[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3835 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3835

  To prohibit the use of funds for the production of films by United 
   States companies that alter content for screening in the People's 
               Republic of China, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2020

   Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit the use of funds for the production of films by United 
   States companies that alter content for screening in the People's 
               Republic of China, 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 ``Stopping Censorship, Restoring 
Integrity, and Protecting Talkies Act'' or the ``SCRIPT Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR PRODUCTION OF FILMS AND 
              PROHIBITION ON USE OF SUCH FUNDS FOR FILMS SUBJECT TO 
              CONDITIONS ON CONTENT OR ALTERED FOR SCREENING IN THE 
              PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR THE CHINESE COMMUNIST 
              PARTY.

    (a) Limitation on Use of Funds.--The President may only authorize 
the provision of technical support or access to an asset controlled by 
the Federal Government for, or authorize the head of a Federal agency 
to enter into a contract relating to, the production or funding of a 
film by a United States company if the United States company, as a 
condition of receiving the support or access--
            (1) provides to the Secretary a list of all films produced 
        or funded by the United States company the content of which has 
        been submitted, during the shorter of the preceding 10-year 
        period or the period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
        this Act, to an official of the Government of the People's 
        Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party for evaluation 
        with respect to screening the film in the People's Republic of 
        China, including, for each film--
                    (A) the title of the film; and
                    (B) the date on which the submittal occurred;
            (2) enters into a written agreement with the President, or 
        the Federal agency providing the support or access, not to 
        alter the content of the film in response to, or in 
        anticipation of, a request by an official of the Government of 
        the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party; 
        and
            (3) submits such agreement to the Secretary.
    (b) Prohibition With Respect to Films Subject to Conditions on 
Content or Altered for Screening in the People's Republic of China.--
Notwithstanding subsection (a), the President may not authorize the 
provision of technical support or access to any asset controlled by the 
Federal Government for, or authorize the head of a Federal agency to 
enter into any contract relating to, the production or funding of a 
film by a United States company if--
            (1) the film is co-produced by an entity located in the 
        People's Republic of China that is subject to conditions on 
        content imposed by an official of the Government of the 
        People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party; or
            (2) with respect to the most recent report submitted under 
        subsection (c), the United States company is listed in the 
        report under subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (2) of that 
        subsection.
    (c) Report to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
        Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
        Congress a report on films disclosed under subsection (a) that 
        are associated with a United States company that has received 
        technical support or access to an asset controlled by the 
        Federal Government for, or has entered into a contract with the 
        Federal Government relating to, the production or funding of a 
        film.
            (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A description of each film listed pursuant to 
                the requirement under subsection (a)(1) the content of 
                which was submitted, during the shorter of the 
                preceding 10-year period or the period beginning on the 
                date of the enactment of this Act, by a United States 
                company to an official of the Government of the 
                People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist 
                Party for evaluation with respect to screening the film 
                in the People's Republic of China, including--
                            (i) the United States company that 
                        submitted the contents of the film;
                            (ii) the title of the film; and
                            (iii) the date on which the submittal 
                        occurred.
                    (B) A description of each film with respect to 
                which a United States company entered into a written 
                agreement with the President or the Federal agency 
                providing the support or access, as applicable, 
                pursuant to the requirement under subsection (a)(2) not 
                to alter the content of the film in response to, or in 
                anticipation of, a request by an official of the 
                Government of the People's Republic of China or the 
                Chinese Communist Party, during the shorter of the 
                preceding 10-year period or the period beginning on the 
                date of the enactment of this Act, including--
                            (i) the United States company that entered 
                        into the agreement; and
                            (ii) the title of the film.
                    (C) The title of any film described under 
                subparagraph (A), and the corresponding United States 
                company described in clause (i) of that subparagraph--
                            (i) that was submitted to an official of 
                        the Government of the People's Republic of 
                        China or the Chinese Communist Party during the 
                        preceding 3-year period; and
                            (ii) for which the Secretary assesses that 
                        the content was altered in response to, or in 
                        anticipation of, a request by an official of 
                        the Government of the People's Republic of 
                        China or the Chinese Communist Party.
                    (D) The title of any film that is described in both 
                subparagraph (A) and subparagraph (B), and the 
                corresponding one or more United States companies 
                described in clause (i) of each such subparagraph--
                            (i) that was submitted to an official of 
                        the Government of the People's Republic of 
                        China or the Chinese Communist Party during the 
                        preceding 10-year period; and
                            (ii) for which the Secretary assesses that 
                        the content was altered in response to, or in 
                        anticipation of, a request by an official of 
                        the Government of the People's Republic of 
                        China or the Chinese Communist Party.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 
                on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Commerce, 
                Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 
                on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Energy and 
                Commerce of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Content.--The term ``content'' means any description of 
        a film, including the script.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
            (4) United states company.--The term ``United States 
        company'' means a private entity incorporated in the United 
        States.
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