[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5336-S5337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5870. Mr. MARKEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe)
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle A of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 1214. LIU XIAOBO FUND FOR STUDY OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States Government, as an alternative to
Confucius Institutes, should invest heavily into programs and
institutions that contribute to a robust pipeline of United
States persons learning China's many languages; and
(2) it is in the national security interests of the United
States to ensure that United States persons continue to
invest in Chinese language skills and the Tibetan, Uyghur,
and Mongolian languages, in an environment that is free of
malign political influence from foreign state actors.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Alaska native-serving institution.--The term ``Alaska
Native-serving institution'' has the meaning given such term
in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1059d(b))
(2) Asian american and native american pacific islander-
serving institution.--The term ``Asian American and Native
American Pacific Islander-serving institution'' has the
meaning given such term in section 371(c) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).
(3) Hispanic-serving institution.--The term ``Hispanic-
serving institution'' has the meaning given such term in
section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1101a).
(4) Historically black college or university.--The term
``historically Black college or university'' means a part B
institution described in section 322(2) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (22 U.S.C. 1061(2)).
(5) Native american-serving nontribal institution.--The
term ``Native American-serving nontribal institution'' has
the meaning given such term in section 371(c) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).
(6) Native hawaiian-serving institution.--The term ``Native
Hawaiian-serving institution'' has the meaning given such
term in section 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)).
(7) Predominantly black institution.--The term
``Predominantly Black institution'' has the meaning given
such term in section 371(c) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).
(8) Tribal college or university.--The term ``Tribal
College or University'' has the meaning given such term in
section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059c(b)).
(c) Establishment of the Liu Xiaobo Fund for Study of the
Chinese Language.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall establish, in
the Department of State, the ``Liu Xiaobo Fund for Study of
the Chinese Language'' (referred to in this section as the
``Fund''), which shall be used to fund study by United States
persons of Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, Tibetan, Uyghur,
Mongolian, and other contemporary spoken languages of China.
Such study may take place in the United States or outside of
the United States.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Liu Xiaobo Fund for Study of the
Chinese Language for fiscal year 2023, and for each
subsequent fiscal year, $10,000,000, which shall be used to
carry out the activities described in subsection (d).
(3) Interagency funds transfers.--The Secretary of State,
after notifying the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives, may transfer amounts appropriated to the
Fund pursuant to paragraph (2) to carry out this section to
other appropriate Federal departments and agencies for
similar purposes. The heads of each Federal department or
agency receiving a transfer pursuant to this subsection shall
consult with the Secretary of State regarding the preparation
of the report required under subsection (e).
(4) Limitations.--Amounts deposited into the Fund pursuant
to paragraph (2) may only be made available for--
(A) the costs of language study programs carried out or
approved by the Department of State, including related
administrative costs incurred by the Department; and
(B) programs carried out by other Federal departments and
agencies pursuant to a transfer authorized under paragraph
(3).
(5) Offset.--Notwithstanding the amounts set forth in the
funding tables in division D, the amount authorized to be
appropriated for Operations and Maintenance, Defense-Wide, as
specified in the corresponding funding table in section 4301,
is hereby reduced by $10,000,000.
(d) Required Activities.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to
subsection (c)(2)--
(1) shall be expended for the advancement of the national
security and foreign policy interests of the United States,
as determined by the Secretary of State;
(2) shall favor funding mechanisms that--
(A) maximize the total number of United States persons
given the opportunity to acquire full conversational
linguistic proficiency in Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese,
Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian, and other contemporary spoken
languages of China; and
[[Page S5337]]
(B) provide opportunities for such language study to areas
traditionally under-served by such opportunities;
(3) shall be shaped by an ongoing consultative process
taking into account design inputs of--
(A) civil society institutions, including Chinese diaspora
community organizations;
(B) language experts in Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese,
Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian, and other contemporary spoken
languages of China;
(C) organizations representing historically disadvantaged
socioeconomic groups in the United States; and
(D) human rights organizations; and
(4) shall favor opportunities to fund the study of Mandarin
and Cantonese Chinese, Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian, and other
contemporary spoken languages of China at Alaska Native-
serving institutions, Asian American and Native American
Pacific Islander-serving institutions, Hispanic-serving
institutions, historically Black college or universities,
Native American-serving nontribal institutions, Native
Hawaiian-serving institutions, Predominantly Black
institutions, and Tribal Colleges or Universities.
(e) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for the
following 5 years, the Secretary of State, in consultation
with the heads of appropriate Federal departments and
agencies, shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs
of the House of Representatives that details the
disbursements made by the Fund and the activities carried out
during the immediately preceding academic year in support of
the goals of the Fund.
(2) Contents.--Each report required under paragraph (1)
shall contain, with respect to the reporting period--
(A) a detailed description of the institutions, programs,
and entities that received funds through the Liu Xiaobo Fund
for Study of the Chinese Language;
(B) the amounts that were distributed by the Fund,
disaggregated by institution, program, or entity, including
identification of the State or country in which such
institution, program, or entity is located;
(C) the number of United States persons whose language
study was subsidized by the Fund and the average amount per
person disbursed from the Fund for such study;
(D) a comparative analysis of per dollar program
effectiveness and efficiency in allowing United States
persons to reach conversational proficiency Mandarin or
Cantonese Chinese, Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian, or other
contemporary spoken languages of China;
(E) an analysis of which of the languages referred to in
subparagraph (D) were studied through the funding from the
Fund; and
(F) any recommendations of the Secretary of State for
improvements to the authorities, priorities, or management of
the Fund.
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