11 December 2001

Text: Senate Bill Would Establish Radio Free Afghanistan

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the ranking minority member of that committee have submitted a bill to the Senate that would authorize the establishment of a "Radio Free Afghanistan" to provide news broadcasts in Dari and Pashto for the people of Afghanistan.

Senator Joseph Biden (Democrat of Delaware) and Senator Jesse Helms (Republican of North Carolina) introduced S. 1779 to the Senate December 6. The bill was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

S. 1779 would provide $8 million for operations in fiscal year 2002, which began October 1, 2001, and $9 million for capital improvements for a Radio Free Afghanistan in the same time period.

Following is the text of S. 1779 from the Congressional Record:

(begin text)

Radio Free Afghanistan Act

107th CONGRESS
1st Session

S. 1779

To authorize the establishment of 'Radio Free Afghanistan'

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 6, 2001

Mr. BIDEN (for himself and Mr. HELMS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To authorize the establishment of 'Radio Free Afghanistan', 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 `Radio Free Afghanistan Act'.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF RADIO FREE AFGHANISTAN.

(a) REQUIREMENT OF A DETAILED PLAN- Not later than 15 days after the date of enactment of this Act, RFE/RL, Incorporated, shall submit to the Broadcasting Board of Governors a report setting forth a detailed plan for the provision by RFE/RL, Incorporated, of surrogate broadcasting services in the Dari and Pashto languages to Afghanistan. Such broadcasting services shall be known as `Radio Free Afghanistan'.

(b) GRANT AUTHORITY-

(1) IN GENERAL- Effective 15 days after the date of enactment of this Act, or the date on which the report required by subsection (a) is submitted, whichever is later, the Broadcasting Board of Governors is authorized to make grants to support Radio Free Afghanistan.

(2) SUPERSEDES EXISTING LIMITATION ON TOTAL ANNUAL GRANT AMOUNTS- Grants made to RFE/RL, Incorporated, during the fiscal year 2002 for support of Radio Free Afghanistan may be made without regard to section 308(c) of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6207(c)).

(c) AVAILABLE AUTHORITIES- In addition to the authorities in this Act, the authorities applicable to carry out United States Government broadcasting activities under the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, and other provisions of law consistent with such purpose may be used to carry out the grant authority of subsection (b).

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) IN GENERAL- In addition to such amounts as are 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, the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, and this Act, and to carry out other authorities in law consistent with such purposes:

(1) For 'International Broadcasting Operations', $8,000,000 for the fiscal year 2002.

(2) For 'Broadcasting Capital Improvements', $9,000,000 for the fiscal year 2002.

(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS- Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until expended.

SEC. 4. REPEAL OF BAN ON UNITED STATES TRANSMITTER IN KUWAIT.

Section 226 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995 (Public Law 103-236; 108 Stat. 423), is repealed.

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