III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 121
Establishing the Senate Human Rights Commission.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH10, 2025
Mr. T
ILLIS(for himself and Mr. COONS) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration
RESOLUTION
Establishing the Senate Human Rights Commission.
Whereas the Senate Human Rights Caucus, which was
founded in 2014, and is currently co-chaired by Senator
Tillis and Senator Coons, has created an outlet and op-
portunity to establish a formalized forum for human
rights discussion and engagement in the Senate;
Whereas the Senate Human Rights Caucus has brought to-
gether critical thinkers and first-hand experts on issues
affecting human rights throughout the world to better in-
form the actions of Congress;
Whereas, by establishing a commission in the Senate to put
testimony regarding human rights in the record, all of
the Federal Government and the public can access this
information and insight; and
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•SRES 121 IS
Whereas the Senate Human Rights Commission would con-
tinue the work of the Senate Human Rights Caucus and
elevate the need to sustain and support the fundamental
access to human rights across the world: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, 1
SECTION 1. SENATE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION. 2
(a) C
OMMISSIONESTABLISHMENT.— 3
(1) I
N GENERAL.—There is established in the 4
Senate the Senate Human Rights Commission (in 5
this section referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 6
(2) D
UTIES.—The Commission shall— 7
(A) serve as a forum for bipartisan discus-8
sion of international human rights issues and 9
promotion of internationally recognized human 10
rights as enshrined in the United Nations Uni-11
versal Declaration of Human Rights; 12
(B) monitor the state of human rights 13
across the world and raise awareness on critical 14
human rights violations through conducting 15
regular briefings, hearings, and private 16
roundtables; 17
(C) maintain records of all meetings and 18
activities; and 19
(D) collaborate with congressional commit-20
tees and other congressional entities (including 21
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•SRES 121 IS
the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission), 1
the executive branch, human rights organiza-2
tions, civil society organizations, nongovern-3
mental organizations, and think tanks to pro-4
mote human rights initiatives within the Sen-5
ate. 6
(3) L
IMITATIONS.—The Commission shall 7
not— 8
(A) have legislative jurisdiction; 9
(B) have authority to take legislative ac-10
tion on any bill or resolution; or 11
(C) encroach upon the jurisdiction of any 12
standing, select, or special committee of the 13
Senate. 14
(4) M
EMBERSHIP.— 15
(A) I
N GENERAL.—The Commission shall 16
be composed of 10 members of the Senate, who 17
shall be appointed, and may be removed, by the 18
President of the Senate. 19
(B) S
ELECTION.—The President of the 20
Senate shall— 21
(i) after consultation with the major-22
ity leader, select 5 members from the ma-23
jority party of the Senate, 1 of whom shall 24
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•SRES 121 IS
be designated as a co-chairperson in ac-1
cordance with paragraph (5)(A)(i); and 2
(ii) after consultation with the minor-3
ity leader, select 5 members from the mi-4
nority party of the Senate, 1 of whom shall 5
be designated as a co-chairperson in ac-6
cordance with paragraph (5)(A)(ii). 7
(C) T
ERM.—The term of a member shall 8
end on the last day of the Congress during 9
which the member is appointed by the Presi-10
dent of the Senate, unless the member ceases 11
being a member of the Senate, leaves the Com-12
mission, or is removed. 13
(D) V
ACANCY.— 14
(i) I
N GENERAL.—A vacancy on the 15
Commission shall be filled in the same 16
manner in which the original appointment 17
was made. 18
(ii) R
ESIGNATION.—A member of the 19
Commission wishing to resign from the 20
Commission shall submit a written notifi-21
cation to the President of the Senate. 22
(5) C
O-CHAIRPERSONS OF THE COMMISSION .— 23
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•SRES 121 IS
(A) IN GENERAL.—Two members of the 1
Commission shall be appointed to serve as co- 2
chairpersons of the Commission, as follows: 3
(i) One co-chairperson shall be ap-4
pointed, and may be removed, by the ma-5
jority leader of the Senate. 6
(ii) One co-chairperson shall be ap-7
pointed, and may be removed, by the mi-8
nority leader of the Senate. 9
(B) T
ERM.—The term of a member as a 10
co-chairperson of the Commission shall end on 11
the last day of the Congress during which the 12
member is appointed as a co-chairperson, unless 13
the member ceases being a member of the Sen-14
ate, leaves the Commission, resigns from the 15
position of co-chairperson, or is removed. 16
(C) P
UBLICATION.—Appointments under 17
this paragraph shall be printed in the Congres-18
sional Record. 19
(D) V
ACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the posi-20
tion of co-chairperson of the Commission shall 21
be filled in the same manner in which the origi-22
nal appointment was made. 23
(b) C
OMMISSIONSTAFF.— 24
(1) C
OMPENSATION AND EXPENSES .— 25
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•SRES 121 IS
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission is au-1
thorized, from funds made available under sub-2
section (c), to— 3
(i) employ such staff in the manner 4
and at a rate not to exceed that allowed 5
for employees of a committee of the Senate 6
under section 105(e)(3) of the Legislative 7
Branch Appropriation Act, 1968 (2 U.S.C. 8
4575(e)(3)); and 9
(ii) incur such expenses as may be 10
necessary or appropriate to carry out its 11
duties and functions. 12
(B) E
XPENSES.— 13
(i) I
N GENERAL.—Payments made 14
under this subsection for receptions, meals, 15
and food-related expenses shall be author-16
ized only for actual expenses incurred by 17
the Commission in the course of con-18
ducting its official duties and functions. 19
(ii) T
REATMENT OF PAYMENTS .— 20
Amounts received as reimbursement for ex-21
penses described in clause (i) shall not be 22
reported as income, and the expenses so 23
reimbursed shall not be allowed as a de-24
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•SRES 121 IS
duction under the Internal Revenue Code 1
of 1986. 2
(2) D
ESIGNATION OF PROFESSIONAL STAFF .— 3
(A) I
N GENERAL.—Each co-chairperson of 4
the Commission may designate 1 professional 5
staff member. 6
(B) C
OMPENSATION OF SENATE EMPLOY -7
EES.—In the case of the compensation of any 8
professional staff member designated under 9
subparagraph (A) who is an employee of a 10
Member of the Senate or of a committee of the 11
Senate and who has been designated to perform 12
services for the Commission, the professional 13
staff member shall continue to be paid by the 14
Member or committee, as the case may be, but 15
the account from which the professional staff 16
member is paid shall be reimbursed for the 17
services of the professional staff member (in-18
cluding agency contributions when appropriate) 19
out of funds made available under subsection 20
(c). 21
(C) D
UTIES.—Each professional staff 22
member designated under subparagraph (A) 23
shall— 24
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•SRES 121 IS
(i) serve all members of the Commis-1
sion; and 2
(ii) carry out such other functions as 3
the co-chairperson designating the profes-4
sional staff member may specify. 5
(c) P
AYMENT OFEXPENSES.— 6
(1) I
N GENERAL.—The expenses of the Com-7
mission shall be paid from the Contingent Fund of 8
the Senate, out of the account of Miscellaneous 9
Items, upon vouchers approved jointly by the co- 10
chairpersons (except that vouchers shall not be re-11
quired for the disbursement of salaries of employees 12
who are paid at an annual rate of pay). 13
(2) A
MOUNTS AVAILABLE.—For any fiscal year, 14
not more than $200,000 shall be expended for em-15
ployees and expenses. 16
(d) S
UNSET.—This section shall cease to have force 17
or effect on January 1, 2029. 18
Æ
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