SCRIPT Act

Bill: 117-s-3466
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
Introduced: 2022-01-10
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2022-01-18
text: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 246.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-01-10
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Stopping Censorship, Restoring Integrity, and Protecting Talkies Act or the SCRIPT Act</strong></p> <p>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. </p> <p>Under this bill, <em>political content </em>is content relating to issues considered sensitive by the Chinese Communist Party or China's government, such as Taiwan or the Tiananmen Square massacre.</p> <p>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. </p> <p>A U.S. company that has taken such actions during the reporting period shall be prohibited from receiving federal support. </p>

tv_txt: II Calendar No. 246 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3466 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES January 10, 2022 Mr. Cruz introduced the following bill; which was read the first time January 18, 2022 Read the second time and placed on the calendar A BILL 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stopping Censorship, Restoring Integrity, and Protecting Talkies Act or the SCRIPT Act . 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. 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). 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.

January 18, 2022 Read the second time and placed on the calendar