Overview

Title

To extend and authorize annual appropriations for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom through fiscal year 2026.

ELI5 AI

H.R. 7025 wants to keep giving money to a special group that helps protect people's rights to believe what they want in the world, making sure this group can keep working until the year 2026. It's like making sure the group has a long-lasting supply of crayons and paper to do their important job!

Summary AI

H.R. 7025 aims to extend and authorize funding for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom until the end of fiscal year 2026. The bill seeks to amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 by updating the years for funding and the extension of the Commission's authorization. The amendments would change the appropriations years from 2023 and 2024 to 2025 and 2026, and extend the authorization until September 30, 2026.

Published

2024-01-17
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Introduced in House
Date: 2024-01-17
Package ID: BILLS-118hr7025ih

Keywords AI

international religious freedom united states commission appropriations authorization fiscal year 2026 funding extension congress 118 efficiency accountability measures legislation h.r. 7025

Sources

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
245
Pages:
2
Sentences:
11

Language

Nouns: 81
Verbs: 16
Adjectives: 5
Adverbs: 0
Numbers: 24
Entities: 30

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.50
Average Sentence Length:
22.27
Token Entropy:
4.34
Readability (ARI):
14.18

AnalysisAI

General Summary of the Bill

The bill titled "United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2024" aims to extend the authorization for annual appropriations to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) through the fiscal years 2025 and 2026. It proposes modifications to the existing International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 by changing the years and extending the life span of the commission until September 30, 2026. This legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives, with bipartisan sponsorship, and is currently referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summary of Significant Issues

Several significant issues emerge from the proposed bill, with a primary concern being the lack of detailed justification for extending the appropriations. The bill does not articulate clear, new objectives or deliverables these additional funds are meant to achieve. This absence of detail raises questions about fiscal responsibility and efficiency, as stakeholders might wonder why continued or increased funding is needed without an explanation or projected outcomes.

Additionally, the bill does not mention any performance metrics or accountability measures to ensure effective use of appropriated funds. Without such measures, there is potential for inefficient use of taxpayer dollars, which may concern those looking for transparency and oversight.

The proposal also lacks clarity on why these specific fiscal years (2025 and 2026) were chosen for extension, as no context or rationale is provided. This ambiguity could prompt calls for further clarification, especially about whether any evaluations or reviews justify this continuation.

Impact on the Public and Stakeholders

Broad Public Impact

For the general public, the bill may seem abstract, given its focus is international religious freedom—a topic that may not appear to directly affect daily life. However, the USCIRF's work supports global human rights, promoting the American value of religious freedom worldwide. Ensuring that this commission continues to be funded may align with public interests in protecting and advocating for religious liberties globally.

Specific Stakeholder Impact

For advocates and organizations focused on religious freedom, this bill represents a continued commitment to this cause. The extension of funding can enable ongoing monitoring and advocacy efforts which might be seen as a positive development. However, without new objectives or performance assessments, these stakeholders might also express concern about effectiveness and accountability given the lack of detailed strategic goals in the bill.

Conversely, policymakers or watchdog groups advocating for fiscal restraint might view the absence of metrics and justification as problematic. They could argue that appropriations ought to be tied to demonstrated outcomes and strategic objectives, to ensure taxpayer dollars are used judiciously.

Conclusion

Overall, "The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2024" seeks to sustain efforts towards international religious freedom. However, to bolster support and address possible criticisms, it could benefit from clearer demonstration of the commission's successes, goals for the coming years, and mechanisms that ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds. By addressing these issues, Congress might better align the bill with both fiscal responsibility and the broader goals of human rights advocacy.

Issues

  • The text of Section 2 does not provide details on the reasons for the extension of appropriations, which may indicate a lack of justification for continued or increased spending, raising potential concerns about fiscal responsibility.

  • Section 2 fails to specify any new objectives or deliverables that the additional funding is intended to support, which might lead to questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed appropriations.

  • There is a lack of information on performance metrics or accountability measures in Section 2 to ensure that the appropriated funds are used effectively, which could be concerning for stakeholders regarding oversight and efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

  • Section 2 does not explain the implications of extending the authorization from 2024 to 2026, nor does it provide any context for why these specific dates were chosen, which creates potential ambiguity and might warrant further clarification.

  • The amendment in Section 2(b) extends authorization without any mention of evaluations or reviews, potentially overlooking the need for assessments to determine the program's success and justification for continuation.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of this act names it as the “United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2024.”

2. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The bill proposes changes to the International Religious Freedom Act, extending the funding authorization for the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom to the years 2025 and 2026, and prolonging its authorization until September 30, 2026.