[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2232 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2232

   To provide for increased international broadcasting activities to 
                                 China.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 1997

  Mr. Royce introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for increased international broadcasting activities to 
                                 China.

    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 1997''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The Government of the People's Republic of China 
        systematically controls the flow of information to the Chinese 
        people.
            (2) The Government of the People's Republic of China 
        demonstrated that maintaining its monopoly on political power 
        is a higher priority than economic development by announcing in 
        January 1996 that its official news agency Xinhua, will 
        supervise wire services selling economic information, including 
        Dow Jones-Telerate, Bloomberg, and Reuters Business, and in 
        announcing in February of 1996 the ``Interim Internet 
        Management Rules'', which have the effect of censoring computer 
        networks.
            (3) Under the May 30, 1997, order of Premier Li Peng, all 
        organizations that engage in business activities related to 
        international computer networking must now apply for a license, 
        increasing still further government control over access to the 
        internet.
            (4) Both Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America, as a 
        surrogate for a free press in the People's Republic of China, 
        provide an invaluable source of uncensored information to the 
        Chinese people, including objective and authoritative news of 
        in-country and regional events, as well as accurate news about 
        the United States and its policies.
            (5) Radio Free Asia currently broadcasts only 5 hours a day 
        in the Mandarin dialect and 2 hours a day in Tibetan.
            (6) Voice of America currently broadcasts only 10 hours a 
        day in Mandarin and 3 \1/2\ hours a day in Tibetan.
            (7) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America should develop 24-
        hour-a-day service in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Tibetan, as well 
        as further broadcasting capability in the dialects spoken in 
        Xinjiang and other regions of the People's Republic of China.
            (8) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, in working toward 
        continuously broadcasting the People's Republic of China in 
        multiple languages, have the capability to immediately 
        establish 24-hour-a-day Mandarin broadcasting to that nation by 
        staggering the hours of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.
            (9) Simultaneous broadcasting on Voice of America radio and 
        Worldnet television 7 days a week in Mandarin are also 
        important and needed capabilities.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR RADIO 
              FREE ASIA AND VOICE OF AMERICA.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations for International Broadcasting 
to China.--In addition to such sums as are otherwise authorized to be 
appropriated for ``International Broadcasting Activities'' for fiscal 
years 1998 and 1999, there are authorized to be appropriated for 
``International Broadcasting Activities'' $46,900,000 for fiscal year 
1998 and $31,200,000 for fiscal year 1999, which shall be available 
only for broadcasting to China.
    (b) Limitations.--
            (1) Radio free asia.--
                    (A) Of the funds authorized to be appropriated 
                under subsection (a) $26,900,000 is authorized to be 
                appropriated for fiscal year 1998 and $21,200,000 is 
                authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 1999 for 
                Radio Free Asia.
                    (B) Of the funds under subparagraph (A), $1,200,000 
                is authorized to be appropriated for each such fiscal 
                year for additional personnel to staff Cantonese 
                language broadcasting.
                    (C) Of the funds under subparagraph (A) authorized 
                to be appropriated for fiscal year 1998, $900,000 is 
                authorized to be appropriated for additional advanced 
                editing equipment.
            (2) 1998.--
                    (A) Of the funds under subsection (a) authorized to 
                be appropriated for fiscal year 1998, $11,800,000 is 
                authorized to be appropriated for capital expenditures 
                for the purchase and construction of transmission 
                facilities.
                    (B) Of the funds under subsection (a) authorized to 
                be appropriated for fiscal year 1998, $3,000,000 is 
                authorized to be appropriated to facilitate the timely 
                augmentation of transmitters at Tinian, Marshall 
                Islands.
    (c) Allocation.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated under 
subsection (a), the Director of the United States Information Agency 
and the Board of Broadcasting Governors shall seek to ensure that the 
amounts made available for broadcasting to nations whose people do not 
fully enjoy freedom of expression do not decline in proportion to the 
amounts made available for broadcasting to other nations.

SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, in 
consultation with the Board of Broadcasting Governors, the President 
shall prepare and transmit to Congress a report on a plan to achieve 
continuous broadcasting of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America to the 
People's Republic of China in multiple major dialects and languages.

SEC. 5. REDUCTION IN AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR MIGRATION AND 
              REFUGEE ASSISTANCE.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, such amounts as are 
authorized to be appropriated for ``Migration and Refugee Assistance'' 
for fiscal year 1998 shall be reduced by $21,900,000 and for fiscal 
year 1999 shall be reduced by $6,200,000.
                                 <all>