[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 659 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 659

  To authorize the Board for International Broadcasting to support a 
                          ``Radio Free Asia''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               March 25 (legislative day, March 3), 1993

 Mr. Biden (for himself, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Pell, Mr. Helms, 
Mr. Robb, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Simon, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Inouye, 
  Mr. Gorton, Mr.  Kennedy, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. McCain, Mr. Krueger, Mr. 
 D'Amato, Ms. Mikulski, Mrs. Boxer, and Ms. Moseley-Braun) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Board for International Broadcasting to support a 
                          ``Radio Free Asia''.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Radio Free Asia Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) it is the policy of the United States to promote the 
        right of all people, enshrined in the Universal Declaration of 
        Human Rights, to ``seek, receive and impart information and 
        ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers'';
            (2) pursuant to this policy, the United States has for 
        decades actively supported the dissemination of accurate 
        information and the promotion of democratic ideals among the 
        peoples of nations throughout the world;
            (3) prominent in the implementation of this policy has been 
        United States support for the Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, 
        and Radio Marti, which have broadcast accurate and timely 
        information to the oppressed people of Eastern Europe, the 
        former Soviet Union, and Cuba, respectively, about events in 
        those countries;
            (4) the introduction of similar radio broadcasting to the 
        People's Republic of China, a country where all media remain 
        under strict government control, would sharply increase the 
        dissemination among China's citizens of accurate information 
        and ideas relating to developments within China itself;
            (5) the establishment of similar broadcasting to the other 
        totalitarian states of Asia would also increase the 
        dissemination of news and information to the people of those 
        countries; and
            (6) such broadcasting to the totalitarian nations of Asia, 
        conducted in accordance with the highest professional 
        standards, would serve the goals of United States foreign 
        policy by promoting freedom in those nations and would bring 
        closer the day when all the world's major powers are 
        cooperating democracies.

SEC. 3. SUPPORT FOR RADIO BROADCASTING TO ASIA.

    The Board for International Broadcasting Act of 1973 (22 U.S.C. 
2871 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new 
section:

                      ``radio broadcasting to asia

    ``Sec. 15. (a) The Board for International Broadcasting is 
authorized to designate one organization constituted on the model of 
RFE/RL, Incorporated, as eligible to receive funds under this Act for 
purposes of carrying out radio broadcasting to the People's Republic of 
China, Burma, and Cambodia, Laos, North Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam. Such 
broadcasts shall be designated `Radio Free Asia'.
    ``(b) In implementing subsection (a), the Board for International 
Broadcasting shall consider the recommendations of the Commission on 
Broadcasting to the People's Republic of China established by section 
243 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 
1993 (Public Law 102-138; 105 Stat. 705).
    ``(c)(1) The authorities, responsibilities, requirements, and 
limitations provided in this Act for the Board, the Comptroller General 
of the United States, the Secretary of State, and the Board of 
Directors, of the RFE/RL, Incorporated, with respect to RFE/RL, 
Incorporated, in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, shall 
apply with respect to an organization designated under subsection (a) 
and the broadcasts by that organization in Asia.
    ``(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to the requirements of section 
10 and the authority provided in section 12.''.

SEC. 4. BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING.

    (a) Increased Membership.--Section 3(b) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 
2872(b)) is amended in paragraph (1)--
            (1) by striking out ``ten members, one of whom shall be an 
        ex officio member'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``fourteen, 
        two of whom shall be ex officio members'';
            (2) by striking out ``nine'' in the second sentence and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``twelve'';
            (3) by striking out ``five'' in the third sentence and 
        inserting in lieu thereof ``seven''; and
            (4) by striking out the fourth sentence and inserting in 
        lieu thereof the following: ``The chief operating executive of 
        RFE/RL, Incorporated, and the chief operating executive of a 
        similar organization designated under section 15 shall each be 
        ex officio members of the Board and may participate in the 
        activities of the Board, but may not vote in the determinations 
        of the Board.''.
    (b) Terms of Presidential Appointees.--Paragraph (3) of such 
section 3(b) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), 
        the term of office of each member of the Board appointed by the 
        President shall be three years.
            ``(B) The terms of office of the individuals initially 
        appointed as the four additional voting members of the Board 
        who are provided for by the Board for International 
        Broadcasting Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1982 and 1983, 
        shall be one, two, or three years (as designated by the 
        President at the time of their appointment) so that the terms 
        of one-third of the voting members of the Board expire each 
        year.
            ``(C) Of the members initially appointed as the three 
        additional voting members of the Board provided for by the 
        amendments made by section 4(a) of the Radio Free Asia Act of 
        1993, one member shall be appointed for an initial term of one 
        year, one member shall be appointed for an initial term of two 
        years, and one member shall be appointed for an initial term of 
        three years.
            ``(D) The President shall appoint, by and with the advice 
        and consent of the Senate, members to fill vacancies occurring 
        prior to the expiration of a term, in which case the members so 
        appointed shall serve for the remainder of such term.
            ``(E) Any member whose term has expired may serve until his 
        or her successor has been appointed and qualified.''.
    (c) Terms of Ex Officio Members.--Paragraph (4) of such section 
3(b) is amended--
            (1) by striking out ``The ex officio member'' and inserting 
        in lieu thereof ``Each ex officio member''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
        following: ``, or as chief operative executive of a similar 
        organization designated under section 15, as the case may be''.

SEC. 5. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    Section 2 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2871) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking out ``as an independent 
        broadcast media'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``and the 
        establishment of an organization similar to RFE/RL, 
        Incorporated, for conducting radio broadcasting to the 
        totalitarian nations of Asia, as independent broadcast media''; 
        and
        (2) by striking out paragraph (5) and inserting in lieu thereof 
        the following:
            ``(5) that it is desirable to establish a Board for 
        International Broadcasting in order--
                    ``(A) to provide an effective instrumentality for 
                the continuation of assistance to RFE/RL, Incorporated, 
                and for the furnishing of assistance to an organization 
                similar to RFE/RL, Incorporated, that conducts radio 
                broadcasting to the totalitarian nations of Asia; and
                    ``(B) to encourage a constructive dialog with the 
                peoples of the former Union of Soviet Socialist 
                Republics, Eastern Europe, Afghanistan (until the 
                government in Kabul is replaced by a government 
                achieved through a free act of self-determination), the 
                People's Republic of China, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, 
                North Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam.''.

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