[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.
                                 ______