    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 111-202
    111th Congress

    An Act

    To permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, 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. <> FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
    (1) Radio Free Asia (referred to in this Act as ``RFA'')--
    (A) was authorized under section 309 of the United
    States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C.
    6208);
    (B) was incorporated as a private, non-profit
    corporation in March 1996 in the hope that its
    operations would soon be obviated by the global
    advancement of democracy; and
    (C) is headquartered in Washington, DC, with
    additional offices in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh,
    Seoul, Ankara, and Taipei.
    (2) RFA broadcasts serve as substitutes for indigenous free
    media in regions lacking free media outlets.
    (3) The mission of RFA is ``to provide accurate and timely
    news and information to Asian countries whose governments
    prohibit access to a free press'' in order to enable informed
    decisionmaking by the people within Asia.
    (4) RFA provides daily broadcasts of news, commentary,
    analysis, and cultural programming to Asian countries in several
    languages, including--
    (A) 12 hours per day in Mandarin;
    (B) 8 hours per day in 3 Tibetan dialects, Uke,
    Kham, and Amdo;
    (C) 4 hours per day in Korean and Burmese;
    (D) 2 hours per day in Cantonese, Vietnamese,
    Laotian, Khmer (Cambodian), and Uyghur; and
    (E) 1\1/2\ hours per week in Wu (local Shanghai
    dialect).
    (5) The governments of the countries targeted for these
    broadcasts have consistently denied and blocked attempts at
    Medium Wave and FM transmissions into their countries, forcing
    RFA to rely on Shortwave broadcasts and the Internet.
    (6) RFA has provided continuous online news to its Asian
    audiences since 2004, although some countries--
    (A) routinely and aggressively block RFA's website;
    (B) monitor access to RFA's website; and
    (C) discourage online users by making it illegal to
    access RFA's website.

    [[Page 1374]]

    (7) Despite these attempts, RFA has successfully managed to
    reach its online audiences through proxies, cutting-edge
    software, and active republication and repostings by its
    audience.
    (8) RFA also provides forums for local opinions and
    experiences through message boards, podcasts, web logs (blogs),
    cell phone-distributed newscasts, and new media, including
    Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube.
    (9) Freedom House has documented that freedom of the press
    is in decline in nearly every region of the world, particularly
    in Asia, where none of the countries served by RFA have
    increased their freedom of the press during the past 5 years.
    (10) In fiscal year 2010, RFA is operating on a $37,000,000
    budget, less than $400,000 of which is available to fund
    Internet censorship circumvention.
    (11) Congress currently provides grant funding for RFA's
    operations on a fiscal year basis.
    SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

    It is the sense of the Senate that--
    (1) public access to timely, uncensored, and accurate
    information is imperative for promoting government
    accountability and the protection of human rights;
    (2) Radio Free Asia provides a vital voice to people in
    Asia;
    (3) some of the governments in Asia spend millions of
    dollars each year to jam RFA's shortwave, block its Internet
    sites;
    (4) Congress should provide additional funding to RFA and
    the other entities overseen by the Broadcasting Board of
    Governors for--
    (A) Internet censorship circumvention; and
    (B) enhancement of their cyber security efforts; and
    (5) permanently authorizing funding for Radio Free Asia
    would--
    (A) reflect the concern that media censorship and
    press restrictions in the countries served by RFA have
    increased since RFA was established; and
    (B) send a powerful signal of our Nation's support
    for free press in Asia and throughout the world.
    SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION FOR RADIO FREE ASIA.

    Section 309 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of
    1994 (22 U.S.C. 6208) is amended--
    (1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``, and shall further
    specify that funds to carry out the activities of Radio Free
    Asia may not be available after September 30, 2010'';
    (2) by striking subsection (f);
    (3) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsection
    (f) and (g), respectively; and
    (4) in subsection (f), as redesignated--
    (A) by striking ``The Board'' and inserting the
    following:
    ``(1) Notification.--The Board'';
    (B) by striking ``before entering'' and inserting
    the following: ``before--
    ``(A) entering'';
    (C) by striking ``Radio Free Asia.'' and inserting
    the following: ``Radio Free Asia; or

    [[Page 1375]]

    ``(B) entering into any agreements in regard to the
    utilization of Radio Free Asia transmitters, equipment,
    or other resources that will significantly reduce the
    broadcasting activities of Radio Free Asia.'';
    (D) by striking ``The Chairman'' and inserting the
    following:
    ``(2) Consultation.--The Chairman''; and
    (E) by inserting ``or Radio Free Asia broadcasting
    activities'' before the period at the end.

    Approved July 13, 2010.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 3104:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    SENATE REPORTS: No. 111-214 (Comm. on Foreign Relations).
    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010):
    June 25, considered and passed Senate.
    June 30, considered and passed House.