[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.
                                 ______