(2) and in accordance with the principle of a ‘‘self- 
replenishing’’ body. 
(6) SELECTION
OF
BOARD
MEMBERS.—The 
board members of the Freedom News Network may 
not be current employees or officers of RFE/RL In-
corporated, Radio Free Asia, the Middle East 
Broadcasting Networks, or the United States Inter-
national Communications Agency. 
(e) COMPENSATION OF BOARD AND OFFICERS OF 
THE FREEDOM NEWS NETWORK.—Members of the board 
of the Freedom News Network may not receive any fee, 
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. 
(f) ABOLISHMENT
OF
EXISTING
BOARDS.—The 
boards of directors of RFE/RL, Incorporated, Radio Free 
Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Incor-
porated in existence on the day before the date of the en-
actment of this Act shall be abolished on the date of the
first official meeting of the first board of the Freedom 
News Network. 
(g) 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, ensuring 
compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, laws, and 
circulars, providing strategic vision for the execution of its 
mission as specified in section 212, and carrying out such 
other responsibilities as set forth in the laws of the State 
of its incorporation. 
(h) 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 Networks, Incorporated 
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, D.C. 
(B) An organizational chart identifying the 
managerial and supervisory lines of authority 
among all employees of the Freedom News Net-
work, including the members of the board and 
chair. 
(3) TIME
FOR
IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later 
than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the chair of the board of the Freedom News 
Network shall fully implement the consolidation plan 
referred to in paragraph (1) after consultation with 
the appropriate congressional committees. 
(4) REPORT.—Not later than 5 years after the 
date on which initial funding is provided for the pur-
pose of operating the Freedom News Network, the 
chair of the board of the Freedom News Network 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees 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. 
(E) The extent to which the broad foreign 
policy and national security interests of the 
United States are being served by maintaining 
operations 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-
works, Incorporated before the date of the enact-
ment 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. 
(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 United States- 
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 paragraph (1). 
(3) Clear benchmarks that establish the 
progress made towards achieving the strategic goals 
and objectives referred to in paragraph (1). 
(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 Networks, Incorporated had been oper-
ated as independent 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. 
(b) FACILITIES AND BROADCASTING INFRASTRUC-
TURE.—The United States International Communications 
Agency and the Freedom News Network shall negotiate 
an International Cooperative Administrative Support 
Service (ICASS) agreement or memorandum of under-
standing permitting the continued use of technological in-
frastructure for broadcasting and information dissemina-
tion, except that the Freedom News Network may choose 
to procure such services through negotiated contracts with 
private-sector providers.
SEC. 224. REPORTS BY THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR 
GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; 
AUDITS BY GAO. 
(a) IG REPORTS.—The Inspector General of the De-
partment of State shall, as appropriate, submit to the ap-
propriate congressional committees reports on manage-
ment practices of the Freedom News Network, including 
financial reports on unobligated balances. 
(b) GAO AUDITS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Financial transactions of the 
Freedom News Network, as such relate to functions 
carried out under this Act, may be audited by the 
Government Accountability Office in accordance with 
such principles and procedures and under such rules 
and regulations as may be prescribed by the Comp-
troller General of the United States. Any such audit 
shall be conducted at the place or places where ac-
counts of the Freedom News Network are normally 
kept. 
(2) ACCESS.—Representatives of the Govern-
ment Accountability Office shall have access to all 
books, accounts, records, reports, files, papers, and 
property belonging to or in use by the Freedom 
News Network pertaining to the financial trans-
actions referred to in paragraph (1) and necessary 
to facilitate an audit in accordance with such para-
graph. All such books, accounts, records, reports, 
files, papers, and property of the Freedom News 
Network shall remain in the possession and custody 
of the Freedom News Network. 
(c) TRANSFER
OF FUNDS.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, 1 percent of the funds made avail-
able by the United States International Communications 
Agency shall be transferred to the Inspector General of 
the Department of State to cover the expenses of carrying 
out the activities of the Inspector General under this sec-
tion. 
SEC. 225. AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES INFORMA-
TION AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE ACT OF 
1948. 
The United States Information and Educational Ex-
change Act of 1948 is amended— 
(1) in title V (22 U.S.C. 1461 et seq.), by strik-
ing ‘‘Broadcasting Board of Governors’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘United States International Communications 
Agency’’ each place it appears; 
(2) by amending paragraph (1) of section 
501(b) (22 U.S.C. 1461(b)) to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
Secretary and the United States International Com-
munications Agency may, upon request and reim-
bursement of the reasonable costs incurred in ful-
filling such a request, make available, in the United 
States, motion pictures, films, video, audio, and 
other materials disseminated abroad pursuant to 
this Act. Any reimbursement pursuant to this para-
graph shall be credited to the applicable appropria-
tion account of the Department of State or the 
United States International Communications Agen-
cy, as appropriate. The Secretary and the United 
States International Communications Agency shall 
issue necessary regulations.’’; 
(3) by repealing sections 504 and 505 (22 
U.S.C. 1464 and 1464a); 
(4) by redesignating section 506 (22 U.S.C. 
1464b) as section 504; 
(5) in section 504, as so redesignated, in sub-
section (c), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘Board’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘Agency’’; 
(6) in clause (iii) of section 604(d)(1)(A) (22 
U.S.C. 1469(d)(1)(A)), by striking ‘‘Broadcasting 
Board of Governors’’ and inserting ‘‘United States 
International Communications Agency’’; 
(7) in paragraph (3) of section 801 (22 U.S.C. 
1471), by striking ‘‘Director of the United States
Information Agency’’ and inserting ‘‘Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States International Commu-
nications Agency’’; 
(8) in subsection (b) of section 802 (22 U.S.C. 
1472)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘Di-
rector of the United States Information Agen-
cy’’ and inserting ‘‘Chief Executive Officer of 
the United States International Communica-
tions Agency’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking 
‘‘Broadcasting Board of Governors’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘United States International Communica-
tions Agency’’; 
(9) in paragraph (1) of section 804 (22 U.S.C. 
1474), by striking ‘‘Director of the United States 
Information Agency’’ and inserting ‘‘Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States International Commu-
nications Agency’’; 
(10) in section 810(b) (22 U.S.C. 1475e(b))— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘United States Information Agen-
cy’’ and inserting ‘‘United States International 
Communications Agency’’; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘Inter-
national Broadcasting Bureau’’ and inserting 
‘‘United States International Communications 
Agency’’; and 
(11) in subsection (a) of section 1011 (22 
U.S.C. 1442), by striking ‘‘Director of the United 
States Information Agency’’ and inserting ‘‘Chief 
Executive Officer of the United States International 
Communications Agency’’. 
TITLE III—MISCELLANEOUS 
PROVISIONS 
SEC. 301. PRESERVATION OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL 
SECURITY OBJECTIVES. 
The Chief Executive Officer of the United States 
International Communications Agency and the Chief Ex-
ecutive Officer of the Freedom News Network shall each 
establish procedures to vet and monitor employees of each 
such agency for affiliations to terrorist organizations, for-
eign governments, or agents of foreign governments to 
protect against espionage, sabotage, foreign propaganda 
messaging, and other subversive activities that undermine 
United States national security objectives.