II 

Calendar No. 246 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3466 

To prohibit the use of Federal funds for the production of programs by 

United States companies that alter political content for screening in 

the People’s Republic of China, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 10, 2022 

Mr. CRUZ introduced the following bill; which was read the first time 

JANUARY 18, 2022 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 

A BILL 

To prohibit the use of Federal funds for the production 

of programs by United States companies that alter political content for screening in the People’s Republic of 

China, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Stopping Censorship, 

5 Restoring Integrity, and Protecting Talkies Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘SCRIPT Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT4 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com5 mittees’’ means— 

6 (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

7 the Senate; and 

8 (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 

9 the House of Representatives. 

10 (2) CHINESE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL.—The 

11 term ‘‘Chinese Government official’’ means an offi12 cial of the Government of the People’s Republic of 

13 China or of the Chinese Communist Party. 

14 (3) DESCRIPTION.—The term ‘‘description’’ 

15 means any description of the elements of a program, 

16 including the screenplay or script. 

17 (4) POLITICAL CONTENT.—The term ‘‘political 

18 content’’ means content that is considered sensitive 

19 by the Chinese Communist Party or by the Govern20 ment of the People’s Republic of China for political 

21 reasons, including issues related to— 

22 (A) human rights, freedom of expression, 

23 Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, and the Tiananmen 

24 Square massacre; 


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1 (B) the repression of Uyghurs, the Falun 

2 Gong, and other religious and spiritual minori3 ties; and 

4 (C) the ongoing genocide of the Uyghurs, 

5 including through methods of gender-based vio6 lence, such as forced abortions, involuntary 

7 sterilization, and the involuntary implantation 

8 of contraceptives. 

9 (5) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ has the 

10 meaning given the term ‘‘motion pictures’’ in section 

11 101 of title 17, United States Code, including works 

12 developed for or broadcast, rebroadcast, or otherwise 

13 transmitted via— 

14 (A) a television station licensed by the 

15 Federal Communications Commission; 

16 (B) a cable system or satellite carrier; 

17 (C) a cable or satellite carrier service; or 

18 (D) an on-demand video streaming service. 

19 (6) REPORTING PERIOD.—The term ‘‘reporting 

20 period’’ means the shorter of— 

21 (A) the immediately preceding 10-year pe22 riod; or 

23 (B) the period elapsed since the date of the 

24 enactment of this Act. 


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1 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of State. 

3 (8) UNITED STATES COMPANY.—The term 

4 ‘‘United States company’’ means a private entity in5 corporated in the United States. 

6 SEC. 3. CONDITION FOR FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR PRO7 GRAMS AND PROHIBITION OF FEDERAL SUP8 PORT FOR PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO CONDI9 TIONS ON CONTENT OR ALTERED FOR 

10 SCREENING IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF 

11 CHINA. 

12 (a) CONDITION FOR FEDERAL SUPPORT.—The 

13 President may only authorize the provision of technical 

14 support or access to an asset controlled by the Federal 

15 Government for, or authorize the head of a Federal agency 

16 to enter into a contract relating to, the production or fund17 ing of a program by a United States company if the 

18 United States company, as a condition of receiving the 

19 support or access— 

20 (1) provides to the Secretary a list of all pro21 grams produced or funded by the United States 

22 company, the description of which has been sub23 mitted, during the reporting period, to a Chinese 

24 Government official for evaluation with respect to 


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1 disseminating the program in the People’s Republic 

2 of China, including, for each program— 

3 (A) the title of the program; and 

4 (B) the date on which the submission oc5 curred; and 

6 (2) enters into a written agreement with the 

7 Secretary committing not to— 

8 (A) alter the political content of the pro9 gram in response to, or in anticipation of, a re10 quest by a Chinese Government official; or 

11 (B) co-produce the program with an entity 

12 located in the People’s Republic of China that 

13 is subject to conditions on political content im14 posed by a Chinese Government official. 

15 (b) PROHIBITION OF FEDERAL SUPPORT RELATING

16 TO PROGRAMS, THE POLITICAL CONTENT OF WHICH WAS

17 ALTERED FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUB18 LIC OF CHINA.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), the 

19 President may not authorize the provision of technical 

20 support or access to any asset controlled by the Federal 

21 Government for, or authorize the head of a Federal agency 

22 to enter into any contract relating to, the production or 

23 funding of a program by a United States company if, with 

24 respect to the most recent report submitted pursuant to 


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1 section 4, the United States company is included on the 

2 list described in section 4(b)(3). 

3 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS REGARDING PROGRAMS BY 

4 UNITED STATES COMPANIES THAT ALTER 

5 CONTENT FOR SCREENING IN THE PEOPLE’S 

6 REPUBLIC OF CHINA. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 

9 the Secretary shall submit a report to the appropriate con10 gressional committees regarding the programs disclosed 

11 pursuant to section 3. 

12 (b) ELEMENTS.—Each report submitted pursuant to 

13 subsection (a) shall include— 

14 (1) a description of each program disclosed pur15 suant to section 3(a)(1), including— 

16 (A) the name of the United States com17 pany that produced the program; 

18 (B) the title of such program; and 

19 (C) the date on which such submission oc20 curred; 

21 (2) a description of each program subject to a 

22 written agreement required under section 3(a)(2), 

23 including— 

24 (A) the United States company that en25 tered into such agreement; 


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1 (B) the title of such program; and 

2 (C) whether the Secretary determines that 

3 the political content was altered in response to, 

4 or in anticipation of, a request by a Chinese 

5 Government official; and 

6 (3) a list of United States companies that the 

7 Secretary determines— 

8 (A) altered the political content of a pro9 gram referred to in paragraphs (1) or (2); or 

10 (B) co-produced a program referred to in 

11 paragraph (2) with an entity located in the Peo12 ple’s Republic of China that is subject to condi13 tions on content imposed by a Chinese Govern14 ment official. 


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Calendar No. 246 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3466 

A BILL 

To prohibit the use of Federal funds for the proposes. People’s Republic of China, and for other pur- that alter political content for screening in the duction of programs by United States companies 

JANUARY 18, 2022 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 


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