International Religious Freedom Act of 1998

International Religious Freedom Act of 1998

Long title	An Act to express United States foreign policy with respect to, and to strengthen United States advocacy on behalf of, individuals persecuted in foreign countries on account of religion; to authorize United States actions in response to violations of religious freedom in foreign countries; to establish an Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom with the Department of State, a Commission on International Religious Freedom, and a Special Adviser on International Religious Freedom with the National Security Council; and for other purposes.
Enacted by	the 105th United States Congress
Citations
Public law	105–292
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S.1868 - International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 by Don Nickles (R–OK) on March 26, 1998 Passed the Senate on October 8, 1998 (S.Amdt.3789 — 105th Congress (1997–1998) Purpose: In the nature of a substitute. Sponsor: Sen. Nickles, Don [R-OK]) Passed the House on October 10, 1998 (Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.(consideration: CR H10434-10447)) Signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 27, 1998

The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–292, as amended by Public Law 106–55, Public Law 106–113, Public Law 107–228, Public Law 108–332, and Public Law 108–458)^[1] was passed to promote religious freedom as a foreign policy of the United States, to promote greater religious freedom in countries which engage in or tolerate violations of religious freedom, and to advocate on the behalf of individuals persecuted for their religious beliefs and activities in foreign countries. The Act was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 27, 1998.^[2][3] Three cooperative entities have been maintained by this act to monitor religious persecution.

1. An Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom within the Department of State, who is the highest-ranking US diplomat on international religious freedom, and who is tasked with carrying out the provisions of IRFA: the Annual Report, negotiations with foreign governments to bring about greater religious freedom, and the determination of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC's) under IRFA, which entails further actions.
2. A bipartisan United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, designed to provide independent policy recommendations and fact-finding, and
3. A Special Adviser on International Religious Freedom within the National Security Council.^[3]

IRFA was introduced on March 26, 1998, by Senator Don Nickles (R-OK), Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and others, as a far-reaching policy response to the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act of 1997, introduced by Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) and Senator Arlen Specter on May 27, 1997, as H.R.1685/S.772, and subsequently reintroduced on September 8, 1997, as H.R. 2431, the Freedom from Religious Persecution Act. H.R. 2431 affected only a handful of countries, with a narrow range of measures; IRFA based its measures on international human rights law and created a structure to address religious freedom issues in depth all over the world. On October 8, 1998, the Senate passed IRFA by a vote of 98–0. IRFA was renumbered as Amendment S. 3789 to H.R.2431, so that the Senate version could be adopted in its entirety as an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R.2431, including its title, the "International Religious Freedom Act." IRFA was passed in full by the House on the consent calendar on October 10, 1998.