[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2874 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2874
To authorize appropriations for international broadcasting operations
and capital improvements, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30, 2004
Mr. Biden introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for international broadcasting operations
and capital improvements, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Initiative 911 Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Open communication of information and ideas among
peoples of the world contributes to international peace and
stability, and that the promotion of such communication is
important to the national security of the United States.
(2) The United States needs to improve its communication of
information and ideas to people in foreign countries,
particularly in countries with significant Muslim populations.
(3) A significant expansion of United States international
broadcasting would provide a cost-effective means of improving
communication with countries with significant Muslim
populations by providing news, information, and analysis, as
well as cultural programming, through both radio and television
broadcasts.
(4) The report of the National Commission on Terrorist
Attacks Upon the United States stated that, ``Recognizing that
Arab and Muslim audiences rely on satellite television and
radio, the government has begun some promising initiatives in
television and radio broadcasting to the Arab world, Iran, and
Afghanistan. These efforts are beginning to reach large
audiences. The Broadcasting Board of Governors has asked for
much larger resources. It should get them.''.
SEC. 3. SPECIAL AUTHORITY FOR SURGE CAPACITY.
The United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C.
6201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``SEC. 316. SPECIAL AUTHORITY FOR SURGE CAPACITY.
``(a) Emergency Authority.--
``(1) In general.--Whenever the President determines it to
be important to the national interests of the United States and
so certifies to the appropriate congressional committees, the
President, on such terms and conditions as the President may
determine, is authorized to direct any department, agency, or
other entity of the United States to furnish the Broadcasting
Board of Governors with such assistance as may be necessary to
provide international broadcasting activities of the United
States with a surge capacity to support United States foreign
policy objectives during a crisis abroad.
``(2) Supersedes existing law.--The authority of paragraph
(1) supersedes any other provision of law.
``(3) Surge capacity defined.--In this subsection, the term
`surge capacity' means the financial and technical resources
necessary to carry out broadcasting activities in a
geographical area during a crisis.
``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--Effective October 1, 2004, there are
authorized to be appropriated to the President such amounts as
may be necessary for the President to carry out this section,
except that no such amount may be appropriated which, when
added to amounts previously appropriated for such purpose but
not yet obligated, would cause such amounts to exceed
$25,000,000.
``(2) Availability of funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant
to the authorization of appropriations in this subsection are
authorized to remain available until expended.
``(3) Designation of appropriations.--Amounts appropriated
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in this
subsection may be referred to as the `United States
International Broadcasting Surge Capacity Fund'.''.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
In each annual report submitted under section 305(a)(9) of the
United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C.
6204(a)(9)) after the date of enactment of this Act, the Broadcasting
Board of Governors shall give special attention to reporting on the
activities carried out under this Act.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise available for
such purposes, the following amounts are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out United States Government broadcasting activities under the
United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (22
U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), the United States International Broadcasting Act
of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.), the Foreign Affairs Reform and
Restructuring Act of 1998 (as enacted in division of G of the Omnibus
Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999;
Public Law 107-277), and this Act, and to carry out other authorities
in law consistent with such purposes:
(1) International broadcasting operations.--For
``International Broadcasting Operations'', $497,000,000 for the
fiscal year 2005.
(2) Broadcasting capital improvements.--For ``Broadcasting
Capital Improvements'', $70,000,000 for the fiscal year 2005.
(b) Availability of Funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations in this section are authorized to
remain available until expended.
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