SCRIPT Act
Bill: S.3466 | Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted (R-TX)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Stopping Censorship, Restoring Integrity, and Protecting Talkies Act or the SCRIPT Act
This bill prohibits federal support for a U.S. company that alters political content in its motion pictures (e.g., movies and television shows) in response to or in anticipation of a request from China's government.
Under this bill, political content is content relating to issues considered sensitive by the Chinese Communist Party or China's government, such as Taiwan or the Tiananmen Square massacre.
To be eligible to receive federal support (e.g., a contract for production or access to a federally controlled asset) for a motion picture, a U.S. company must provide to the Department of State a list of motion pictures it has submitted to China's government for approval for dissemination during the reporting period (the previous 10 years or since this bill was enacted, whichever period is shorter). The U.S. company must also agree in writing to not (1) alter political content in its motion picture in response to or in anticipation of a request from China's government, or (2) coproduce the motion picture with an entity located in China that is subject to political content restrictions from China's government.
A U.S. company that has taken such actions during the reporting period shall be prohibited from receiving federal support.

To prohibit the use of Federal funds for the production of programs by 
 United States companies that alter political content for screening in 
        the People's Republic of China, 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 Censorship, Restoring 
Integrity, and Protecting Talkies Act'' or the ``SCRIPT Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives.
            (2) Chinese government official.--The term ``Chinese 
        Government official'' means an official of the Government of 
        the People's Republic of China or of the Chinese Communist 
        Party.
            (3) Description.--The term ``description'' means any 
        description of the elements of a program, including the 
        screenplay or script.
            (4) Political content.--The term ``political content'' 
        means content that is considered sensitive by the Chinese 
        Communist Party or by the Government of the People's Republic 
        of China for political reasons, including issues related to--
                    (A) human rights, freedom of expression, Taiwan, 
                Tibet, Hong Kong, and the Tiananmen Square massacre;
                    (B) the repression of Uyghurs, the Falun Gong, and 
                other religious and spiritual minorities; and
                    (C) the ongoing genocide of the Uyghurs, including 
                through methods of gender-based violence, such as 
                forced abortions, involuntary sterilization, and the 
                involuntary implantation of contraceptives.
            (5) Program.--The term ``program'' has the meaning given 
        the term ``motion pictures'' in section 101 of title 17, United 
        States Code, including works developed for or broadcast, 
        rebroadcast, or otherwise transmitted via--
                    (A) a television station licensed by the Federal 
                Communications Commission;
                    (B) a cable system or satellite carrier;
                    (C) a cable or satellite carrier service; or
                    (D) an on-demand video streaming service.
            (6) Reporting period.--The term ``reporting period'' means 
        the shorter of--
                    (A) the immediately preceding 10-year period; or
                    (B) the period elapsed since the date of the 
                enactment of this Act.
            (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of State.
            (8) United states company.--The term ``United States 
        company'' means a private entity incorporated in the United 
        States.

SEC. 3. CONDITION FOR FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS AND PROHIBITION OF 
              FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS ON 
              CONTENT OR ALTERED FOR SCREENING IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC 
              OF CHINA.

    (a) Condition for Federal Support.--The President may only 
authorize the provision of technical support or access to an asset 
controlled by the Federal Government for, or authorize the head of a 
Federal agency to enter into a contract relating to, the production or 
funding of a program by a United States company if the United States 
company, as a condition of receiving the support or access--
            (1) provides to the Secretary a list of all programs 
        produced or funded by the United States company, the 
        description of which has been submitted, during the reporting 
        period, to a Chinese Government official for evaluation with 
        respect to disseminating the program in the People's Republic 
        of China, including, for each program--
                    (A) the title of the program; and
                    (B) the date on which the submission occurred; and
            (2) enters into a written agreement with the Secretary 
        committing not to--
                    (A) alter the political content of the program in 
                response to, or in anticipation of, a request by a 
                Chinese Government official; or
                    (B) co-produce the program with an entity located 
                in the People's Republic of China that is subject to 
                conditions on political content imposed by a Chinese 
                Government official.
    (b) Prohibition of Federal Support Relating to Programs, the 
Political Content of Which Was Altered for Dissemination 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 program by a United States 
company if, with respect to the most recent report submitted pursuant 
to section 4, the United States company is included on the list 
described in section 4(b)(3).

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS REGARDING PROGRAMS BY UNITED STATES 
              COMPANIES THAT ALTER CONTENT FOR SCREENING IN THE 
              PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding 
the programs disclosed pursuant to section 3.
    (b) Elements.--Each report submitted pursuant to subsection (a) 
shall include--
            (1) a description of each program disclosed pursuant to 
        section 3(a)(1), including--
                    (A) the name of the United States company that 
                produced the program;
                    (B) the title of such program; and
                    (C) the date on which such submission occurred;
            (2) a description of each program subject to a written 
        agreement required under section 3(a)(2), including--
                    (A) the United States company that entered into 
                such agreement;
                    (B) the title of such program; and
                    (C) whether the Secretary determines that the 
                political content was altered in response to, or in 
                anticipation of, a request by a Chinese Government 
                official; and
            (3) a list of United States companies that the Secretary 
        determines--
                    (A) altered the political content of a program 
                referred to in paragraphs (1) or (2); or
                    (B) co-produced a program referred to in paragraph 
                (2) with an entity located in the People's Republic of 
                China that is subject to conditions on content imposed 
                by a Chinese Government official.
                                                       Calendar No. 246

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 3466

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