Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act

IIB ★(Star Print) 117TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 496 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 28, 2022 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations AN ACT To oppose violations of religious freedom in Ukraine by Rus- sia and armed groups commanded or otherwise supported by or acting on behalf of Russia. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 May 12, 2022 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H496.RFS H496 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 HR 496 RFS1S SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ukraine Religious 2 Freedom Support Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 4 It is the policy of the United States— 5 (1) to never recognize the illegal, attempted an- 6 nexation of Crimea by the Government of the Russia 7 or the separation through the use of military force 8 or recognition of independence of any portion of 9 Ukrainian territory; and 10 (2) to consider any alien who, while serving as 11 an official of the Government of Russia, was respon- 12 sible for or directly carried out particularly severe 13 violations of religious freedom in the sovereign terri- 14 tory of Ukraine that Russia illegally occupies, con- 15 trols, or recognizes as independent, including 16 through non-state armed groups and illegal entities 17 it commands or otherwise supports or which act on 18 Russia’s behalf, to have committed particularly se- 19 vere violations of religious freedom for purposes of 20 applying section 212(a)(2)(G) of the Immigration 21 and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(2)(G)) with 22 respect to any such alien. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 May 12, 2022 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H496.RFS H496 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 HR 496 RFS1S SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF RUSSIA AS A COUNTRY OF PAR- 1 TICULAR CONCERN FOR RELIGIOUS FREE- 2 DOM. 3 For purposes of making a determination of whether 4 to designate Russia as a country of particular concern for 5 religious freedom under section 402 of the International 6 Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6442), the 7 President shall consider any particularly severe violation 8 of religious freedom in the territory of Ukraine that Rus- 9 sia illegally occupies, controls, or recognizes as inde- 10 pendent, including through non-state armed groups and 11 illegal entities it commands or otherwise supports or which 12 act on Russia’s behalf, during the period of time that is 13 the basis for the determination and designation, to be a 14 particularly severe violation of religious freedom that the 15 Government of Russia has engaged in or tolerated. 16 SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 17 The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 18 complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 19 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 20 titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 21 Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 22 by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro- 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 May 12, 2022 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H496.RFS H496 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 HR 496 RFS1S vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 1 vote on passage. 2 Passed the House of Representatives April 27, 2022. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:52 May 12, 2022 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H496.RFS H496 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB