[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2096 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2096

 To promote a free press and open media through the National Endowment 
                 for Democracy and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 23, 2004

   Mr. Lugar introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To promote a free press and open media through the National Endowment 
                 for Democracy and for other purposes.

    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 ``International Free Press and Open 
Media Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) It is in the national interest of the United States to 
        promote the development of free press and open media around the 
        world, as such development increases the national security of 
        the United States.
            (2) A free press and open media, including traditional 
        forms of communications such as print media, television, and 
        radio programming, and films and entertainment media, as well 
        as emerging forms of communication such as media transmitted on 
        the Internet and by wireless transmissions, are among the 
        foundations of democratic institutions in an open society that 
        respects human rights.
            (3) A free press and open media can best be achieved if the 
        press and media--
                    (A) are located in a country that--
                            (i) has legal protections to ensure that 
                        the press and media are independent of 
                        government control or subversion and are able 
                        to deliver information without impediment; and
                            (ii) has journalists, editors, publishers, 
                        producers, and business executives who are 
                        practiced in the basic concepts of fairness and 
                        equal access in a civil society; and
                    (B) are able to be financially self-sufficient 
                through subscription fees, advertising revenues, 
                donations, or other funding mechanisms.
            (4) Private sector groups in the United States, including 
        businesses and nongovernmental organizations, have carried out 
        a variety of activities to promote free press and open media in 
        foreign countries.
            (5) There is a need to establish an entity--
                    (A) to address issues related to the development of 
                a free press and open media; and
                    (B) to bring together individuals and institutions 
                to organize and focus greater attention on the 
                establishment of new, and the enhancement of existing, 
                free media programs throughout the world.
            (6) The National Endowment for Democracy (in this section 
        referred to as the ``NED'') is a nonprofit, federally funded, 
        grantmaking, nongovernmental organization recognized by 
        Congress in the National Endowment for Democracy Act (22 U.S.C. 
        4411 et seq.).
            (7) The NED has historically provided support and 
        coordination of the activities of private sector groups and 
        nongovernmental organizations that promote democratic 
        institutions.
            (8) The NED has received strong bipartisan support from 
        Presidents and Congress since it was established in 1983.
            (9) The NED is the appropriate entity--
                    (A) to address issues related to the development of 
                a free press and open media; and
                    (B) to bring together individuals and institutions 
                to organize and focus greater attention on the 
                establishment of new, and enhancement of existing, free 
                media programs throughout the world.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY ACT.

    (a) Purposes of the Endowment.--Section 502(b) of the National 
Endowment for Democracy Act (22 U.S.C. 4411(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``rights)'' and inserting 
        ``rights and freedom of the press and other media)'';
            (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and business;'' and 
        inserting ``business, and media;'';
            (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``media,'' after 
        ``business,''; and
            (4) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``media,'' after 
        ``business,''.
    (b) Funds To Promote Freedom of the Press.--Section 503 of the 
National Endowment for Democracy Act (22 U.S.C. 4412) is amended by 
striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
    ``(e) Not less than 10 percent of the amounts made available to the 
Endowment for fiscal year 2005 should be made available for programs to 
promote freedom of the press and other media.''.
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