1. Short title; table of contents (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the International Freedom Protection Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. Sec. 3. Definitions. Sec. 4. Combating transnational repression abroad. Sec. 5. Strengthening tools to combat authoritarianism. Sec. 6. Combating corruption and kleptocracy. Sec. 7. Investing in democracy research and development. Sec. 8. Addressing authoritarians in the multilateral system. Sec. 9. Confronting digital authoritarianism. Sec. 10. Protecting political prisoners. 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) According to Freedom House’s 2023 report, Freedom in the World , democracy experienced a worldwide decline for 17 consecutive years and has been weakened by factors, such as attacks on democratic institutions, impunity, corruption, disinformation, human rights violations, and conflict. (2) Since 2006, autocratic forces and illiberal forces have been on the rise, with emboldened autocrats from China, Russia, and Iran— (A) refining their tactics to undermine democracy globally; (B) suppressing dissent to sustain their own regimes; and (C) frequently collaborating with each another in such efforts. (3) The rise of authoritarianism— (A) undermines the national security of the United States and the security of our democratic allies and partners; (B) creates instability; (C) weakens the rule of law; and (D) increases the risk of war. (4) Democracies are ill-prepared to fight back against the growing complexity and emerging challenges posed by autocratic and illiberal forces. (5) There is an urgent need to update the United States Government's approach to countering authoritarianism by strengthening and revitalizing the relevant tools, strategies, and institutions. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate