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Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§6461 Exports of Certain Items Used in Particularly Severe Violations of Religious Freedom

Title 22 › CHAPTER 73 — INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM › SUBCHAPTER III — PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS › Part B — Strengthening Existing Law › § 6461

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Commerce must put crime‑control tools and equipment on the export control list when those items are being sent to countries known for serious religious‑freedom abuses and are being used, or meant to be used, directly and in a big way to commit those abuses. The Commerce Secretary must have the Secretary of State’s agreement and talk with human‑rights and diplomatic officials first. Once an item is listed, no export or reexport license can be issued for it.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §6461

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Mandatory licensing
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Commerce, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, shall include on the list of crime control and detection instruments or equipment controlled for export and reexport under section 4605(n) of title 50 or under any other provision of law, items being exported or reexported to countries of particular concern for religious freedom that the Secretary of Commerce, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State, and in consultation with appropriate officials including the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and the Ambassador at Large, determines are being used or are intended for use directly and in significant measure to carry out particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
(b)Licensing ban
The prohibition on the issuance of a license for export of crime control and detection instruments or equipment under section 2304(a)(2) of this title shall apply to the export and reexport of any item included pursuant to subsection (a) on the list of crime control instruments.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 4605(n) of title 50, referred to in subsec. (a), was repealed by Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XVII, § 1766(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2232.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 6461

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110