[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5439-S5440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3129. Mr. CARDIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2025 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 D of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 1266. DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF INTERNET FREEDOM AND
CIRCUMVENTION TOOLS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG
KONG.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The PRC has repeatedly violated its obligations under
the Joint Declaration by suppressing the basic rights and
freedoms of Hong Kongers.
(2) On June 30, 2020, the National People's Congress passed
a ``National Security Law'' that further erodes Hong Kong's
autonomy and enables authorities to suppress dissent.
(3) The PRC continues to utilize the National Security Law
to undermine the fundamental rights of the people of Hong
Kong through suppression of the freedom of speech, assembly,
religion, and the press.
(4) Article 9 of the National Security Law authorizes
unprecedented regulation and supervision of internet activity
in Hong Kong, including expanded police powers to force
internet service providers to censor content, hand over user
information, and block access to platforms.
(5) On January 13, 2021, the Hong Kong Broadband Network
blocked public access to HK Chronicles, a website promoting
pro-democracy viewpoints, under the authorities of the
National Security Law.
(6) On February 12, 2021, internet service providers
blocked Hong Kong users' access to the Taiwan Transitional
Justice Commission website in Hong Kong.
(7) Major tech companies, including Facebook, Twitter,
WhatsApp, and Google have stopped reviewing requests for user
data from Hong Kong authorities.
(8) On February 28, 2021, 47 pro-democracy activists in
Hong Kong were arrested and charged under the National
Security Law on the charge of ``conspiracy to commit
subversion''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the United States should--
(1) support the ability of the people of Hong Kong to
maintain their freedom to access information online; and
(2) focus on investments in technologies that facilitate
the unhindered exchange of information in Hong Kong in
advance of any future efforts by the Chinese Communist
Party--
(A) to suppress internet access;
(B) to increase online censorship; or
(C) to inhibit online communication and content-sharing by
the people of Hong Kong.
(c) Hong Kong Internet Freedom Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall establish a
Hong Kong Internet Freedom Program in the Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the Department of State
which shall include a working group dedicated to developing a
strategy to bolster internet resiliency and online access in
Hong Kong (in this subsection, the ``Program''). The working
group shall consist of--
(A) the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security,
Democracy, and Human Rights;
(B) the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and
Pacific Affairs;
(C) the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency
for Global Media;
(D) the President of the Open Technology Fund;
(E) the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development; and
(F) the Ambassador-at-large for Cyberspace and Digital
Policy;
(2) Independence.--During the period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act and ending on September 30,
2027, the Program shall be carried out independent from
internet freedom programs focused on the rest of the PRC.
(3) Consolidation of department of state program.--
Beginning on October 1, 2026, the Secretary of State may--
(A) consolidate the Program with the mainland China
initiatives in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and
Labor; or
(B) continue to carry out the Program in accordance with
paragraph (2).
(d) Support for Internet Freedom Technology Programs.--
(1) Grants authorized.--The Secretary of State, working
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development and the President of the Open
Technology fund as appropriate, are authorized to award
grants and contracts to private organizations to support and
develop programs in Hong Kong that promote or expand--
(A) open, interoperable, reliable, and secure internet; and
(B) the online exercise of human rights and fundamental
freedoms of individual citizens,
[[Page S5440]]
activists, human rights defenders, independent journalists,
civil society organizations, and marginalized populations in
Hong Kong.
(2) Goals.--The goals of the programs developed with grants
authorized under paragraph (1) should be--
(A) to support unrestricted access to the internet in Hong
Kong;
(B) to increase the availability of internet freedom tools
in Hong Kong;
(C) to scale up the distribution of such technologies and
tools throughout Hong Kong;
(D) to prioritize the development of tools, components,
code, and technologies that are fully open-source, to the
extent practicable;
(E) to conduct research on repressive tactics that
undermine internet freedom in Hong Kong;
(F) to ensure information on digital safety is available to
human rights defenders, independent journalists, civil
society organizations, and marginalized populations in Hong
Kong; and
(G) to engage private industry, including e-commerce firms
and social networking companies, on the importance of
preserving unrestricted internet access in Hong Kong.
(3) Grant recipients.--Grants authorized under this
subsection shall be distributed to multiple vendors and
suppliers through an open, fair, competitive, and evidence-
based decision process--
(A) to diversify the technical base; and
(B) to reduce the risk of misuse by bad actors.
(4) Security audits.--New technologies developed using
grants authorized under this subsection shall undergo
comprehensive security audits to ensure that such
technologies are secure and have not been compromised in a
manner detrimental to the interests of the United States or
to individuals or organizations benefitting from programs
supported by these funds.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Open technology fund.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Open Technology Fund $2,000,000 for each
of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out this section.
This funding is in addition to the funds authorized for the
Open Technology Fund pursuant to section 309A of United
States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C.
6208a).
(2) Bureau of democracy, human rights, and labor.--In
addition to the funds authorized to be made available
pursuant to paragraph (1), there is authorized to be
appropriated to the Office of Internet Freedom Programs in
the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the
Department of State $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025
through 2029 to carry out this section.
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