Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§6482 Voluntary codes of conduct for United States institutions of higher education outside the United States

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 73— - INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 6482

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress encourages U.S. colleges and universities that run campuses or set up programs with foreign governments—especially in countries the Annual Report names for serious religious‑freedom violations—to adopt a voluntary code of conduct. The code should protect students’ and employees’ right to hold and peacefully practice a religion, stop religion from affecting hiring or enrollment, and try to secure academic freedom and the rights in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights in any agreements with those governments.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §6482

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Congress recognizes the enduring importance of United States institutions of higher education worldwide—

(1)for their potential for shaping positive leadership and new educational models in host countries; and

(2)for their emphasis on teaching universally recognized rights of free inquiry and academic freedom.

(b)It is the sense of Congress that United States institutions of higher education operating campuses outside the United States or establishing any educational entities with foreign governments, particularly with or in countries the governments of which engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom as identified in the Annual Report, should seek to adopt a voluntary code of conduct for operating in such countries that should—

(1)uphold the right of freedom of religion of their employees and students, including the right to manifest that religion peacefully as protected in international law;

(2)ensure that the religious views and peaceful practice of religion in no way affect, or be allowed to affect, the status of a worker’s or faculty member’s employment or a student’s enrollment; and

(3)make every effort in all negotiations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding engaged in or constructed with a foreign government to protect academic freedom and the rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 6482

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73