of ambassador and shall hold   
the office at the pleasure of the       
,president4  7b7 ,qualifications ,the   
,special ,envoy should be a person of   
recognized distinction in the field of  
human rights and religious freedom and  
with expertise in the ,near ,east and   
,south ,central ,asia4  #c4 ,duties  7a7
 ,in general ,the ,special ,envoy shall 
carry out the following duties3  7#a7   
,promote the right of religious freedom 
of religious minorities in the countries
 of the ,near ,east and the countries of
 ,south ,central ,asia1 denounce the    
violation of such right1 and recommend  
appropriate responses by the ,united    
,states ,government when such right is  
violated4  7#b7 ,monitor and combat acts
 of religious intolerance and incitement
 targeted against religious minorities  
in the countries of the ,near ,east and 
the countries of ,south ,central ,asia4 
7#c7 ,work to ensure that the unique    
needs of religious minority communities 

in the countries of the ,near ,east and 
the countries of ,south ,central ,asia  
are addressed1 including the economic   
and security needs of such communities4 
7#d7 ,work with foreign governments of  
the countries of the ,near ,east and the
 countries of ,south ,central ,asia to  
address laws that are discriminatory    
toward religious minority communities in
 such countries4  7#e7 ,coordinate and  
assist in the preparation of that       
portion of the report required by       
sections #aaf7;d7 and #ejb;,b7b7 of the 
,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb 
,u4,s4,c4 #baean7d7 and #bcjd7;b77      
relating to the nature and extent of    
religious freedom of religious          
minorities in the countries of the ,near
 ,east and the countries of ,south      
,central ,asia4  7#f7 ,coordinate and   
assist in the preparation of that       
portion of the report required by       
section #ajb7;b7 of the ,international  
,religious ,freedom ,act of #aiih 7#bb  
,u4,s4,c4 #fdab7;b77 relating to the    

nature and extent of religious freedom  
of religious minorities in the countries
 of the ,near ,east and the countries of
 ,south ,central ,asia4  7b7            
,coordination ,in carrying out the      
duties under subsection 7a71 the        
,special ,envoy shall1 to the maximum   
extent practicable1 coordinate with the 
,assistant ,secretary of ,state for     
,population1 ,refugees and ,migration1  
the ,ambassador at ,large for           
,international ,religious ,freedom1 the 
,united ,states ,commission on          
,international ,religious ,freedom1 and 
other relevant ,federal agencies and    
officials4  #d4 ,diplomatic             
representation ,subject to the direction
 of the ,president and the ,secretary of
 ,state1 the ,special ,envoy is         
authorized to represent the ,united     
,states in matters and cases relevant to
 religious freedom in the countries of  
the ,near ,east and the countries of    
,south ,central ,asia in--  7#a7        
contacts with foreign governments1      

intergovernmental organizations1 and    
specialized agencies of the ,united     
,nations1 the ,organization of ,security
 and ,cooperation in ,europe1 and other 
international organizations of which the
 ,united ,states is a member2 and  7#b7 
multilateral conferences and meetings   
relevant to religious freedom in the    
countries of the ,near ,east and the    
countries of ,south ,central ,asia4  #e4
 ,consultations ,the ,special ,envoy    
shall consult with domestic and         
international nongovernmental           
organizations and multilateral          
organizations and institutions1 as the  
,special ,envoy considers appropriate to
 fulfill the purposes of this ,act4  #f4
 ,funding ,of the amounts appropriated  
or otherwise made available to the      
,secretary of ,state for ,diplomatic and
 ,consular ,programs for fiscal years   
#bjac through #bjag1 the ,secretary of  
,state is authorized to provide to the  
,special ,envoy #a1jjj1jjj for each such
 fiscal year for the hiring of staff1   

the conduct of investigations1 and      
necessary travel to carry out the       
provisions of this ,act4