CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE
July 16, 2007

S. 1698
The Human Rights Council Funding Reform Act of 2007
As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on June 27, 2007

S. 1698 would prohibit the United States from making any contributions to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in fiscal years 2008 or 2009 unless the United States becomes a member of the organization or the President certifies that such contributions are in the national interest. The council was formed in 2006 and the United States is not currently a member. Based on information from the Department of State, CBO estimates that, under current law, U.S. contributions to the HRC will be about $1.5 million a year for 2008 and 2009. Therefore, unless the United States joins the HRC or the President certifies that withholding the contribution would be contrary to the national interest, implementing the bill would reduce U.S. contributions to the HRC by a total of $3 million. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or receipts. S. 1698 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D'Monte. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.