I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4886 
To permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2010 
Mr. ROYCE (for himself, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, and Mr. SCHIFF) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, 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. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Radio Free Asia (in this Act referred to as 
‘‘RFA’’)— 
(A) was authorized under section 309 of 
the United States International Broadcasting 
Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6208); 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:32 Mar 19, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4886.IH
H4886
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(B) was incorporated as a private, non-
profit corporation in March 1996 in the hope 
that its operations would soon be obviated by 
the global advancement of democracy; and 
(C) is headquartered in Washington, DC, 
with additional offices in Bangkok, Hong Kong, 
Phnom Penh, Seoul, Ankara, Taipei, and 
Dharamsala. 
(2) RFA acts as a ‘‘surrogate’’ news service, in 
which its broadcasts serve as substitutes for indige-
nous free media in regions lacking free media out-
lets. 
(3) The mission of RFA is ‘‘to provide accurate 
and timely news and information to Asian countries 
whose governments prohibit access to a free press’’ 
in order to enable informed decisionmaking by the 
people within Asia. 
(4) The ‘‘surrogate’’ broadcasting model was 
used effectively in Eastern Europe, helping to in-
spire democrats and create space for civil society. 
(5) RFA provides daily broadcasts of news, 
commentary, analysis, and cultural programming to 
Asian countries in several of the region’s languages. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:32 Mar 19, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4886.IH
H4886
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(6) The governments of the countries targeted 
for these broadcasts have actively sought to block 
RFA’s transmissions. 
(7) RFA has provided continuous online news 
to its Asian audiences since 2004, although some 
countries— 
(A) routinely and aggressively attempt to 
block RFA’s website; 
(B) monitor access to RFA’s website; and 
(C) discourage online users by making it il-
legal to access RFA’s website. 
(8) Despite these attempts, RFA has managed 
to reach its online audiences through proxies, cut-
ting-edge software, and active republication and re-
postings by its audience. 
(9) RFA also provides forums for local opinions 
and experiences through message boards, podcasts, 
web logs (blogs), cell phone-distributed newscasts, 
and new media, including Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, 
and YouTube. 
(10) Freedom House has documented that free-
dom of the press is in decline in nearly every region 
of the world, particularly in Asia, where none of the 
countries served by RFA have increased their free-
dom of the press during the past five years. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:32 Mar 19, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4886.IH
H4886
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(11) Independent media sources are nonexistent 
or severely restrained in their operations in these 
areas where the press often serves as a means to 
promote the government’s agenda. 
(12) Congress currently provides grant funding 
for RFA’s operations on a fiscal year basis. 
(13) RFA’s sunset provision has hampered its 
operations, such as hiring staff and negotiating cost 
effective lease and capital agreements. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) public access to timely, uncensored, and ac-
curate information is imperative for achieving gov-
ernment accountability, the protection of human 
rights, and the promotion of democratic values and 
institutions; 
(2) Radio Free Asia provides a vital and unique 
voice to people in Asia; 
(3) in the 14 years since RFA was established, 
freedom of the press in Asia has come under intensi-
fied attack; 
(4) some of the governments in Asia spend mil-
lions of dollars each year to jam RFA’s broadcasts, 
block its Internet sites, and illegally access RFA’s 
computer networks and user files; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:32 Mar 19, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4886.IH
H4886
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(5) the United States should continue to sup-
port RFA and the other entities overseen by the 
Broadcasting Board of Governors for— 
(A) Internet censorship circumvention; and 
(B) enhancement of their cyber security ef-
forts; and 
(6) permanently authorizing funding for Radio 
Free Asia would— 
(A) reflect the concern that media censor-
ship and press restrictions in the countries 
served by RFA have increased since RFA was 
established; 
(B) send a powerful signal of United 
States support for a free press in Asia and 
throughout the world; and 
(C) enhance the efficiency of RFA’s oper-
ations. 
SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION FOR RADIO FREE 
ASIA. 
Section 309 of the United States International 
Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6208) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘, and shall 
further specify that funds to carry out the activities 
of Radio Free Asia may not be available after Sep-
tember 30, 2010’’; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:32 Mar 19, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4886.IH
H4886
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
(2) by striking subsection (f); and 
(3) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as 
subsection (f) and (g), respectively. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:32 Mar 19, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4886.IH
H4886
smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS