United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2011
Public Law 112-75 · H.R. 2867 · 112th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 23, 2011 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA-10)
Cosponsors (5): Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Rep. Howard Berman,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2011 - (Sec. 2) Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to prohibit any individual (including members appointed prior to enactment of this Act) from serving more than two terms as a member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Requires, for any member serving on the date of enactment of this Act who has completed at least two full terms, that such member's term expire 90 days after such enactment. Bars a member from serving after the expiration of that member's term.
Prohibits: (1) a member attending less than 75% of the meetings during one of such member's terms from being eligible for reappointment, and (2) a member from being eligible to be elected as Chair of the Commission for a second, consecutive term.
Subjects members to specified Department of State and federal travel regulations governing authorized travel at government expense.
(Sec. 3) Requires, for purposes of providing remedies and procedures to address alleged violations of rights and protections that pertain to various specified antidiscrimination laws, that all employees of the Commission be treated as employees whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives and that the Commission be treated as an employing office of the Senate or House.
Authorizes such treatment for any administrative or judicial claim or action pending on the date of enactment of this Act.
(Sec. 4) Authorizes appropriations of $3 million for each of FY2012-FY2014.
(Sec. 5) Increases to $250,000 the maximum amount the Commission may expend in any fiscal year to procure temporary or intermittent services contracts for the conduct of certain activities necessary to Commission functions.
(Sec. 6) Extends the Commission's termination date to September 30, 2014.
(Sec. 7) Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) review the effectiveness of federal programs to promote international religious freedom; (2) assess the roles and functions of the Office on International Religious Freedom, the relationship to other offices in the Department of State, and the role of the Ambassador at Large; (3) analyze the Commission's structure as an independent nonpartisan entity in relation to other U.S. advisory commissions; and (4) review the relationship between the Ambassador at Large and the Commission.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1856Related bill
International Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 2011
S. 1875Related bill
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2011
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.
- Dec 23, 2011Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 112-75.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 19, 2011FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 16, 2011Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote. (text as House agreed to Senate amendment (CR H9810)
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on agreeing to the Senate amendments to H.R. 2867.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.(text as House agreed to Senate amendment (CR H9810)
- Dec 14, 2011FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 13, 2011FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 15, 2011FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 391 - 21 (Roll no. 709).House roll call 709
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Sep 14, 2011FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2867.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (NJ) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Sep 8, 2011CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1461SenateSen. Richard DurbinD-IL· offered Dec 13, 2011Agreed to
To limit appointments to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to 2 2-year terms, to authorize employees of the Commission who have filed a discrimination complaint under section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 196…
Dec 13, 2011: Amendment SA 1461 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.