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Extends the authorization and funding authority for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom so the commission can receive federal funds and operate through September 30, 2028, covering fiscal years 2026–2028. Also provides a short title for the law. These changes let the commission continue its monitoring, reporting, and advisory activities for two more years.
The bill keeps the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom funded through FY2028 so it can continue reporting and informing policy to help victims and guide diplomacy, while requiring continued taxpayer funding and extending current priorities that some Americans may oppose.
General U.S. foreign policy and the public benefit because the Commission will keep producing independent reports on international religious freedom that inform U.S. diplomacy and advocacy.
Religious minorities and refugees benefit because sustained Commission operations maintain U.S. attention and potential policy responses to international religious persecution.
The Commission, nonprofits, and the public benefit from continuity of federal monitoring because federal funding is extended through FY2028 so the Commission can continue its work.
Taxpayers bear additional federal costs because funding for the Commission is extended for two more years.
Some members of the public may see the extension as cementing the Commission's existing priorities or approaches without reform, which could perpetuate policies they disagree with.
Designates the official short title of the Act as the "United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2026."
Amends 22 U.S.C. § 6435(a) to replace the phrase "2025 and 2026" with "2026 through 2028" to extend the authorization of appropriations.
Amends 22 U.S.C. § 6436 by striking "September 30, 2026" and inserting "September 30, 2028" to extend the commission's statutory authorization period.
Primary effects are administrative and program continuity. The commission and its federal staff can continue operations, retain personnel, and carry out monitoring and reporting work on international religious freedom through FY2028. U.S. foreign policy actors and civil society groups that rely on the commission's research and recommendations will continue to receive its reports and input. The measure does not create new programs, change operational mandates, or require states/localities to take action; its main impact is to preserve the commission's federal funding eligibility and legal existence for an extended period.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced March 4, 2026 by Theodore Paul Budd · Last progress March 4, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Introduced in Senate