I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3695 
To establish the China Censorship Monitor and Action Group, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2021 
Mr. CASTRO of Texas (for himself and Mr. MEIJER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To establish the China Censorship Monitor and Action 
Group, 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. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of 
the Senate; and 
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(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
(2) QUALIFIED RESEARCH ENTITY.—The term 
‘‘qualified research entity’’ means an entity that— 
(A) is a nonpartisan research organization 
or a federally funded research and development 
center; 
(B) has appropriate expertise and analyt-
ical capability to write the report required 
under section 3; and 
(C) is free from any financial, commercial, 
or other entanglements, which could undermine 
the independence of such report or create a 
conflict of interest or the appearance of a con-
flict of interest, with— 
(i) the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China; 
(ii) the Chinese Communist Party; 
(iii) any company incorporated in the 
People’s Republic of China or a subsidiary 
of such company; or 
(iv) any company or entity incor-
porated outside of the People’s Republic of 
China that is believed to have a substantial 
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financial or commercial interest in the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China. 
(3) 
UNITED
STATES
PERSON.—The 
term 
‘‘United States person’’ means— 
(A) a United States citizen or an alien law-
fully admitted for permanent residence to the 
United States; or 
(B) an entity organized under the laws of 
the United States or any jurisdiction within the 
United States, including a foreign branch of 
such an entity. 
SEC. 2. CHINA CENSORSHIP MONITOR AND ACTION GROUP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish an 
interagency task force, which shall be known as the 
‘‘China Censorship Monitor and Action Group’’ (referred 
to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The President shall— 
(1) appoint the chair of the Task Force from 
among the staff of the National Security Council; 
(2) appoint the vice chair of the Task Force 
from among the staff of the National Economic 
Council; and 
(3) direct the head of each of the following ex-
ecutive branch agencies to appoint personnel to par-
ticipate in the Task Force: 
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(A) The Department of State. 
(B) The Department of Commerce. 
(C) The Department of the Treasury. 
(D) The Department of Justice. 
(E) The Office of the United States Trade 
Representative. 
(F) The Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence, and other appropriate elements of 
the intelligence community (as defined in sec-
tion 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 
U.S.C. 3003)). 
(G) The Federal Communications Commis-
sion. 
(H) The United States Agency for Global 
Media. 
(I) Other agencies designated by the Presi-
dent. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Task Force shall— 
(1) oversee the development and execution of an 
integrated Federal Government strategy to monitor 
and address the impacts of efforts directed, or di-
rectly supported, by the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China to censor or intimidate, in the 
United States or in any of its possessions or terri-
tories, any United States person, including United 
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States companies that conduct business in the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China, which are exercising their 
right to freedom of speech; and 
(2) submit the strategy developed pursuant to 
paragraph (1) to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
(d) MEETINGS.—The Task Force shall meet not less 
frequently than twice per year. 
(e) CONSULTATIONS.—The Task Force should regu-
larly consult, to the extent necessary and appropriate, 
with— 
(1) Federal agencies that are not represented 
on the Task Force; 
(2) independent agencies of the United States 
Government that are not represented on the Task 
Force; 
(3) relevant stakeholders in the private sector 
and the media; and 
(4) relevant stakeholders among United States 
allies and partners facing similar challenges related 
to censorship or intimidation by the Government of 
the People’s Republic of China. 
(f) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
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(1) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Task Force shall 
submit an annual report to the appropriate congres-
sional committees that describes, with respect to the 
reporting period— 
(A) the strategic objectives and policies 
pursued by the Task Force to address the chal-
lenges of censorship and intimidation of United 
States persons while in the United States or 
any of its possessions or territories, which is di-
rected or directly supported by the Government 
of the People’s Republic of China; 
(B) the activities conducted by the Task 
Force in support of the strategic objectives and 
policies referred to in subparagraph (A); and 
(C) the results of the activities referred to 
in subparagraph (B) and the impact of such ac-
tivities on the national interests of the United 
States. 
(2) FORM OF REPORT.—Each report submitted 
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be unclassified, but 
may include a classified annex. 
(3) CONGRESSIONAL
BRIEFINGS.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, and annually thereafter, the Task Force shall 
provide briefings to the appropriate congressional 
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committees regarding the activities of the Task 
Force to execute the strategy developed pursuant to 
subsection (c)(1). 
SEC. 3. REPORT ON CENSORSHIP AND INTIMIDATION OF 
UNITED STATES PERSONS BY THE GOVERN-
MENT 
OF 
THE 
PEOPLE’S 
REPUBLIC 
OF 
CHINA. 
(a) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State shall select and seek to enter into an agree-
ment with a qualified research entity that is inde-
pendent of the Department of State to write a re-
port on censorship and intimidation in the United 
States and its possessions and territories of United 
States persons, including United States companies 
that conduct business in the People’s Republic of 
China, which is directed or directly supported by the 
Government of the People’s Republic of China. 
(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report 
required under paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) assess major trends, patterns, and 
methods of the Government of the People’s Re-
public of China’s efforts to direct or directly 
support censorship and intimidation of United 
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States persons, including United States compa-
nies that conduct business in the People’s Re-
public of China, which are exercising their right 
to freedom of speech; 
(B) assess, including through the use of il-
lustrative examples, as appropriate, the impact 
on and consequences for United States persons, 
including United States companies that conduct 
business in the People’s Republic of China, that 
criticize— 
(i) the Chinese Communist Party; 
(ii) the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China; 
(iii) the authoritarian model of gov-
ernment of the People’s Republic of China; 
or 
(iv) a particular policy advanced by 
the Chinese Communist Party or the Gov-
ernment of the People’s Republic of China; 
(C) identify the implications for the United 
States of the matters described in subpara-
graphs (A) and (B); 
(D) include best practices for industries in 
which freedom of expression issues are particu-
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larly acute, including the media and film indus-
tries; 
(E) include policy recommendations for the 
United States Government, including rec-
ommendations regarding collaboration with 
United States allies and partners, to address 
censorship and intimidation by the Government 
of the People’s Republic of China; and 
(F) include policy recommendations for 
United States persons, including United States 
companies that conduct business in China, to 
address censorship and intimidation by the Gov-
ernment of the People’s Republic of China. 
(3) APPLICABILITY TO UNITED STATES ALLIES 
AND PARTNERS.—To the extent practicable, the re-
port required under paragraph (1) should identify 
implications and policy recommendations that are 
relevant to United States allies and partners facing 
censorship and intimidation directed or directly sup-
ported by the Government of the People’s Republic 
of China. 
(b) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of State shall submit the report written by the quali-
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fied research entity selected pursuant to subsection 
(a)(1) to the appropriate congressional committees. 
(2) PUBLICATION.—The report referred to in 
paragraph (1) shall be made accessible to the public 
online through relevant United States Government 
websites. 
(c) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT.—The Sec-
retary of State and other Federal agencies selected by the 
President shall provide the qualified research entity se-
lected pursuant to subsection (a)(1) with timely access to 
appropriate information, data, resources, and analyses 
necessary for such entity to write the report described in 
subsection (a) in a thorough and independent manner. 
SEC. 4. SUNSET. 
This Act shall terminate on the date that is 5 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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