[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2232 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 2232


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 10, 1997

                                Received

                           November 13, 1997

     Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   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 
        the People's Republic of China.
            (8) Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, in working toward 
        continuously broadcasting to 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 BROADCASTING TO CHINA.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations for Radio Free Asia.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
        to be appropriated for ``Radio Free Asia'' $30,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 1998 and $22,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.
            (2) Limitations.--
                    (A) Of the funds under paragraph (1) authorized to 
                be appropriated for fiscal year 1998, $8,000,000 is 
                authorized to be appropriated for one-time capital 
                costs.
                    (B) Of the funds under paragraph (1), $700,000 is 
                authorized to be appropriated for each such fiscal year 
                for additional personnel to staff Cantonese language 
                broadcasting.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations for International Broadcasting 
to China and North Korea.--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'' $10,000,000 
for fiscal year 1998 and $7,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, which shall 
be available only for enhanced Voice of America broadcasting to China 
and North Korea.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations for Radio Construction.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to such 
        sums as are otherwise authorized to be appropriated for ``Radio 
        Construction'' for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, there are 
        authorized to be appropriated for ``Radio Construction'' 
        $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1998 and $3,000,000 for fiscal year 
        1999, which shall be available only for construction in support 
        of enhanced broadcasting to China.
            (2) Limitation.--Of the funds under paragraph (1) 
        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, the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands.
    (d) Allocation.--Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated for 
``International Broadcasting Activities'', 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.
    (e) Allocation of Funds for North Korea.--Of the funds under 
subsection (b), $2,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for each 
fiscal year for additional personnel and broadcasting targeted at North 
Korea.

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. UTILIZATION OF UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING 
              SERVICES FOR PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING 
              FUGITIVES FROM UNITED STATES JUSTICE.

    United States international broadcasting services, particularly the 
Voice of America, shall produce and broadcast public service 
announcements, by radio, television, and Internet, regarding fugitives 
from the criminal justice system of the United States, including cases 
of international child abduction.

            Passed the House of Representatives November 9, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.