I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4490 
To enhance the missions, objectives, and effectiveness of United States 
international communications, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2014 
Mr. ROYCE (for himself, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. 
ROHRABACHER, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. KEATING, and Mr. 
SALMON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To enhance the missions, objectives, and effectiveness of 
United States international communications, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘United States International Communications Reform Act 
of 2014’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; Table of contents. 
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Sec. 2. Findings and declarations. 
Sec. 3. Purposes. 
Sec. 4. Definitions. 
Sec. 5. Broadcasting standards. 
Sec. 6. Eligible broadcast areas. 
TITLE I—ESTABLISHMENT, ORGANIZATION, AND MANAGEMENT 
OF THE UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 
AGENCY 
Subtitle A—Establishment of the United States International Communications 
Agency 
Sec. 101. Existence within the executive branch. 
Sec. 102. Establishment of the Board of the United States International Com-
munications Agency. 
Sec. 103. Authorities and duties of the Board of the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency. 
Sec. 104. Establishment of the Chief Executive Officer of the United States 
International Communications Agency. 
Sec. 105. Authorities and duties of the Chief Executive Officer of the United 
States International Communications Agency. 
Sec. 106. Role of the Secretary of State. 
Sec. 107. Role of the Inspector General. 
Sec. 108. Enhanced coordination between United States International Commu-
nications Agency and the Freedom News Network; program 
content sharing; grantee independence. 
Sec. 109. Enhanced coordination among the United States International Com-
munications Agency, the Freedom News Network, and the De-
partment of State; Freedom News Network independence. 
Sec. 110. Grants to the Freedom News Network. 
Sec. 111. Other personnel and compensation limitations. 
Sec. 112. Reporting requirements of the United States International Commu-
nications Agency. 
Subtitle B—The Voice of America 
Sec. 121. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 122. Principles of the Voice of America. 
Sec. 123. Duties and responsibilities of the Voice of America. 
Sec. 124. Limitation on Voice of America news, programming, and content; 
temporary exception for Sub-Saharan Africa; exception for 
broadcasting to Cuba. 
Sec. 125. Director of Voice of America. 
Subtitle C—General Provisions 
Sec. 131. Federal agency coordination in support of United States public diplo-
macy. 
Sec. 132. Federal agency assistance and coordination with the United States 
International Communications Agency and the Freedom News 
Network during international broadcast surges. 
Sec. 133. Freedom News Network right of first refusal in instances of Federal 
disposal of radio or television broadcast transmission facilities 
or equipment. 
Sec. 134. Repeal of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994. 
Sec. 135. Effective date. 
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TITLE II—THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK 
Sec. 201. Sense of Congress. 
Subtitle A—Consolidation of Existing Grantee Organizations 
Sec. 211. Formation of the Freedom News Network from existing grantees. 
Sec. 212. Mission of the Freedom News Network. 
Sec. 213. Standards and principles of the Freedom News Network. 
Subtitle B—Organization of the Freedom News Network 
Sec. 221. Governance of the Freedom News Network. 
Sec. 222. Budget of the Freedom News Network. 
Sec. 223. Assistance from other Government agencies. 
Sec. 224. Reports by the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of 
State; audits by GAO. 
Sec. 225. Amendments to the United States Information and Educational Ex-
change Act of 1948. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS. 
Congress finds and declares the following: 
(1) United States international broadcasting ex-
ists to advance the United States interests and val-
ues by presenting accurate, objective, and com-
prehensive news and information, which is the foun-
dation for democratic governance, to societies that 
lack a free media. 
(2) Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights states that ‘‘[e]veryone has the right 
to freedom of opinion and expression’’, and that 
‘‘this right includes freedom to hold opinions without 
interference and to seek, receive and impart infor-
mation and ideas through any media and regardless 
of frontiers’’. 
(3) Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified 
before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
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House of Representatives on January 23, 2013, that 
the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) ‘‘is 
practically a defunct agency in terms of its capacity 
to be able to tell a message around the world. So 
we’re abdicating the ideological arena and need to 
get back into it.’’. 
(4) The BBG, which was created by Congress 
to oversee the United States international broad-
casting in the wake of the Cold War, has, because 
of structural and managerial issues, had limited suc-
cess to date in both coordinating the various compo-
nents of the international broadcasting framework 
and managing the day-to-day operations of the Fed-
eral components of the international broadcasting 
framework. 
(5) The lack of regular attendance by board 
members and a periodic inability to form a quorum 
have plagued the BBG and, as a result, it has been 
functionally incapable of running the agency. 
(6) The board of governors has only achieved 
the full slate of all nine governors for seven of its 
17 years of existence, which highlights the difficul-
ties of confirming and retaining governors under the 
current structure. 
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(7) Both the Department of State’s Office of 
Inspector General and the Government Account-
ability Office have issued reports which outline a se-
verely dysfunctional organizational structure of the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors. 
(8) The Inspector General of the Department of 
State concluded in its January 2013 report that dys-
function of the BBG stems from ‘‘a flawed legisla-
tive structure and acute internal dissension’’. 
(9) The Inspector General of the Department of 
State also found that the BBG’s structure of nine 
part-time members ‘‘cannot effectively supervise all 
United States Government-supported, civilian inter-
national broadcasting’’, and its involvement in day- 
to-day operations has impeded normal management 
functions. 
(10) The Government Accountability Office re-
port determined that there was significant overlap 
among the BBG’s languages services, and that the 
BBG did not systematically consider the financial 
cost of overlap. 
(11) According to the Office of the Inspector 
General, the BBG’s Office of Contracts is not in 
compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, 
lacks appropriate contract oversight, and violates the 
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Anti-Deficiency Act. The Office of the Inspector 
General also determined that the Broadcasting 
Board of Governors has not adequately performed 
full and open competitions or price determinations, 
has entered into hundreds of personal service con-
tracts without statutory authority, and contractors 
regularly work without valid contracts in place. 
(12) The size and make-up of the BBG work-
force should be closely examined, given the agency’s 
broader broadcasting and technical mission, as well 
as changing media technologies. 
(13) The BBG should be structured to ensure 
that more taxpayer dollars are dedicated to the sub-
stantive, broadcasting, and information-related ele-
ments of the agency’s mission. 
(14) The lack of a coherent and well defined 
mission of the Voice of America has led to program-
ming that duplicates the efforts of the Office of 
Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Asia, RFE/RL, In-
corporated, and the Middle East Broadcasting Net-
work that results in inefficient use of tax-payer 
funding. 
(15) The annual survey conducted by the 
‘‘Partnership for Public Service’’ consistently ranks 
the Broadcasting Board of Governors at or near the 
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bottom of all Federal agencies in terms of ‘‘overall 
best places to work’’ and ‘‘the extent to which em-
ployees feel their skills and talents are used effec-
tively.’’. The consistency of these low scores point to 
structural, cultural, and functional problems at the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors. 
(16) The Federal and non-Federal organiza-
tions that comprise the United States international 
broadcasting framework have different, yet com-
plementary, missions that necessitate coordination at 
all levels of management. 
(17) The Broadcasting Board of Governors has 
an overabundance of senior civil service positions, 
defined here as full-time employees encumbering 
GS–14 and GS–15 positions on the General Sched-
ule pay scale. 
(18) United States international broadcasting 
should seek to leverage public-private partnerships, 
including the licensing of content and the use of 
technology owned or operated by non-governmental 
sources, where possible to expand outreach capacity. 
(19) Congressional action is necessary at this 
time to improve international broadcasting oper-
ations, strengthen the United States public diplo-
macy efforts, enhance the grantee surrogate broad-
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casting effort, restore focus to news, programming, 
and content, and maximize the value of Federal and 
non-Federal resources that are dedicated to public 
diplomacy and international broadcasting. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are as follows: 
(1) To provide objective, accurate, credible, and 
comprehensive news and information to societies 
that lack freedom of expression and information. 
(2) To improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and 
flexibility of United States international broad-
casting to allow it to adapt to constantly changing 
political and media environments through clarifica-
tion of missions, improved coordination, and organi-
zational restructuring. 
(3) To coordinate the complementary efforts of 
the Department of State and United States inter-
national broadcasting. 
(4) To create a United States international 
broadcasting 
framework 
that 
more 
effectively 
leverages the broadcasting tools available and cre-
ates specialization of expertise in mission oriented 
programming, while minimizing waste and ineffi-
ciency. 
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(5) To improve United States international 
broadcasting workforce effectiveness, security, and 
satisfaction. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 
(2) GRANTEE.—The term ‘‘grantee’’ means the 
non-Federal 
organization 
described 
in 
section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code 
as of day before the date of the enactment of this 
Act that receives Federal funding from the Broad-
casting Board of Governors, and includes Radio 
Free Asia, RFE/RL, Incorporated, and the Middle 
East Broadcasting Network. 
(3) FREEDOM
NEWS
NETWORK.—The term 
‘‘Freedom News Network’’ refers to the non-Federal 
organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax 
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under section 501(a) of such Code that would re-
ceive Federal funding and be responsible for pro-
moting democratic freedoms and free media oper-
ations for foreign audiences in societies that lack 
freedom of expression and information, and con-
sisting of the consolidation of the grantee in accord-
ance with section 211. 
(4) PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.—The term ‘‘public di-
plomacy’’ means the effort to achieve broad United 
States foreign policy goals and objectives, advance 
national interests, and enhance national security by 
informing and influencing foreign publics and by ex-
panding and strengthening the relationship between 
the people and Government of the United States and 
citizens of other countries. 
SEC. 5. BROADCASTING STANDARDS. 
United States international broadcasting shall incor-
porate the following standards into all of its broadcasting 
efforts: 
(1) Be consistent with the broad foreign policy 
objectives of the United States. 
(2) Be consistent with the international tele-
communications policies and treaty obligations of the 
United States. 
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(3) Not duplicate the activities of private 
United States broadcasters. 
(4) Be conducted in accordance with the high-
est professional standards of broadcast journalism 
while remaining consistent with and supportive of 
the broad foreign policy objectives of the United 
States. 
(5) Be based on reliable, research-based infor-
mation, both quantitative and qualitative, about its 
potential audience. 
(6) Be designed so as to effectively reach a sig-
nificant audience. 
(7) Promote freedom of expression, religion, 
and respect for human rights and human equality. 
SEC. 6. ELIGIBLE BROADCAST AREAS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Board of the United States 
International Communications Agency and the Board of 
the Freedom News Network shall ensure that United 
States international broadcasting is conducted only to 
countries and regions that— 
(1) lack democratic rule, or the indicia of demo-
cratic rule, such as demonstrable proof of free and 
fair elections; 
(2) lack the legal and political environment that 
allows media organizations and journalists to oper-
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ate free from Government-led or permitted harass-
ment, intimidation, retribution, and from economic 
impediments to the development, production, and 
dissemination of news and related programming and 
content; 
(3) lack established, domestic, and widely acces-
sible media that provide accurate, objective, and 
comprehensive news and related programming and 
content; and 
(4) by virtue of the criteria described in this 
subsection, would benefit the national security and 
related interests of the United States, and the safety 
and security of United States citizens at home and 
abroad. 
(b) EXCEPTION.—The United States International 
Communications Agency and the Freedom News Network 
may broadcast to countries that fall outside of the criteria 
described in subsection (a) if the Chief Executive Officer 
of the Agency and the Freedom News Network, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of State, determine it is in 
the national security interest of the United States, or in 
the interests of preserving the safety and security of 
United States citizens at home and abroad, to do so. 
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TITLE I—ESTABLISHMENT, OR-
GANIZATION, AND MANAGE-
MENT 
OF 
THE 
UNITED 
STATES 
INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY 
Subtitle A—Establishment of the 
United 
States 
International 
Communications Agency 
SEC. 101. EXISTENCE WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. 
The United States International Communications 
Agency shall exist within the executive branch of Govern-
ment as an independent establishment described in section 
104 of title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 102. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BOARD OF THE UNITED 
STATES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 
AGENCY. 
(a) COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF THE UNITED 
STATES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Board (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Board’’) of the United States 
International Communications Agency shall consist 
of nine members, as follows: 
(A) Eight voting members who shall be ap-
pointed by the President, by and with the ad-
vice and consent of the Senate. 
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(B) The Secretary of State, who shall also 
be a voting member. 
(2) CHAIR.—The President shall appoint one 
member (other than the Secretary of State) as Chair 
of the Board, by and with the advice and consent of 
the Senate. 
(3) POLITICAL AFFILIATION.—Exclusive of the 
Secretary of State, not more than four members of 
the Board shall be of the same political party. 
(4) RETENTION OF EXISTING BBG MEMBERS.— 
The presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed 
members of the Broadcasting Board of Governors 
serving as of the date of the enactment of this Act 
shall constitute the Board of the United States 
International Communications Agency and hold of-
fice the remainder of their original terms of office 
without reappointment to the Board. 
(b) TERM OF OFFICE.—The term of office of each 
member of the Board shall be three years, except that the 
Secretary of State shall remain a member of the Board 
during the Secretary’s term of service. Of the other eight 
voting members, the initial terms of office of two members 
shall be one year, and the initial terms of office of three 
other members shall be two years, as determined by the 
President. The President shall appoint, by and with the 
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advice and consent of the Senate, Board members to fill 
vacancies occurring prior to the expiration of a term, in 
which case the members so appointed shall serve for the 
remainder of such term. Members may not serve beyond 
their terms. When there is no Secretary of State, the Act-
ing Secretary of State shall serve as a member of the 
Board until a Secretary is appointed. 
(c) SELECTION OF BOARD.—Members of the Board 
shall be citizens of the United States who are not regular 
full-time employees of the United States Government. 
Such members shall be selected by the President from 
among citizens distinguished in the fields of public diplo-
macy, mass communications, print, broadcast media, or 
foreign affairs. 
(d) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Board, while 
attending meetings of the Board or while engaged in du-
ties relating to such meetings or in other activities of the 
Board pursuant to this section (including travel time) 
shall be entitled to receive compensation equal to the daily 
equivalent of the compensation prescribed for level IV of 
the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
United States Code. While away from their homes or reg-
ular places of business, members of the Board may be al-
lowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of sub-
sistence, in accordance with section 5703 of such title for 
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persons in the Government service employed intermit-
tently. The Secretary of State shall not be entitled to any 
compensation under this chapter. 
(e) DECISIONS.—Decisions of the Board shall be 
made by majority vote, a quorum being present. A quorum 
shall consist of a majority of members then serving at the 
time a decision of the Board is made. 
(f) TRANSPARENCY.—The Board of the United 
States International Communications Agency shall adhere 
to the provisions specified in the Government in the Sun-
shine Act (Public Law 94–409). 
SEC. 103. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF 
THE UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL COM-
MUNICATIONS AGENCY. 
The Board of the United States International Com-
munications Agency shall have the following authorities: 
(1) To review and evaluate the mission and op-
eration of, and to assess the quality, effectiveness, 
and professional integrity of, all programming pro-
duced by the United States International Commu-
nications Agency to ensure alignment with the broad 
foreign policy objectives of the United States. 
(2) To ensure that broadcasting of the United 
States International Communications Agency is con-
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ducted in accordance with the standards specified in 
section 5. 
(3) To review, evaluate, and recommend to the 
Chief Executive of the United States International 
Communications Agency, at least annually, in con-
sultation with the Secretary of State, the necessity 
of adding or deleting of language services of the 
Agency. 
(4) To submit to the President and Congress 
an annual report which summarizes and evaluates 
activities of the United States International Commu-
nications Agency described in this title. 
SEC. 104. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFI-
CER 
OF 
THE 
UNITED 
STATES 
INTER-
NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be a Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States International Communica-
tions Agency, appointed by the Board of the Agency for 
a five-year term, renewable at the Board’s discretion, and 
subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
governing appointments, classification, and compensation. 
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Chief Executive Officer 
shall be selected from among United States citizens with 
two or more of the following qualifications: 
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(1) A distinguished career in managing a large 
organization or Federal agency. 
(2) Experience in the field of mass communica-
tions, print, or broadcast media. 
(3) Experience in foreign affairs or inter-
national relations. 
(4) Experience in directing United States public 
diplomacy programs. 
(c) TERMINATION
AND
TRANSFER.—Immediately 
upon appointment of the Chief Executive Officer under 
subsection (a), the Director of the International Broad-
casting Bureau shall be terminated, and all of the respon-
sibilities and authorities of the Director shall be trans-
ferred to and assumed by the Chief Executive Officer. 
(d) REMOVAL OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.—The 
Chief Executive Officer under subsection (a) may be re-
moved upon a two-thirds majority vote of the members 
of the Board of the United States International Commu-
nications Agency then serving. 
(e) COMPENSATION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF-
FICER.—Any Chief Executive Officer of the United States 
International Communications Agency hired after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, shall be eligible to receive 
compensation up to an annual rate of pay equivalent to 
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level I of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of 
title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 105. AUTHORITIES AND DUTIES OF THE CHIEF EXECU-
TIVE 
OFFICER 
OF 
THE 
UNITED 
STATES 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY. 
(a) DUTIES.—The Chief Executive Officer under sec-
tion 104 shall direct operations of the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency and shall have the fol-
lowing non-delegable authorities, subject to the super-
vision of the Board of the United States International 
Communications Agency: 
(1) To supervise all Federal broadcasting activi-
ties conducted pursuant to title V of the United 
States Information and Educational Exchange Act 
of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461 et seq.) and the Voice of 
America as described in subtitle B of title I of this 
Act. 
(2) To make and ensure compliance with the 
terms and conditions of the grant agreement in ac-
cordance with section 110. 
(3) To review engineering activities to ensure 
that all broadcasting elements receive the highest 
quality and cost-effective delivery services. 
(4) To undertake such studies as may be nec-
essary to identify areas in which broadcasting activi-
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ties under the authority of the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency could be made 
more efficient and economical. 
(5) To the extent considered necessary to carry 
out the functions of the Board, procure supplies, 
services, and other personal property, as well as pro-
curement pursuant to section 1535 of title 31, 
United States Code (commonly referred to as the 
‘‘Economy Act’’), of such goods and services from 
other Federal agencies for the Board as the Board 
determines are appropriate. 
(6) To appoint such staff personnel for the 
Board as the Board may determine to be necessary, 
subject to the provisions of title 5, United States 
Code, governing appointments in the competitive 
service, and to fix their compensation in accordance 
with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III 
of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification 
and General Schedule pay rates. 
(7) To obligate and expend, for official recep-
tion and representation expenses, such amounts as 
may be made available through appropriations Acts. 
(8) To make available in the annual reports re-
quired under section 103 information on funds ex-
pended on administrative and managerial services by 
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the Board of the United States Communications 
Agency, and the steps the Board has taken to re-
duce unnecessary overhead costs for each of the 
broadcasting services. 
(9) To provide for the use of United States 
Government broadcasting capacity to the Freedom 
News Network. 
(10)(A) To procure temporary and intermittent 
personal services to the same extent as is authorized 
by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, at 
rates not to exceed the daily equivalent of the rate 
provided for positions classified above grade GS–15 
of the General Schedule under section 5108 of such 
title. 
(B) To allow those individuals providing 
such services, while away from their homes or 
their regular places of business, travel expenses 
(including per diem in lieu of subsistence) as 
authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United 
States Code, for persons in the Government 
service employed intermittently, while so em-
ployed. 
(11) To utilize the provisions of titles III, IV, 
V, VII, VIII, IX, and X of the United States Infor-
mation and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (22 
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U.S.C. 1431 et seq.), and section 6 of Reorganiza-
tion Plan Number 2 of 1977, as in effect on the day 
before the effective date of title XIII of the Foreign 
Affairs Agencies Consolidation Act of 1998, to the 
extent the Board considers necessary to carry out 
the provisions and purposes of this Act. 
(12) To utilize the authorities of any other stat-
ute, reorganization plan, executive order, regulation, 
agreement, determination, or other official document 
or proceeding that had been available to the Director 
of the United States Information Agency, the Inter-
national Broadcasting Bureau, or the Board of the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors before the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(13)(A) To provide for the payment of primary 
and secondary school expenses for dependents of 
personnel stationed in the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) at a cost not to 
exceed expenses authorized by the Department of 
Defense for such schooling for dependents of mem-
bers of the Armed Forces stationed in the Common-
wealth, if the Board determines that schools avail-
able in the Commonwealth are unable to provide 
adequately for the education of the dependents of 
such personnel. 
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(B) To provide transportation for depend-
ents of such personnel between their places of 
residence and those schools for which expenses 
are provided under subparagraph (A), if the 
Board determines that such schools are not ac-
cessible by public means of transportation. 
(b) CONSULTATIONS.—The Chief Executive Officer 
of the United States International Communications Agen-
cy shall regularly consult with the Chief Executive Officer 
of the Freedom News Network and the Secretary of State 
as described in sections 108 and 109. 
SEC. 106. ROLE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE. 
To assist the Board of the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency in carrying out its func-
tions, the Secretary of State shall provide to the Board 
information in accordance with section 109(b), as well as 
guidance on United States foreign policy and public diplo-
macy priorities, as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
SEC. 107. ROLE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Inspector General of the De-
partment of State and the Foreign Service shall exercise 
the same authorities with respect to the United States 
International Communications Agency and the Freedom 
News Network as the Inspector General exercises under 
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the Inspector General Act of 1978 with respect to the De-
partment and the Foreign Service. 
(b) JOURNALIST INTEGRITY.—The Inspector General 
of the Department of State shall respect the journalistic 
integrity of all the broadcasters covered by this Act and 
may not evaluate the philosophical or political perspectives 
reflected in the content of the broadcasts of such broad-
casters. 
SEC. 108. ENHANCED COORDINATION BETWEEN UNITED 
STATES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 
AGENCY AND THE FREEDOM NEWS NET-
WORK; 
PROGRAM 
CONTENT 
SHARING; 
GRANTEE INDEPENDENCE. 
(a) MEETINGS.—The chair of the Board and Chief 
Executive Officer of the United States International Com-
munications Agency shall meet at least on a quarterly 
basis with the chair and Chief Executive Officer, as identi-
fied in section 221, of the Freedom News Network to dis-
cuss mutual issues of concern, including the following: 
(1) The strategic direction of their respective 
organizations, including target audiences. 
(2) Languages of information transmission. 
(3) Prioritization of funding allocations. 
(4) Areas for greater collaboration. 
(5) Elimination of programming overlap. 
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(6) Efficiencies that can be realized through 
best practices and lessons learned. 
(7) Sharing of program content. 
(b) INFORMATION SHARING.—The Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States International Broadcasting 
Agency and the Chief Executive Officer of the Freedom 
News Network shall share all strategic planning docu-
ments, including the following: 
(1) Results monitoring and evaluation. 
(2) Annual planning documents. 
(3) Audience surveys conducted. 
(4) Budget formulation documents. 
(c) INDEPENDENCE
OF
FREEDOM
NEWS
NET-
WORK.—The United States International Communications 
Agency, while conducting management of the grant de-
scribed in section 110, shall avoid even the appearance of 
involvement in daily operations, decisions, and manage-
ment of the Freedom News Network, and ensure that the 
distinctions between the United States International Com-
munications Agency and Freedom News Network remain 
in accordance with this Act. 
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SEC. 109. ENHANCED COORDINATION AMONG THE UNITED 
STATES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 
AGENCY, THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK, 
AND THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; FREEDOM 
NEWS NETWORK INDEPENDENCE. 
(a) COORDINATION MEETINGS.—The Chief Execu-
tive Officer of the United States International Commu-
nications Agency and the Chief Executive Officer of the 
Freedom News Network shall meet, at least on a quarterly 
basis, with the Secretary of State to— 
(1) review and evaluate broadcast activities; 
(2) eliminate overlap of programming; and 
(3) determine long-term strategies for inter-
national broadcasting to ensure such strategies are 
in accordance with the broad foreign policy interests 
of the United States. 
(b) STRATEGIC PLANNING DOCUMENTS.—The Chief 
Executive Officer of the United States International Com-
munications Agency, the Chief Executive Officer of the 
Freedom News Network, and the Secretary of State shall 
share all relevant unclassified strategic planning docu-
ments produced by the Agency, the Freedom News Net-
work, and the Department of State. 
(c) FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK INDEPENDENCE.— 
The Department of State, while coordinating with the 
Freedom News Network in accordance with subsection (a), 
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shall avoid even the appearance of involvement in the daily 
operations, decisions, and management of the Freedom 
News Network. 
SEC. 110. GRANTS TO THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Chief Executive Officer of the 
United States International Communications Agency shall 
make grants to RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free Asia, 
or the Middle East Broadcasting Network only after the 
Chief Executive Officer of the Agency and the Chief Exec-
utive Officer of Freedom News Network certify to the ap-
propriate congressional committees that the headquarters 
of the Freedom News Network and its senior administra-
tive and managerial staff are in a location which ensures 
economy, operational effectiveness, and accountability, 
and the following conditions has been satisfied: 
(1) RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free Asia, 
and the Middle East Broadcasting Network have 
submitted to the Chief Executive Officer of the 
United States International Communications Agency 
a plan for consolidation and reconstitution as de-
scribed in section 211 under the new corporate name 
‘‘Freedom News Network’’ with a single organiza-
tional structure and management framework, as de-
scribed in section 221. 
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(2) The necessary steps towards the consolida-
tion described in paragraph (1) have been com-
pleted, including the selection of a Board, Chair, and 
Chief Executive Officer for the Freedom News Net-
work, the establishment of bylaws to govern the 
Freedom News Network, and the filing of articles of 
incorporation. 
(3) A plan for content sharing has been devel-
oped in accordance with section 112(f). 
(4) A strategic plan for programming imple-
mentation has been developed in accordance with 
section 221(g). 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Board of the United 
States International Communications Agency shall submit 
to Congress a report on the status of any grants made 
to the Freedom News Network. 
(c) LIMITATION ON GRANT AMOUNTS.—The total 
amount of grants made for the operating costs of the 
Freedom News Network may not exceed $270,000,000 in 
fiscal year 2015. 
(d) ALTERNATIVE GRANTEE.—If the Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States International Communica-
tions Agency, after consultation with the Board of the 
Agency and the appropriate congressional committees, de-
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termines at any time that the Freedom News Network is 
not carrying out the mission described in section 212 and 
adhering to the standards and principles described in sec-
tion 213 in an effective and economical manner for which 
a grant has been awarded, the Chief Executive Officer of 
the Agency, upon approval of the Board, may award to 
another entity the grant at issue to carry out such func-
tions after soliciting and considering applications from eli-
gible entities in such manner and accompanied by such 
information as the Board may require. 
(e) NOT A FEDERAL ENTITY.—Nothing in this Act 
may be construed to make the Freedom News Network 
a Federal agency or instrumentality. 
(f) AUTHORITY.—Grants authorized under this sec-
tion for the United States International Communications 
Agency shall be available to make annual grants to the 
Freedom News Network for the purpose of carrying out 
the mission described in section 212 and adhering to the 
standards and principles described in section 213. 
(g) GRANT AGREEMENT.—Grants authorized under 
this section to the Freedom News Network by the Chief 
Executive Officer of the United States International Com-
munications Agency shall only be made in accordance with 
a grant agreement. Such grant agreement shall include 
the following provisions: 
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(1) A grant be used only for activities in ac-
cordance with carrying out the mission described in 
section 212 and adhering to the standards and prin-
ciples described in section 213. 
(2) The Freedom News Network shall comply 
with the requirements of this section. 
(3) Failure to comply with the requirements of 
this section may result in suspension or termination 
of a grant without further obligation by the United 
States International Communications Agency or the 
United States. 
(4) Use of broadcasting technology owned and 
operated by the United States International Commu-
nications Agency be made available through an 
International Cooperative Administrative Support 
Service (ICASS) agreement or memorandum of un-
derstanding. 
(5) The Freedom News Network shall, upon re-
quest, provide to the Chief Executive Officer of the 
United States International Communications Agency 
documentation which details the expenditure of any 
grant funds. 
(6) A grant may not be used to require the 
Freedom News Network to comply with any require-
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ments other than the requirements specified in this 
Act. 
(7) A grant may not be used to allocate re-
sources within the Freedom News Network in a 
manner that is inconsistent with the Freedom News 
Network strategic plan described in section 222(c). 
(h) PROHIBITIONS
ON
THE USE
OF GRANTS.— 
Grants authorized under this section may not be used for 
the following purposes: 
(1)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) 
or (C), to pay any salary or other compensation, or 
enter into any contract providing for the payment of 
salary or compensation, in excess of the rates estab-
lished for comparable positions under title 5, United 
States Code, or the foreign relations laws of the 
United States, except that no employee may be paid 
a salary or other compensation in excess of the rate 
of pay payable for level II of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5315 of such title. 
(B) Salary and other compensation limitations 
under subparagraph (A) shall not apply with respect 
to any employee covered by a union agreement re-
quiring a salary or other compensation in excess of 
such limitations before the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
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(C) Notwithstanding the limitations specified in 
subparagraph (A), grants authorized under this sec-
tion may be used by the Freedom News Network to 
pay up to six employees employed in the Wash-
ington, DC, area, salary or other compensation not 
to exceed the rate of pay payable for level I of the 
Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, 
United States Code, except that such shall not apply 
to the Chief Executive Officer of the Freedom News 
Network in accordance with section 221(d). 
(2) For any activity intended to influence the 
passage or defeat of legislation being considered by 
Congress. 
(3) To enter into a contract or obligation to pay 
severance payments for voluntary separation for em-
ployees hired after December 1, 1990, except as may 
be required by United States law or the laws of the 
country where such an employee is stationed. 
(4) For first class travel for any employee of 
the Freedom News Network, or the relative of any 
such employee. 
SEC. 111. OTHER PERSONNEL AND COMPENSATION LIMITA-
TIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the organizational and 
personnel restrictions described in subsection (c), the 
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Chief Executive Officer of the United States International 
Communications Agency shall have the discretion to deter-
mine the distribution of all personnel within the Agency, 
subject to the approval of the Board of the Agency. 
(b) LIMITATION ON COMPENSATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—No employee of the United 
States International Communications Agency, other 
than the Chief Executive Officer or Director of the 
Voice of America, shall be eligible to receive com-
pensation at a rate in excess of step 10 of GS–15 
of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 
5, United States Code. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—The limitation described in 
paragraph (1) does not apply in the case of members 
of the Board in accordance with section 102(d). 
(c) PROHIBITION
ON
CERTAIN
NEW
EMPLOY-
MENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this Act and ending on the date that 
is five years after such date, the United States 
International Communications Agency may not fill 
any currently unfilled full-time or part-time position 
compensated at an annual rate of basic pay for 
grade GS–14 or GS–15 of the General Schedule 
under section 5332 of title 5, United States Code, 
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including any currently filled position in which the 
incumbent resigns, retires, or otherwise leaves such 
position during the such five-year period. 
(2) WAIVER.—The Chief Executive Officer of 
the United States International Communications 
Agency may waive the prohibition specified in para-
graph (1) if the position is determined essential to 
the functioning of the Agency and documented as 
such in the report required under section 112(a), or 
necessary for the acquisition of skills or knowledge 
not sufficiently represented in the current workforce 
of the Agency. The Chief Executive Officer of the 
Agency shall consult with the appropriate congres-
sional committees before issuing a waiver under this 
paragraph. 
SEC. 112. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS OF THE UNITED 
STATES INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 
AGENCY. 
(a) REORGANIZATION REPORT.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief 
Executive Officer of the United States International Com-
munications Agency shall submit to the appropriate Con-
gressional committees a report that includes the following: 
(1) A plan to assess and provide recommenda-
tions on the appropriate size and necessity of all 
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current offices and positions (also referred to as a 
‘‘staffing pattern’’) within the Agency, including full- 
time employee positions rated at the Senior Execu-
tive Service (SES) level or at GS–14 or GS–15 on 
the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, 
United States Code. Such plan shall include a de-
tailed organizational structure that delineates lines 
of authority and reporting between junior staff, 
management, and leadership. 
(2) Details of how the structure and alignment 
of resources supports the fulfillment of the Agency’s 
mission and standards and principles as described in 
sections 5 and 122. 
(3) A plan for developing a platform to share 
all programming content between the United States 
International Communications Agency and the Free-
dom News Network, including making available for 
distribution all programming content licensed or pro-
duced by the Agency and the Freedom News Net-
work, and expanding the functionality of the plat-
forms already in existence, such as the web content 
management system ‘‘Pangea’’. 
(b) CONTRACTING REPORT.—The Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States International Communica-
tions Agency shall annually submit to the appropriate con-
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gressional committees a report on the Agency’s compliance 
with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (the ‘‘FAR’’) and 
the Anti-Deficiency Act, including a review of contracts 
awarded on a non-competitive basis, compliance with the 
FAR requirement for publicizing contract actions, the use 
of any personal service contracts without explicit statutory 
authority, and processes for contract oversight in compli-
ance with the FAR. 
(c) LISTENERSHIP REPORT.—The Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States International Communica-
tions Agency shall annually submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a report that details the trans-
mission capacities, market penetration, and audience 
listenership of all mediums of international communication 
deployed by the United States International Communica-
tions Agency, including a plan for how target audiences 
can be reached if the first medium of delivery is unavail-
able. 
(d) GAO REPORT.—Every five years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 
the United States shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a report that reviews the effectiveness 
of content sharing between the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency and the Freedom News 
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Network and makes recommendations on how content 
sharing can be improved. 
Subtitle B—The Voice of America 
SEC. 121. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the Voice of America has been an indispen-
sable element of United States foreign policy and 
public diplomacy efforts since 1942, and should re-
main the flagship brand of the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency; 
(2) the Voice of America has been a reliable 
source of accurate, objective, and comprehensive 
news and related programming and content for the 
millions of people around the world who cannot ob-
tain such news and related programming and con-
tent from indigenous media outlets; 
(3) the Voice of America’s success over more 
than seven decades has created valuable brand iden-
tity and international recognition that justifies the 
maintenance of the Voice of America; 
(4) the Voice of America’s public diplomacy 
mission remains essential to broader United States 
Government efforts to communicate with foreign 
populations; and 
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(5) despite its tremendous historical success, 
the Voice of America would benefit substantially 
from a recalibration of Federal international broad-
casting agencies and resources, which would provide 
the Voice of America with greater mission focus and 
flexibility in the deployment of news, programming, 
and content. 
SEC. 122. PRINCIPLES OF THE VOICE OF AMERICA. 
The Voice of America shall adhere to the following 
principles in the course of fulfilling its duties and respon-
sibilities: 
(1) Serving as a consistently reliable and au-
thoritative source of news on the United States, its 
policies, its people, and the international develop-
ments that affect the United States. 
(2) Providing accurate, objective, and com-
prehensive information, with the understanding that 
these three values provide credibility among global 
news audiences. 
(3) Presenting the official policies of the United 
States, and related discussions and opinions about 
those policies, clearly and effectively. 
(4) Representing the whole of the United 
States, and shall accordingly work to produce pro-
gramming and content that presents a balanced and 
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comprehensive projection of the diversity of thought 
and institutions of the United States. 
SEC. 123. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE VOICE OF 
AMERICA. 
The Voice of America shall have the following duties 
and responsibilities: 
(1) Producing accurate, objective, and com-
prehensive news and related programming that is 
consistent with and promotes the broad foreign poli-
cies of the United States. 
(2) Producing news and related programming 
and content that accurately represents the diversity 
of thoughts and institutions of the United States as 
a whole. 
(3) Presenting the law and policies of the 
United States clearly and effectively. 
(4) Promoting the civil and responsible ex-
change of information and differences of opinion re-
garding policies, issues, and current events. 
(5) Making all of its produced news and related 
programming and content available to the Freedom 
News Network for use and distribution. 
(6) Producing or otherwise allowing editorials, 
commentary, and programming, in consultation with 
the Department of State, that present the official 
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views of the United States Government and its offi-
cials. 
(7) Maximizing foreign national information ac-
cess through both the use of existing broadcasting 
tools and resources and the development and dis-
semination of circumvention technology. 
(8) Providing training and technical support for 
independent indigenous media and journalist enter-
prises in order to facilitate or enhance independent 
media environments and outlets abroad. 
(9) Reaching identified foreign audiences in 
local languages and dialects when possible. 
(10) Being capable of providing a broadcasting 
surge capacity under circumstances where overseas 
disasters, crises, or other events require increased or 
heightened international public diplomacy engage-
ment. 
SEC. 124. LIMITATION ON VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS, PRO-
GRAMMING, AND CONTENT; TEMPORARY EX-
CEPTION FOR SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA; EXCEP-
TION FOR BROADCASTING TO CUBA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsections 
(b) and (c), the Voice of America shall be limited to pro-
viding reporting in accordance with its public diplomacy 
mandate on United States and international news and in-
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formation, and producing related original programming 
and content, including coverage of United States foreign 
policy, international organizations, and international eco-
nomic developments. 
(b) TEMPORARY EXCEPTION FOR SUB-SAHARAN AF-
RICA.—The Voice of America may provide original report-
ing on regional and local developments in sub-Saharan Af-
rica in accordance with the mission of the Freedom News 
Network specified in section 212 until such time as the 
Freedom News Network begins broadcasts to sub-Saharan 
Africa at which time the Voice of America shall revert 
back to the principles specified in section 122. 
(c) EXCEPTION
FOR BROADCASTING
TO CUBA.— 
Radio Marti and Television Marti, which constitute the 
Office of Cuba Broadcasting, shall continue programming 
and content production consistent with the mission and 
activities as described in the Radio Broadcasting to Cuba 
Act (Public Law 98–111) and the Television Broadcasting 
to Cuba Act (Public Law 101–246), and continue existing 
within the Voice of America of the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency. 
SEC. 125. DIRECTOR OF VOICE OF AMERICA. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be a Director of 
the Voice of America, who shall be responsible for exe-
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(5) Oversee the daily operations of the Voice of 
America, including programming content. 
(c) APPOINTMENT AND QUALIFICATIONS OF DIREC-
TOR.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The position of Director of 
the Voice of America shall be filled by a person who 
shall serve at the pleasure of the Chief Executive Of-
ficer of the United States International Communica-
tions Agency. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to be ap-
pointed Director of the Voice of America, a person 
shall have at least two of the following qualifications: 
(A) Prior, extensive experience managing 
or operating a private-sector media or journalist 
enterprise. 
(B) Prior, extensive experience managing 
or operating a large organization. 
(C) Prior, extensive experience engaged in 
mass media or journalist program development, 
including the development of circumvention 
technologies. 
(D) Prior, extensive experience engaged in 
international journalism or other related activi-
ties, including the training of international jour-
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nalists and the promotion of democratic institu-
tional reforms abroad. 
(3) COMPENSATION.—Any Director who is 
hired after the date of the enactment of this Act 
shall be entitled to receive compensation at a rate 
equal to the annual rate of basic pay for level III of 
the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 
5, United States Code. 
Subtitle C—General Provisions 
SEC. 131. FEDERAL AGENCY COORDINATION IN SUPPORT 
OF UNITED STATES PUBLIC DIPLOMACY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Board of the United States 
International Communications Agency and the Freedom 
News Network shall conduct periodic, unclassified con-
sultations with the Department of State, the United 
States Agency for International Development, the Depart-
ment of Defense, and the Office of the Director of Na-
tional Intelligence, for the purpose of assessing the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Progress toward democratization, the devel-
opment of free and independent media outlets, and 
the free flow of information in countries that receive 
programming and content from the United States 
International Communications Agency and the Free-
dom News Network. 
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(2) Foreign languages that have increased or 
decreased in strategic importance, and the factors 
supporting such assessments. 
(3) Any other international developments, in-
cluding developments with regional or country-spe-
cific significance, that might be of value in assisting 
the United States International Communications 
Agency and the Freedom News Network in the de-
velopment of their programming and content. 
(b) GUIDANCE.—The Board of the United States 
International Communications Agency shall use the un-
classified consultations required under subsection (a) as 
guidance for its distribution and calibration of Federal re-
sources in support of United States public diplomacy. 
SEC. 132. FEDERAL AGENCY ASSISTANCE AND COORDINA-
TION WITH THE UNITED STATES INTER-
NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AGENCY AND 
THE 
FREEDOM 
NEWS 
NETWORK 
DURING 
INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST SURGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to a formal request from 
the Chair of the Board of the United States International 
Communications Agency, Federal agency heads shall as-
sist and coordinate with the Agency to facilitate a tem-
porary broadcasting surge or enhance transmission capac-
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ity for such a temporary broadcasting surge for the Agen-
cy, the Freedom News Network, or both. 
(b) ACTIONS.—In accordance with subsection (a), 
Federal agency heads shall assist or coordinate with the 
United States International Communications Agency by— 
(1) supplying or facilitating access to, or use 
of— 
(A) 
United 
States 
Government-owned 
transmission capacity, including the use of 
transmission facilities, equipment, resources, 
and personnel; and 
(B) other non-transmission-related United 
States Government-owned facilities, equipment, 
resources, and personnel; 
(2) communicating and coordinating with for-
eign host governments on behalf of, or in conjunc-
tion with, the Agency or the Freedom News Net-
work; 
(3) providing, or assisting in the obtaining of, 
in-country security services for the safety and pro-
tection of Agency or Freedom News Network per-
sonnel; and 
(4) providing or facilitating access to any other 
United States Government-owned resources. 
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(c) PROHIBITION.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, neither Federal agency heads nor their agen-
cies shall receive any reimbursement or compensatory ap-
propriations for complying with implementing this section. 
SEC. 133. FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK RIGHT OF FIRST RE-
FUSAL IN INSTANCES OF FEDERAL DISPOSAL 
OF 
RADIO 
OR 
TELEVISION 
BROADCAST 
TRANSMISSION FACILITIES OR EQUIPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, it shall be the policy of the United States 
International Communications Agency to, in the event it 
intends to dispose of any radio or television broadcast 
transmission facilities or equipment, provide the Freedom 
News Network with the right of first refusal with respect 
to the acquisition of such facilities and equipment. 
(b) TRANSFER AND DISPOSAL.—Pursuant to sub-
section (a)— 
(1) in the event the Freedom News Network is 
willing to accept the facilities and equipment re-
ferred to in such subsection, the United States 
International Communications Agency shall transfer 
to the Freedom News Network such facilities and 
equipment at no cost to the Freedom News Net-
work; or 
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(2) in the event the Freedom News Network 
opts to not accept such facilities and equipment, the 
United States International Communications Agency 
may sell such facilities and equipment at market 
price, and retain any revenue from such sales. 
(c) RULES REGARDING CERTAIN FUNDS.—Pursuant 
to subsections (b) and (c), any revenues that the United 
States International Communications Agency shall derive 
from such sales— 
(1) shall not negatively impact subsequent ap-
propriations to the Agency; and 
(2) shall be used entirely for the purposes or re-
search, development, and deployment of innovative 
broadcasting or circumvention technology. 
SEC. 134. REPEAL OF THE UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL 
BROADCASTING ACT OF 1994. 
The United States International Broadcasting Act of 
1994 (22 U.S.C. 6201 et seq.; title III of Public Law 103– 
236) is repealed. 
SEC. 135. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This title shall take effect on the date that is 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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TITLE II—THE FREEDOM NEWS 
NETWORK 
SEC. 201. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that RFE/RL, Incor-
porated, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broad-
casting Network share a common mission with distinct ge-
ographic foci, and should therefore be merged into a single 
organization, with distinct marketing brands to provide 
the news and related programming and content in coun-
tries where free media are not established. 
Subtitle A—Consolidation of 
Existing Grantee Organizations 
SEC. 211. FORMATION OF THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK 
FROM EXISTING GRANTEES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—When the conditions specified in 
section 110 are satisfied, the Freedom News Network, 
comprised of the consolidation of RFE/RL Incorporated, 
Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Net-
work, shall exist to carry out all international broadcasting 
activities supported by the United States Government, in 
accordance with sections 212 and 213. 
(b) MAINTENANCE OF THE EXISTING INDIVIDUAL 
GRANTEE BRANDS.—RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free 
Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network shall re-
main brand names under which news and related pro-
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gramming and content may be disseminated by the Free-
dom News Network. Additional brands may be created as 
necessary. 
SEC. 212. MISSION OF THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK. 
The Freedom News Network established under sec-
tion 211 shall— 
(1) provide uncensored local and regional news 
and analysis to people in societies where a robust, 
indigenous, independent, and free media does not 
exist; 
(2) strengthen civil societies by projecting 
democratic values and promoting equality and the 
rights of the individual; 
(3) help countries improve their indigenous ca-
pacity to enhance media professionalism and inde-
pendence, and develop partnerships with local media 
outlets, as appropriate; and 
(4) promote access to uncensored sources of in-
formation, especially via the internet, and use all ef-
fective and efficient mediums of communication to 
reach target audiences. 
SEC. 213. STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES OF THE FREEDOM 
NEWS NETWORK. 
The broadcasting of the Freedom News Network 
shall— 
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(1) be consistent with the broad foreign policy 
objectives of the United States; 
(2) be consistent with the international tele-
communications policies and treaty obligations of the 
United States; 
(3) be conducted in accordance with the highest 
professional standards of broadcast journalism; 
(4) be based on reliable information about its 
potential audience; 
(5) be designed so as to effectively reach a sig-
nificant audience; and 
(6) prioritize programming to populations in 
countries without independent indigenous media out-
lets. 
Subtitle B—Organization of the 
Freedom News Network 
SEC. 221. GOVERNANCE OF THE FREEDOM NEWS NET-
WORK. 
(a) BOARD OF THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK.— 
A board shall oversee the Freedom News Network and 
consist of nine individuals with a demonstrated back-
ground in media or the promotion of democracy and expe-
rience in measuring media impact. 
(b) COMPOSITION OF FIRST BOARD OF THE FREE-
DOM NEWS NETWORK.—Not later than 90 days after the 
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date of the enactment of this Act, the Chairs and Ranking 
Members of the appropriate congressional committees 
shall identify and appoint candidates for the first board 
of the Freedom News Network, direct the appointment of 
board members, and select the first chair of the board of 
the Freedom News Network as follows: 
(1) Two individuals shall be appointed by the 
Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives. 
(2) Two individuals shall be appointed by the 
Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives. 
(3) Two individuals shall be appointed by the 
Chair of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate. 
(4) Two individuals shall be appointed by the 
Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions of the Senate. 
(5) One individual shall be appointed by con-
sensus of the Chairs and Ranking Members of the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions of the Senate. 
(c) OPERATIONS
OF
THE FIRST BOARD
OF
THE 
FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The board members of the 
first board of the Freedom News Network shall de-
termine the bylaws, select the Chief Executive Offi-
cer of the Freedom News Network, and file articles 
of incorporation under the corporate name ‘‘Free-
dom News Network’’. The first board of the Free-
dom News Network may change the organization’s 
name in accordance with such bylaws. 
(2) TERM LIMITS.—The board members of the 
first board of the Freedom News Network may not 
serve more than a three-year term, and shall be re-
placed in accordance with the bylaws referred to in 
paragraph (1) and the succession process described 
in paragraph (3). 
(3) SUCCESSION
OF
BOARD
MEMBERS.—The 
board members of the first board of the Freedom 
News Network and all subsequent boards shall fill 
vacancies on the board due to death, resignation, re-
moval, or term expiration through an election proc-
ess described in the bylaws referred to in paragraph 
(1) and in accordance with the principle of a ‘‘self- 
replenishing’’ body. 
(d) COMPENSATION OF BOARD AND OFFICERS OF 
THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK.—Members of the board 
of the Freedom News Network may not receive any fee, 
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salary, or remuneration of any kind for their service as 
members, except that such members may be reimbursed 
for reasonable expenses, such as board-related travel, in-
curred with approval of the board upon presentation of 
vouchers. No officers of the Freedom News Network, other 
than the Chief Executive Officer, shall be eligible to re-
ceive compensation at a rate in excess of the annual rate 
of basic pay for level II on the Executive Schedule under 
section 5315 of title 5, United States Code. 
(e) ABOLISHMENT
OF
EXISTING
BOARDS.—The 
boards of directors of RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free 
Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Network in exist-
ence on the day before the date of the enactment of this 
Act shall be abolished on the date of the first official meet-
ing of the first board of the Freedom News Network. 
(f) CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.—The Chief Execu-
tive Officer of the Freedom News Network shall serve at 
the pleasure of the board of the Freedom News Network, 
and be responsible for the day-to-day management and op-
erations of the Freedom News Network, including the se-
lection of individuals for management positions. The board 
of the Freedom News Network may add to the duties and 
responsibilities of the Chief Executive Officer as the board 
determines appropriate, and such additional duties and re-
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sponsibilities shall be codified in the bylaws of the Free-
dom News Network. 
(g) PLAN FOR CONSOLIDATION OF EXISTING INDI-
VIDUAL GRANTEES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the first official meeting of the first 
board of the Freedom News Network, the chair of 
the board of the Freedom News Network shall sub-
mit a report to, and consult with, the appropriate 
congressional committees on the plan to consolidate 
RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free Asia, and the 
Middle East Broadcasting Network into a single 
non-Federal grantee organization. 
(2) COMPONENTS.—The consolidation plan re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) shall include the following 
components: 
(A) The location and distribution of em-
ployees, including administrative, managerial, 
and technical staff, of the Freedom News Net-
work that will be located within and outside the 
metropolitan area of Washington, DC. 
(B) An organizational chart identifying the 
managerial and supervisory lines of authority 
among all employees of the Freedom News Net-
work. 
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(3) TIME
FOR
IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later 
than three years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the chair of the board of the Freedom 
News Network shall fully implement the consolida-
tion plan referred to in paragraph (1) after consulta-
tion with the appropriate congressional committees. 
(4) REPORT.—Not later than five years after 
the date on which initial funding is provided for the 
purpose of operating the Freedom News Network, 
the chair of the board of the Freedom News Net-
work shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report that details the following: 
(A) Whether the Freedom News Network 
is technically sound and cost-effective. 
(B) Whether the Freedom News Network 
consistently meets the standards for quality and 
impact established by this title. 
(C) Whether the Freedom News Network 
is receiving a sufficient audience to warrant its 
continued operation. 
(D) The extent to which the Freedom 
News Network’s programming and content is 
already being received by the target audience 
from other credible indigenous or external 
sources. 
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(E) The extent to which the foreign policy 
and national security interests of the United 
States are being served by maintaining oper-
ations of the Freedom News Network. 
SEC. 222. BUDGET OF THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The annual budget of the Free-
dom News Network shall consist of the following: 
(1) A grant described in section 110, consisting 
of the total grants to RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio 
Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Net-
work before the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) Any grants or transfers from other Federal 
agencies. 
(3) Other funds described in subsection (b). 
(b) OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING.—The Freedom 
News Network may, to the extent authorized by its board 
and in accordance with applicable laws and the mission 
of the Freedom News Network under section 212 and eli-
gible broadcast areas under section 6, collect and utilize 
non-Federal funds, except that the Freedom News Net-
work may not accept funds from the following: 
(1) Any foreign governments or foreign govern-
ment officials. 
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(2) Any agents, representatives, or surrogates 
of any foreign government or foreign government of-
ficial. 
(3) Any foreign-owned corporations or any sub-
sidiaries of any foreign-owned corporation, regard-
less of whether such subsidiary is foreign-owned. 
(4) Any foreign national or individual who is 
not either a citizen or a legal permanent resident of 
the United States. 
(c) ANNUAL STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE FREEDOM 
NEWS NETWORK.—The Freedom News Network shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees and 
the United States International Communications Agency 
an annual strategic plan to satisfy the requirements speci-
fied in section 110. Each such strategic plan shall outline 
the following: 
(1) The strategic goals and objectives of the 
Freedom News Network for the upcoming fiscal 
year. 
(2) The alignment of the Freedom News Net-
work’s resources with the strategic goals and objec-
tives referred to in subparagraph (A). 
(3) Clear benchmarks that establish the 
progress made towards achieving the strategic goals 
and objectives referred to in subparagraph (A). 
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(4) A plan to monitor and evaluate the success 
of the Freedom News Network’s broadcasting ef-
forts. 
(5) A reflective analysis on the activities on the 
past fiscal year. 
(6) Any changes to facility leases, contracts, or 
ownership that would result in the relocation of staff 
or personnel. 
(d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that administrative and managerial costs for oper-
ation of the Freedom News Network should be kept to 
a minimum and, to the maximum extent feasible, should 
not exceed the costs that would have been incurred if 
RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle 
East Broadcasting Network had been operated as inde-
pendent grantees or as a Federal entity within the Voice 
of America. 
SEC. 223. ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGEN-
CIES. 
(a) SURPLUS PROPERTIES.—In order to assist the 
Freedom News Network in carrying out the provisions of 
this title, any agency or instrumentality of the United 
States may sell, loan, lease, or grant property (including 
interests therein) to the Freedom News Network as nec-
essary. 
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