SCREEN Act
Bill: H.R.6855 | Sponsor: Rep. Green, Mark E. (R-TN)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Stopping Communist Regimes from Engaging in Edits Now Act or the SCREEN Act
The bill limits the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State from providing technical support or access to DOD/State facilities or assets to U.S. firms producing or funding films. The limitation does not apply if the firm enters into a written agreement with DOD or State not to alter the content of the film in response to, or in anticipation of, a request from China or the Chinese Communist Party. The bill also prohibits U.S. government agencies from providing technical support or access to U.S. firms producing or funding films if the film is co-produced by an entity subject to Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party conditions on content.

To limit the use of funds for the production of films using assets of 
  the Department of State or the Department of Defense under certain 
                 circumstances, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stopping Communist Regimes from 
Engaging in Edits Now Act'' or the ``SCREEN Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR PRODUCTION OF FILMS AND 
              PROHIBITION ON USE OF SUCH FUNDS FOR FILMS SUBJECT TO 
              CONDITIONS ON CONTENT OR ALTERED FOR SCREENING IN THE 
              PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR AT THE REQUEST OF THE 
              CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.

    (a) Limitation on Use of Funds.--The Secretary of State and the 
Secretary of Defense may only authorize the provision of technical 
support or access to an asset controlled by or related to the 
Department of State or the Department of Defense, respectively, to 
enter into a contract relating to the production or funding of a film 
by a United States company if the United States company, as a condition 
of receiving the support or access--
            (1) provides to the applicable Secretary a list of all 
        films produced or funded by that company the content of which 
        has been submitted, during the shorter of the preceding 10-year 
        period or the period beginning on the date of the enactment of 
        this Act, to an official of the Government of the People's 
        Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for 
        evaluation with respect to screening the film in the People's 
        Republic of China (PRC);
            (2) includes, with respect to each such film--
                    (A) the title of the film; and
                    (B) the date on which such submission occurred;
            (3) enters into a written agreement with the applicable 
        Secretary not to alter the content of the film in response to, 
        or in anticipation of, a request by an official of the 
        Government of the PRC or the CCP; and
            (4) submits such agreement to the applicable Secretary.
    (b) Prohibition With Respect to Films Subject to Conditions on 
Content or Altered for Screening in the People's Republic of China.--
Notwithstanding subsection (a), the President may not authorize the 
provision of technical support or access to any asset controlled by the 
Federal Government for, or authorize the head of a Federal agency to 
enter into any contract relating to, the production or funding of a 
film by a United States company if--
            (1) the film is co-produced by an entity located in the PRC 
        that is subject to conditions on content imposed by an official 
        of the Government of the PRC or the CCP; or
            (2) with respect to the most recent report submitted under 
        subsection (c), the United States company is listed in the 
        report pursuant to subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (2) of 
        that subsection.
    (c) Report to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
        Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall each 
        submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on 
        films disclosed under subsection (a) that are associated with a 
        United States company that has received technical support or 
        access to an asset controlled by the Department of State or the 
        Department of Defense, respectively, for, or has entered into a 
        contract with the Federal Government relating to, the 
        production or funding of a film.
            (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) A description of each film listed pursuant to 
                the requirement under subsection (a)(1), the content of 
                which was submitted, during the shorter of the 
                preceding 10-year period or the period beginning on the 
                date of the enactment of this Act, by a United States 
                company to an official of the Government of the PRC or 
                the CCP for evaluation with respect to screening the 
                film in the PRC, including--
                            (i) the United States company that 
                        submitted the contents of the film;
                            (ii) the title of the film; and
                            (iii) the date on which such submission 
                        occurred.
                    (B) A description of each film with respect to 
                which a United States company entered into a written 
                agreement with the Department of State or the 
                Department of Defense, as applicable, providing the 
                support or access, as applicable, pursuant to the 
                requirement under subsection (a)(2) not to alter the 
                content of the film in response to, or in anticipation 
                of, a request by an official of the Government of the 
                PRC or the CCP, during the shorter of the preceding 10-
                year period or the period beginning on the date of the 
                enactment of this Act, including--
                            (i) the United States company that entered 
                        into the agreement; and
                            (ii) the title of the film.
                    (C) The title of any film described pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A), and the corresponding United States 
                company described pursuant to clause (i) of that 
                subparagraph--
                            (i) that was submitted to an official of 
                        the Government of the PRC or the CCP during the 
                        preceding 3-year period; and
                            (ii) for which the applicable Secretary 
                        assesses that the content was altered in 
                        response to, or in anticipation of, a request 
                        by an official of the Government of the PRC or 
                        the CCP.
                    (D) The title of any film that is described in both 
                subparagraph (A) and subparagraph (B), and the 
                corresponding one or more United States companies 
                described in clause (i) of each such subparagraph--
                            (i) that was submitted to an official of 
                        the Government of the PRC or the CCP during the 
                        preceding 10-year period; and
                            (ii) for which the applicable Secretary 
                        assesses that the content was altered in 
                        response to, or in anticipation of, a request 
                        by an official of the Government of the PRC or 
                        the CCP.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Content.--The term ``content'' means any description of 
        a film, including the script.
            (3) United states company.--The term ``United States 
        company'' means a private entity incorporated under the laws of 
        the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States.
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