H.R. 2037: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-04-27 · International Affairs · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-04-27 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015

Plain summary

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015 Amends the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to reauthorize the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) as an independent federal government advisory body through FY2021. Requires the USCIRF as a whole to have expertise on the variety of faiths practiced around the world. Requires appointments to the USCIRF to be made within 90 days of a vacancy. Removes authority under which a USCIRF member may serve after the expiration of that member's term until a successor has taken office. Amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to require the Secretary of State to receive assistance from the USCIRF when establishing training for Foreign Service officers in the field of internationally recognized human rights, including instruction regarding the relationship between religious freedom and security, as well as the role of religious freedom in U.S. foreign policy. Encourages the Department of State to allow classified information to be accessed by USCIRF Commissioners and staff with the appropriate security clearance. Requires discrimination on the basis of religion to be treated as a category of employment discrimination for purposes of the employment protections for USCIRF employees. Revises restrictions on the USCIRF's acceptance of gifts and donations to permit sponsoring private parties to provide compensation and benefits to interns, fellows, and volunteers. Requires the number, duration, and funding source of any such internship, fellowship, or volunteer programs to be described in the USCIRF's annual financial report.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] reported raising $797,217 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr2037.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr2037 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114