Radio Free Iran Act

Summary: Radio Free Iran Act - Directs the United States Information Agency to provide for the open communication of information and ideas on Iran through the use of radio broadcasting to Iran.  Designates any U.S. Government radio broadcasts in the Farsi language to Iran as "Radio Free Iran." 
Establishes the Advisory Board for Radio Free Iran to establish standards to ensure that programs are objective, accurate, and balanced and present a variety of views. 
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Radio Free Iran Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) It is the policy of the United States to support the 
        right of the people of Iran to seek, receive, and impart 
        information and ideas through any media, regardless of 
        frontiers, in accordance with article 19 of the Universal 
        Declaration of Human Rights.
            (2) Consonant with this policy, radio broadcasting to Iran 
        may be effective in furthering the open communication of 
        accurate information and ideas about Iran to the people of 
        Iran.
            (3) Such broadcasting to Iran, operated in a manner not 
        inconsistent with the broad foreign policy of the United States 
        and in accordance with high professional standards, would be in 
        the national interest.

SEC. 3. RADIO BROADCASTING TO IRAN.

    (a) In General.--In order to carry out the objectives set forth in 
section 2, the United States Information Agency shall provide for the 
open communication of information and ideas on Iran through the use of 
radio broadcasting to Iran. Radio broadcasting to Iran under this 
section shall serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative source 
of accurate, objective, and comprehensive news on Iran.
    (b) Requirements Relating to Broadcasting.--(1) Radio broadcasting 
under subsection (a) shall be provided in accordance with standards 
that ensure the broadcast of programs which are objective, accurate, 
and balanced, and which present a variety of views. Such standards 
shall be established by the board established under section 4.
    (2) Radio broadcasting under subsection (a) shall be provided in 
the Farsi language.
    (c) Designation of Broadcasts.--Any program of United States 
Government radio broadcasts in the Farsi language under this section 
shall be designated ``Radio Free Iran''.
    (d) Relationship With Other Radio Service to Iran.--It is the sense 
of Congress that radio broadcasting under this section supplement and 
not supplant other radio broadcasting and radio broadcasting services 
to Iran in the Farsi language that are provided by the United States 
Government.
    (e) Authority To Contract.--The Director of the United States 
Information Agency may carry out this section by means of grants, 
contracts, and leases and by such other means as the Director 
determines appropriate. Any grant, contract, or lease under this 
subsection shall specify that payment thereunder by the Director is 
subject to the availability of appropriations therefor.
    (f) Assistance From Other Government Agencies.--The Director may 
secure on a reimbursable basis from any department or agency of the 
Federal Government, with the concurrence of the head of the department
 or agency, any technical or administrative support or services 
(including personnel and property) that the Director may require in 
order to provide radio broadcasting to Iran under this section. Any 
reimbursement under this subsection shall be credited to the 
appropriation from which the support or services was derived.

SEC. 4. ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) In General.--There is hereby established an advisory board to 
be known as the Advisory Board for Radio Free Iran (in this section 
referred to as the ``Board'').
    (b) Membership Matters.--(1) The Board shall be composed of eight 
members of whom--
            (A) four shall be appointed by the President;
            (B) two shall be appointed by the President pro tempore of 
        the Senate, upon the recommendation of the majority and 
        minority leaders of the Senate; and
            (C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
        Representatives, in consultation with the minority leader of 
        the House of Representatives.
    (2) Members shall be appointed for terms of 4 years. Any vacancy in 
the Board shall not affect its powers but shall be filled in the same 
manner as the original appointment.
    (3) The President shall designate one member of the Board to be the 
Chairman.
    (c) Duties.--The Board shall have the following duties:
            (1) To establish standards for the broadcast of programs 
        under section 3, which standards shall ensure that such 
        programs are objective, accurate, and balanced, and present a 
        variety of views.
            (2) To monitor the broadcast of programs under that section 
        in order to ensure that the programs meet the standards so 
        established.
    (d) Compensation.--(1) Each member of the Board who is not an 
officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be compensated at a 
rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay 
prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of 
title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel time) 
during which such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of 
the Board. All members of the Board who are officers or employees of 
the United States shall serve without compensation in addition to that 
received for their services as officers or employees of the United 
States.
    (2) The members of the Board shall be allowed travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for 
employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, 
United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of 
business in the performance of services for the Board.
    (e) Procurement of Supplies and Services.--The Board may, to the 
extent it considers necessary to carry out its duties under this 
section, procure supplies, services, and other personal property, 
including specialized electronic equipment.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for the United States Information Agency for fiscal year 
1996 such sums as may be necessary for purposes of carrying out this 
Act, in-cluding the activities of the Board established under section 
4.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--Amounts appropriated under this section 
shall remain available until expended.