section 6445(a) of this titleSubject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for a single, 180-day period, the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of (or commensurate action in substitution thereto) with respect to a country, if the President determines and so reports to the appropriate congressional committees that—
(1)
the exercise of such waiver authority would further the purposes of this chapter; or
(2)
the important national interest of the United States requires the exercise of such waiver authority.
(b)
Additional authority
section 6445(a) of this titleSubject to subsection (c), the President may waive, for any additional specified period of time after the 180-day period described in subsection (a), the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of (or a commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country, if the President determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that—
(1)
the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action; or
(2)
the important national interest of the United States requires the exercise of such waiver authority.
(c)
Congressional notification
Not later than the date of the exercise of a waiver under subsection (a) or (b), the President shall notify the appropriate congressional committees of the waiver or the intention to exercise the waiver, together with a detailed justification thereof.
(d)
Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1)
section 6445(a) of this title ongoing and persistent waivers of the application of any of the actions described in paragraphs (9) through (15) of (or commensurate substitute action) with respect to a country do not fulfill the purposes of this chapter; and
(2)
section 6445 of this title because the promotion of religious freedom is an important interest of United States foreign policy, the President, the Secretary of State, and other executive branch officials, in consultation with Congress, should seek to find ways to address existing violations, on a case-by-case basis, through the actions described in or other commensurate substitute action.
Pub. L. 105–292112 Stat. 2787 section 6401 of this titleThis chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1) and (d)(1), was in the original “this Act”, meaning , , , known as the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.
Amendments
Pub. L. 114–281, § 304(1)(A)2016—Subsec. (a). , (B), in introductory provisions, substituted “subsection (c)” for “subsection (b)” and inserted “, for a single, 180-day period,” after “may waive”.
Pub. L. 114–281, § 304(1)(C)Subsec. (a)(1) to (3). , (D), redesignated pars. (2) and (3) as (1) and (2), respectively, and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “the respective foreign government has ceased the violations giving rise to the Presidential action;”.