II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 838

To provide for additional radio broadcasting to Iran by the United States.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 22 (legislative day, MAY 15), 1995

Mr. D’AMATO introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To provide for additional radio broadcasting to Iran by the

United States.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Radio Free Iran Act’’.

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

6 Congress makes the following findings:

7 (1) It is the policy of the United States to sup8 port the right of the people of Iran to seek, receive,

9 and impart information and ideas through any

10 media, regardless of frontiers, in accordance with ar-
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1 ticle 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human

2 Rights.

3 (2) Consonant with this policy, radio broadcast4 ing to Iran may be effective in furthering the open

5 communication of accurate information and ideas

6 about Iran to the people of Iran.

7 (3) Such broadcasting to Iran, operated in a

8 manner not inconsistent with the broad foreign pol9 icy of the United States and in accordance with high

10 professional standards, would be in the national in11 terest.

12 SEC. 3. RADIO BROADCASTING TO IRAN.

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—In order to carry out the objec14 tives set forth in section 2, the United States Information

15 Agency shall provide for the open communication of infor16 mation and ideas on Iran through the use of radio broad17 casting to Iran. Radio broadcasting to Iran under this sec18 tion shall serve as a consistently reliable and authoritative

19 source of accurate, objective, and comprehensive news on

20 Iran.

21 (b) REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO BROADCASTING.—

22 (1) Radio broadcasting under subsection (a) shall be pro23 vided in accordance with standards that ensure the broad24 cast of programs which are objective, accurate, and bal25 anced, and which present a variety of views. Such stand-
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1 ards shall be established by the board established under

2 section 4.

3 (2) Radio broadcasting under subsection (a) shall be

4 provided in the Farsi language.

5 (c) DESIGNATION OF BROADCASTS.—Any program of

6 United States Government radio broadcasts in the Farsi

7 language under this section shall be designated ‘‘Radio

8 Free Iran’’.

9 (d) RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER RADIO SERVICE TO

10 IRAN.—It is the sense of Congress that radio broadcasting

11 under this section supplement and not supplant other

12 radio broadcasting and radio broadcasting services to Iran

13 in the Farsi language that are provided by the United

14 States Government.

15 (e) AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT.—The Director of the

16 United States Information Agency may carry out this sec17 tion by means of grants, contracts, and leases and by such

18 other means as the Director determines appropriate. Any

19 grant, contract, or lease under this subsection shall specify

20 that payment thereunder by the Director is subject to the

21 availability of appropriations therefor.

22 (f) ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGEN23 CIES.—The Director may secure on a reimbursable basis

24 from any department or agency of the Federal Govern25 ment, with the concurrence of the head of the department
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1 or agency, any technical or administrative support or serv2 ices (including personnel and property) that the Director

3 may require in order to provide radio broadcasting to Iran

4 under this section. Any reimbursement under this sub5 section shall be credited to the appropriation from which

6 the support or services was derived.

7 SEC. 4. ADVISORY BOARD.

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby established an ad9 visory board to be known as the Advisory Board for Radio

10 Free Iran (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Board’’).

11 (b) MEMBERSHIP MATTERS.—(1) The Board shall be

12 composed of eight members of whom—

13 (A) four shall be appointed by the President;

14 (B) two shall be appointed by the President pro

15 tempore of the Senate, upon the recommendation of

16 the majority and minority leaders of the Senate; and

17 (C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of

18 the House of Representatives, in consultation with

19 the minority leader of the House of Representatives.

20 (2) Members shall be appointed for terms of 4 years.

21 Any vacancy in the Board shall not affect its powers but

22 shall be filled in the same manner as the original appoint23 ment.

24 (3) The President shall designate one member of the

25 Board to be the Chairman.
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1 (c) DUTIES.—The Board shall have the following du2 ties:

3 (1) To establish standards for the broadcast of

4 programs under section 3, which standards shall en5 sure that such programs are objective, accurate, and

6 balanced, and present a variety of views.

7 (2) To monitor the broadcast of programs

8 under that section in order to ensure that the pro9 grams meet the standards so established.

10 (d) COMPENSATION.—(1) Each member of the Board

11 who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Govern12 ment shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily

13 equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for

14 level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of

15 title 5, United States Code, for each day (including travel

16 time) during which such member is engaged in the per17 formance of the duties of the Board. All members of the

18 Board who are officers or employees of the United States

19 shall serve without compensation in addition to that re20 ceived for their services as officers or employees of the

21 United States.

22 (2) The members of the Board shall be allowed travel

23 expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at

24 rates authorized for employees of agencies under sub25 chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code,
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1 while away from their homes or regular places of business

2 in the performance of services for the Board.

3 (e) PROCUREMENT OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES.—

4 The Board may, to the extent it considers necessary to

5 carry out its duties under this section, procure supplies,

6 services, and other personal property, including specialized

7 electronic equipment.

8 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

9 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

10 are authorized to be appropriated for the United States

11 Information Agency for fiscal year 1996 such sums as may

12 be necessary for purposes of carrying out this Act, in13 cluding the activities of the Board established under sec14 tion 4.

15 (b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro16 priated under this section shall remain available until

17 expended.

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