A resolution recognizing religious freedom as a fundamental right, expressing support for international religious freedom as a cornerstone of United States foreign policy, and expressing concern over increased threats to and attacks on religious freedom around the world.

Bill Number: S.Res. 52
Origin Chamber: Senate
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 1
Policy Area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2025-06-26: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 105.
Last Updated: 2026-03-06T11:57:01Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This Senate Resolution (S. Res. 52) aims to affirm religious freedom as a core human right, emphasize its role as a key element of U.S. foreign policy, and highlight growing global threats and attacks on religious freedoms. It seeks to raise awareness, condemn violations, and encourage U.S. diplomatic efforts to promote and protect religious liberty worldwide.

Key Provisions

The resolution is structured around "Whereas" clauses that provide context and evidence of religious freedom issues, followed by a "Resolved" section outlining the Senate's positions:

Recognition of Religious Freedom: Affirms it as a fundamental human right, rooted in the U.S. First Amendment (which protects against government establishment of religion and ensures free exercise) and international standards like Article 18 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (which guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, including changing beliefs and public or private practice).
Importance to Democracy and Policy: Highlights religious freedom's role in supporting democracy, human rights, rule of law, pluralism, political participation, global stability, and peace; it references U.S. laws like the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (which designates "countries of particular concern" for severe violations, such as torture or prolonged detention without charges) and the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (which creates a "Special Watch List" for less severe but notable violations).
Documentation of Global Threats: Details worsening violations in 2023–2024, including thousands of incidents (e.g., targeting 2,228 individuals, imprisoning 1,491, and 9 deaths in custody); notes 96 countries with blasphemy laws; cites genocides against religious minorities (e.g., Rohingya Muslims in Burma/Myanmar and Uyghurs in China, involving mass detention, forced sterilizations, and cultural erasure); and lists harassment, violence, and restrictions in countries like Afghanistan, India, Iran, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and others, plus attacks by non-state actors (e.g., Boko Haram in Nigeria, extremists in the Sahel region).
Specific Concerns: Covers destruction of religious sites (e.g., over 600 in Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion, mosques in China, churches in Nigeria and Sudan); enforcement of discriminatory laws (e.g., blasphemy in Pakistan, Shari'a interpretations in Afghanistan); and issues in conflict zones (e.g., Russian-occupied Ukraine, Yemen).
Senate Actions:
Recognizes religious freedom's critical role in governance and stability.
Expresses grave concern over threats like harassment, violence, and imprisonment.
Condemns suppression of religious exercise, conversion, advocacy, no-faith choices, sharing beliefs, and maintaining holy sites.
Supports religious freedom advocates globally.
Urges the Department of State to:
Engage allies on religious freedom bilaterally and multilaterally.
Support activists, journalists, and civil society in high-risk countries.
Use diplomatic tools and sanctions (e.g., under the International Religious Freedom Act and Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows penalties for human rights abusers).
Factor religious freedom into free trade agreement priorities.
Prioritize it in U.S. foreign policy implementation.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

As a non-binding resolution, it introduces no new laws or amendments. Instead, it reaffirms and builds on existing frameworks, such as the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (which mandates annual designations of violating countries) and the 2020 permanent authorization of the Global Magnitsky Act (for sanctions on human rights violators). It references recent State Department designations (e.g., 2023 lists of "countries of particular concern" like China and Russia, and "Special Watch List" countries like Vietnam) without altering them.

Potential Impacts

On Government Agencies: Encourages the State Department to intensify diplomatic efforts, sanctions, and support for human rights work, potentially increasing resource allocation for monitoring and advocacy without mandating it. It could guide foreign aid and trade decisions by prioritizing religious freedom.
On Citizens: U.S. citizens, particularly those involved in religious or human rights advocacy, may see bolstered federal support for global efforts; religious minorities abroad could benefit indirectly from heightened U.S. pressure on violator governments.
On International Relations: Signals strong U.S. commitment to religious freedom, potentially straining ties with designated countries (e.g., China, Iran, Russia) through sanctions or criticism, while strengthening alliances with partners sharing these values. It may foster multilateral cooperation on human rights but risks backlash in trade or security negotiations.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Religious Minorities and Communities: Groups like Uyghurs, Rohingya, Christians, Muslims, Baha'is, and nonbelievers in countries with violations (e.g., China, Burma, Nigeria, Pakistan), facing risks of persecution, detention, or violence.
U.S. Government Entities: Department of State (for diplomacy and sanctions), U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (for reporting), and Congress (for oversight).
Advocates and Civil Society: Religious freedom activists, journalists, human rights organizations, and faith-based groups worldwide, who receive explicit Senate support.
Foreign Governments and Actors: Leaders in "countries of particular concern" (e.g., China, Iran) and non-state groups (e.g., Boko Haram, Taliban), facing potential U.S. accountability measures; allies may be urged to align on these issues.
Bipartisan Sponsors: Introduced by Senators Lankford (R), Coons (D), Tillis (R), and Kaine (D), indicating broad political support.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Legal and Constitutional: Reinforces the First Amendment's protections as a model for global standards, without creating enforceable obligations; it aligns with international law (e.g., UN Declaration) but has no domestic legal force, serving instead as a policy statement.
Political: Demonstrates bipartisan consensus on human rights in foreign policy, potentially influencing future legislation or executive actions (e.g., expanding sanctions). It highlights U.S. leadership on global issues amid rising authoritarianism and conflicts, but as a resolution, it carries symbolic weight rather than binding authority, possibly galvanizing public and international advocacy without risking partisan divides.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Lankford, James [R-OK]

Cosponsors (9)

Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA], Sen. Britt, Katie Boyd [R-AL], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT], Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV], Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

Recent Actions

2025-06-26: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 105.
2025-06-26: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch without amendment and with a preamble. Without written report.
2025-06-26: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Risch without amendment and with a preamble. Without written report.
2025-03-27: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
2025-02-04: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text: CR S596-597)
2025-02-04: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

Recognizing religious freedom as a fundamental right, expressing support for international religious freedom as a cornerstone of United States foreign policy, and expressing concern over increased threats to and attacks on religious freedom around the world. — issued 2025-02-04 — PDF (10 pages)