S. 371Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)Enacted

Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act

Sponsored by Bob CorkerSen. Bob Corker (R-TN)
Introduced February 14, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 12:47 PM UTC

The Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act makes a series of technical updates to the 2017 State Department law. It adds the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to several reporting requirements, refines language on peacekeeping, UN appointments, human‑rights policy, and other program areas, and corrects various drafting errors. The changes affect how the State Department reports to Congress and how it carries out certain diplomatic and peacekeeping functions.

Key Provisions

  • Adds the Senate and House Appropriations Committees to the list of committees that must receive several reports (diplomatic security, embassy construction costs, peacekeeper abuse oversight, workforce rightsizing, and peacekeeping cost comparisons).
  • Rewrites peacekeeping training language to focus on investigating allegations, holding personnel accountable, and including victim compensation where appropriate.
  • Adjusts wording for United Nations Secretary‑General qualifications, expanding the description requirements for candidates.
  • Amends the United Nations Human Rights Council policy to include Tier 3 trafficking countries and nations failing human‑rights standards as criteria.
  • Updates the comparative peacekeeping cost report to require a cost comparison between UN and U.S.‑run operations and an assessment of structural differences.
  • Changes “anti‑semitism” to the broader term “intolerance” in the anti‑intolerance section.
  • Corrects references and adds a gifts‑acceptance authority for the Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission.
  • Modifies the ransom‑payment provision to require transmission “to the extent practicable.”
  • Adds a new reporting requirement on Tibet policy, with annual reports to Congress through 2021.
  • Expands the department reorganization report distribution to include the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations committees.

Legislative Activity

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24 earlier actions
Became Law Latest Action

Became Public Law No: 115-94.

December 18, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 14, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

February 14, 2017

SenateCommittee

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S2653-2654)

May 1, 2017

SenateDischarge

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S2653-2654)

May 1, 2017

SenateFloor

Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.

May 1, 2017

SenateFloor

Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S2653-2654)

May 1, 2017

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

May 2, 2017

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

May 2, 2017 • 1:23 PM

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

May 2, 2017

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

May 25, 2017

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

May 25, 2017

HouseFloor

Mr. Royce (CA) asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.

July 28, 2017 • 12:55 PM

HouseCommittee

Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged.(consideration: CR H6558)

July 28, 2017

HouseDischarge

Committee on Foreign Affairs discharged. (consideration: CR H6558)

July 28, 2017

HouseFloor

Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H6558-6560)

July 28, 2017 • 12:55 PM

SenateFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed without objection.(text: CR H6558-6559)

July 28, 2017 • 12:56 PM

HouseFloor

On passage Passed without objection. (text: CR H6558-6559)

July 28, 2017 • 12:56 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

July 28, 2017 • 12:56 PM

SenateFloor

Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.

July 31, 2017

SenateNot Used

Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.

December 4, 2017

SenateResolving Differences

Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.

December 4, 2017

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

December 5, 2017

President

Presented to President.

December 6, 2017

Became Law

Signed by President.

December 18, 2017

Became Law

Became Public Law No: 115-94.

December 18, 2017

Floor Debate

5 members

What members said about S. 371 on the floor

5 Republicans
Michael B. Enzi
Sen. Michael B. EnziR-WY · Feb 28, 2018

Mr. President, I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for February 2018. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to…

Michael B. Enzi
Sen. Michael B. EnziR-WY · Apr 12, 2018

Mr. President, I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for April 2018. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to in…

Michael B. Enzi
Sen. Michael B. EnziR-WY · Sep 7, 2017

Mr. President, I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for September 2017. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to…

Michael B. Enzi
Sen. Michael B. EnziR-WY · Jan 18, 2018

Madam President, I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for January 2018. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to…

Mitch McConnell
Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY · Dec 4, 2017

Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 371. The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives:…

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John Cornyn
Sen. John CornynR-TX · May 1, 2017

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of S. 371 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. Mr. President,…

Edward R. Royce
Rep. Edward R. RoyceR-CA-39 · Jul 28, 2017

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from further consideration of the bill (S. 371) to make technical changes and other improvements to the…

Dana Rohrabacher
Rep. Dana RohrabacherR-CA-48 · May 2, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn. The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 58 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday,…

Bill Text

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One Hundred Fifteenth Congress of the United States of America

1st Session

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen

S. 371

AN ACT

To make technical changes and other improvements to the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act.

2.

Reports

(a)

Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986

Section 104(a) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986, as added by section 101 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323), is amended by inserting and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives after appropriate congressional committees.

(b)

Annual report on embassy construction costs

Section 118(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by inserting and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives after appropriate congressional committees.

(c)

Oversight of and accountability for peacekeeper abuses

Section 301(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by inserting and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives after appropriate congressional committees.

(d)

Workforce rightsizing report

Section 405(c) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by inserting and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives after appropriate congressional committees.

(e)

Consular immunity

Subsection (b)(2) of section 4 of the Diplomatic Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 254c), as added by section 501 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323), is amended by striking of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and inserting and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations.

(f)

Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission report

Section 602(c) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended—

(1)

by inserting and the Committee on Appropriations after Committee on Foreign Affairs; and

(2)

by inserting and the Committee on Appropriations after Committee on Foreign Relations;

3.

Peacekeeping training

Section 301 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (e)—

(A)

in paragraph (1), by striking enhance the discovery and inserting investigate allegations;

(B)

in paragraph (2), by striking adequately respond to complaints about such offenses by carrying out swift and effective disciplinary action against the personnel and inserting appropriately hold accountable personnel; and

(C)

in paragraph (3), by inserting , including compensation to victims, as appropriate after responses to such offenses;

(2)

in subsection (f)(2), by striking any individual who commits an act and inserting personnel who are found to have committed acts; and

(3)

in subsection (g)(1), by striking noteworthy.

4.

Qualifications of the United Nations Secretary General

Section 310 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (b), by striking The descriptions referred to in subsection (a) shall include the following elements and inserting In addition to the descriptions referred to in subsection (a), each such candidate shall be urged to describe the following; and

(2)

in subsection (c), by striking such l and inserting such agenda.

5.

Policy regarding the United Nations Human Rights Council

Section 311(a)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (C), by striking or at the end;

(2)

in subparagraph (D), by striking and at the end; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

(E)

which has been designated as a Tier 3 country in the annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107); or

(F)

which is identified as having failed to prevent or address gross violations of human rights in the annual Department of State Human Rights Report under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974; and

.

6.

Comparative report on peacekeeping operations

Section 313 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended—

(1)

by inserting and the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives after appropriate congressional committees;

(2)

by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

(1)

a comparison of the costs of current United Nations peacekeeping operations, including the costs incurred by the United States for such operations, and the estimated cost of such operations if implemented unilaterally by the United States;

;

(3)

by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and

(4)

by inserting after paragraph (1), as amended by paragraph (2) of this section, the following new paragraph:

(2)

an assessment of the operational, structural, and doctrinal differences between the military and civilian infrastructures of the United States and United Nations and other assumptions that impact cost estimates; and

.

7.

Lateral entry into the Foreign Service

Section 404(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by striking outstanding.

8.

Combating intolerance

The section heading of section 419 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by striking anti-semitism and inserting intolerance.

9.

Technical corrections regarding completion of western hemisphere drug policy commission report

Section 603 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (f)(1), by striking section 362 and inserting section 602(c); and

(2)

by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:

(h)

Compensation

Members of the Commission shall serve without pay or benefits.

.

10.

Technical correction regarding powers of Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission

Section 604 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(f)

Gifts, bequests, and devises

The Commission may solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises of money, services, or property, both real and personal, for the purpose of carrying out any duty, power, or authority of the Commission.

.

11.

Broadcasting Board of Governors

Section 703(b)(2) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by striking any significant restructuring,.

12.

Ransoms to foreign terrorist organizations

Section 709(a) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323) is amended by inserting , to the extent practicable, before transmit.

13.

Restoration of Tibet report

Section 613 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107–228, 22 U.S.C. 6901 note), as amended by section 715(b)(1) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114–323), is further amended—

(1)

in subsection (a), by striking In general and inserting the following: “Policy.—

(1)

In general

;

(2)

by redesignating subsection (b) as paragraph (2) and moving such paragraph, as so redesignated, two ems to the right; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(b)

Periodic reports

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017, Improvements Act, and annually thereafter until December 31, 2021, the President shall transmit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on—

(1)

the steps taken by the President and the Secretary in accordance with subsection (a)(1) to implement the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002; and

(2)

the status of any discussions between the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or a successor selected by a method of the 14th Dalai Lama’s own choosing or the representatives of such successor.

.

14.

Department of State reorganizations

The report required under subsection (l) of section 7034 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115–31) shall also be provided to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate concurrent with the submission of such report to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate pursuant to such subsection.

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate