---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 6461"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "6461"
heading: "Exports of certain items used in particularly severe violations of religious freedom"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/6461"
units:
  - "Chapter 73 — International Religious Freedom"
  - "Subchapter III — Presidential Actions"
  - "Part B — Strengthening Existing Law"
---

# §6461. Exports of certain items used in particularly severe violations of religious freedom

- (a) **Mandatory licensing—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) 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)](/usc/22/4605.md)[^1] 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](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) 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](/usc/22/6402.md?p=1), determines are being used or are intended for use directly and in significant measure to carry out [particularly severe violations of religious freedom](/usc/22/6402.md?p=13).
- (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](/usc/22/2304.md?p=a-2) shall apply to the export and reexport of any item included pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) on the list of crime control instruments.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 105–292, title IV, § 423, Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2810.)

## Notes

### 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 (a), was repealed by Pub.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.