II 

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. 

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 ‘‘Initiative 911 Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress makes the following findings: 

7 (1) Open communication of information and 

8 ideas among peoples of the world contributes to 

9 international peace and stability, and that the pro-
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•S 2874 IS 

1 motion of such communication is important to the 

2 national security of the United States. 

3 (2) The United States needs to improve its 

4 communication of information and ideas to people in 

5 foreign countries, particularly in countries with sig6 nificant Muslim populations. 

7 (3) A significant expansion of United States 

8 international broadcasting would provide a cost-ef9 fective means of improving communication with 

10 countries with significant Muslim populations by 

11 providing news, information, and analysis, as well as 

12 cultural programming, through both radio and tele13 vision broadcasts. 

14 (4) The report of the National Commission on 

15 Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States stated 

16 that, ‘‘Recognizing that Arab and Muslim audiences 

17 rely on satellite television and radio, the government 

18 has begun some promising initiatives in television 

19 and radio broadcasting to the Arab world, Iran, and 

20 Afghanistan. These efforts are beginning to reach 

21 large audiences. The Broadcasting Board of Gov22 ernors has asked for much larger resources. It 

23 should get them.’’. 
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•S 2874 IS 

1 SEC. 3. SPECIAL AUTHORITY FOR SURGE CAPACITY. 

2 The United States International Broadcasting Act of 

3 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.) is amended by adding at 

4 the end the following new section: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 316. SPECIAL AUTHORITY FOR SURGE CAPACITY. 

6 ‘‘(a) EMERGENCY AUTHORITY.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Whenever the President de8 termines it to be important to the national interests 

9 of the United States and so certifies to the appro10 priate congressional committees, the President, on 

11 such terms and conditions as the President may de12 termine, is authorized to direct any department, 

13 agency, or other entity of the United States to fur14 nish the Broadcasting Board of Governors with such 

15 assistance as may be necessary to provide inter16 national broadcasting activities of the United States 

17 with a surge capacity to support United States for18 eign policy objectives during a crisis abroad. 

19 ‘‘(2) SUPERSEDES EXISTING LAW.—The au20 thority of paragraph (1) supersedes any other provi21 sion of law. 

22 ‘‘(3) SURGE CAPACITY DEFINED.—In this sub23 section, the term ‘surge capacity’ means the finan24 cial and technical resources necessary to carry out 

25 broadcasting activities in a geographical area during 

26 a crisis. 
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•S 2874 IS 

1 ‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

2 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Effective October 1, 2004, 

3 there are authorized to be appropriated to the Presi4 dent such amounts as may be necessary for the 

5 President to carry out this section, except that no 

6 such amount may be appropriated which, when 

7 added to amounts previously appropriated for such 

8 purpose but not yet obligated, would cause such 

9 amounts to exceed $25,000,000. 

10 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts ap11 propriated pursuant to the authorization of appro12 priations in this subsection are authorized to remain 

13 available until expended. 

14 ‘‘(3) DESIGNATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

15 Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization 

16 of appropriations in this subsection may be referred 

17 to as the ‘United States International Broadcasting 

18 Surge Capacity Fund’.’’. 

19 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

20 In each annual report submitted under section 

21 305(a)(9) of the United States International Broadcasting 

22 Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6204(a)(9)) after the date of en23 actment of this Act, the Broadcasting Board of Governors 

24 shall give special attention to reporting on the activities 

25 carried out under this Act. 
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•S 2874 IS 

1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to amounts otherwise 

3 available for such purposes, the following amounts are au4 thorized to be appropriated to carry out United States 

5 Government broadcasting activities under the United 

6 States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 

7 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), the United States Inter8 national Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6201 et 

9 seq.), the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act 

10 of 1998 (as enacted in division of G of the Omnibus Con11 solidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 

12 Act, 1999; Public Law 107–277), and this Act, and to 

13 carry out other authorities in law consistent with such 

14 purposes: 

15 (1) INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING OPER16 ATIONS.—For ‘‘International Broadcasting Oper17 ations’’, $497,000,000 for the fiscal year 2005. 

18 (2) BROADCASTING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.— 

19 For ‘‘Broadcasting Capital Improvements’’, 

20 $70,000,000 for the fiscal year 2005. 

21 (b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro22 priated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in 

23 this section are authorized to remain available until ex24 pended. 

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