HR 221
AN ACT
To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of1956 to monitor and combat anti-Semitism globally, andfor other purposes.
116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION
H. R. 221
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 14, 2019
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
AN ACT
To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to monitor and combat anti-Semitism globally, and for other purposes.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
_____________________
1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti Semitism Act’’.
4 SEC. 2. FINDING.
5 Congress finds that since the Global Anti-Semitism
6 Review Act of 2004 was enacted, in many foreign coun7
tries acts of anti-Semitism have been frequent and wide
8 in scope, the perpetrators and variety of threats to Jewish
9 communities and their institutions have proliferated, and
10 in some countries anti-Semitic attacks have increased in
11 frequency, scope, violence, and deadliness.
12 SEC. 3. MONITORING AND COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM.
13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 59 of the
14 State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22
15 U.S.C. 2731) is amended—
16 (1) in paragraph (2)—
17 (A) in subparagraph (A)—
18 (i) by inserting before the period at
19 the end the following: ‘‘, who shall be ap20
pointed by the President, by and with the
21 advice and consent of the Senate’’; and
22 (ii) by adding at the end the following
23 new sentence: ‘‘The Special Envoy shall re24
port directly to the Secretary.’’; and
25 (B) in subparagraph (B)—
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3
HR 221 RFS
1 (i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘AP2
POINTMENT’’ and inserting ‘‘NOMINA3
TION’’;
4 (ii) by striking the first sentence;
5 (iii) in the second sentence, by strik6
ing ‘‘If the Secretary determines that such
7 is appropriate, the Secretary may appoint’’
8 and inserting ‘‘If the President determines
9 that such is appropriate, the President
10 may nominate’’; and
11 (iv) in the third sentence, by striking
12 ‘‘The Secretary may allow such officer or
13 employee to retain the position (and the
14 responsibilities associated with such posi15
tion) held by such officer or employee prior
16 to the appointment’’ and inserting ‘‘Such
17 officer or employee may not retain the po18
sition (or the responsibilities associated
19 with such position) held by such officer or
20 employee prior to the nomination’’; and
21 (2) by adding at the end the following new
22 paragraphs:
23 ‘‘(3) DUTIES.—The Special Envoy shall serve
24 as the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts
25 across, the United States Government relating to
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1 monitoring and combating anti-Semitism and anti-
2 Semitic incitement that occur in foreign countries.
3 ‘‘(4) RANK AND STATUS OF AMBASSADOR.—
4 The Special Envoy shall have the rank of ambas5
sador.
6 ‘‘(5) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Special Envoy
7 should be a person of recognized distinction in the
8 field of—
9 ‘‘(A) combating anti-Semitism;
10 ‘‘(B) religious freedom; or
11 ‘‘(C) law enforcement.’’.
12 (b) NOMINATION.—Not later than 90 days after the
13 date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than 120
14 after any such position becomes vacant, the President
15 shall nominate the Special Envoy for Monitoring and
16 Combating anti-Semitism under section 59 of the State
17 Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, as amended
18 by subsection (a) of this section.
Passed the House of Representatives January 11,
2019.
Attest: KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.
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