[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 69 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 69

  To prohibit Federal funding of certain public radio programming, to 
 provide for the transfer of certain public radio funds to reduce the 
                  public debt, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 2011

 Mr. Lamborn introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit Federal funding of certain public radio programming, to 
 provide for the transfer of certain public radio funds to reduce the 
                  public debt, 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. PROHIBITION ON FEDERAL FUNDING OF CERTAIN PUBLIC RADIO 
              PROGRAMMING.

    (a) In General.--No Federal funds may be made available--
            (1) to an organization that is incorporated as of the date 
        of the enactment of this Act for each of the purposes described 
        in subsection (c), or to any successor organization; or
            (2) for the acquisition of radio programs (including 
        programs to be distributed or disseminated over the Internet) 
        from an organization described in paragraph (1).
    (b) Rule of Construction.--Subsection (a)(2) shall not be construed 
to prohibit the making available of Federal funds to any entity, 
including an entity that engages in the acquisition described in such 
subsection, for purposes other than such acquisition.
    (c) Purposes Described.--The purposes described in this subsection 
are the following:
            (1) To propose, plan and develop, to acquire, purchase and 
        lease, to prepare, produce and record, and to distribute, 
        license and otherwise make available radio programs to be 
        broadcast over noncommercial educational radio broadcast 
        stations, networks and systems.
            (2) To engage in research study activities with respect to 
        noncommercial educational radio programming and broadcasting.
            (3) To lease, purchase, acquire and own, to order, have, 
        use and contract for, and to otherwise obtain, arrange for and 
        provide technical equipment and facilities for the production, 
        recording and distribution of radio programs for broadcast over 
        noncommercial educational radio stations, networks and systems.
            (4) To establish and maintain one or more service or 
        services for the production, duplication, promotion and 
        circulation of radio programs on tape, cassettes, records or 
        any other means or mechanism suitable for noncommercial 
        educational transmission and broadcast thereof.
            (5) To cooperate and participate with foreign broadcasting 
        systems and networks in all aspects of international radio 
        programming and broadcasting.
            (6) To develop, prepare and publish information, data, 
        reports and other materials in support of or relating to 
        noncommercial educational radio programming and broadcasting.
            (7) To otherwise forward and advance the development, 
        production, distribution and use of noncommercial educational 
        radio programs, materials and services, and to assist and 
        support noncommercial educational radio broadcasting pursuant 
        to the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, as it may from time to 
        time be amended.
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Federal funds'' means, 
with respect to receipt by a non-Federal entity from the Federal 
Government, the following:
            (1) Grants.
            (2) Loans.
            (3) Property.
            (4) Cooperative agreements.
            (5) Direct appropriations.

SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF CERTAIN FUNDS TO REDUCE THE PUBLIC DEBT.

    For fiscal years 2011 and 2012, the Corporation for Public 
Broadcasting shall transfer to the account established by section 
3113(d) of title 31, United States Code, an amount equal to the amount 
allocated under clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 396(k)(3)(A) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 396(k)(3)(A)) that would have 
been made available to an organization described in subsection (a)(1) 
of section 1 or for the purpose described in subsection (a)(2) of such 
section, but for the enactment of such section.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Congressional Budget Office, the Government 
        Accountability Office, and the Chairman of the Board of 
        Governors of the Federal Reserve System have found that 
        unsustainable fiscal trends, driven by Federal spending, 
        represent a serious threat to the United States economy and the 
        prosperity of the American people;
            (2) Government programs and services that can be funded 
        privately, or that are otherwise available within civil 
        society, should not depend on taxpayer funding;
            (3) nondefense discretionary Federal spending should be 
        significantly decreased, and savings should be used for the 
        purpose of paying down the public debt; and
            (4) beginning in fiscal year 2011, the annual budget 
        deficit should be reduced by not making available Federal funds 
        as prohibited by section 1.
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