Congress: 115 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: pro-Israel
Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).
Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for S 1292.
Sponsor: Rubio, Marco (R-FL)
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2017 This bill amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide that the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism shall have the rank of ambassador and be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Special Envoy shall: (1) be a person of recognized distinction in the field of combating anti-Semitism or religious freedom; (2) serve as the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts across, the U.S. government relating to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement in foreign countries; and (3) report directly to the Secretary of State.
This bill elevates the State Department's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism to ambassador rank, requiring Senate confirmation and making the position a direct advisor to the Secretary of State. The envoy will coordinate U.S. government efforts to monitor and combat antisemitism and antisemitic incitement abroad.
This institutionalizes a high-level diplomatic post focused on antisemitism globally. The bill itself does not adopt the IHRA definition, but such envoys have historically used that definition in their monitoring work—a framework that classifies certain Israel criticisms as antisemitic, shaping how the U.S. government categorizes and responds to speech overseas.