No Funds for Fascists Act

Bill: 118-hr-9700
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1]
Introduced: 2024-09-19
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-19
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9700 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 19, 2024 Ms. Mace (for herself and Mr. Burchett ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To prohibit bilateral economic assistance, including assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, to foreign governments that abridge the right to free speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the “ No Funds for Fascists Act ”. 2. Prohibition on bilateral economic assistance to certain foreign governments (a) In general None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for bilateral economic assistance, including assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, for any fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act may be obligated or expended to provide assistance to the government of any foreign country if the Secretary of State determines that— (1) such government, or any employee acting under official authority or influence— (A) abridges the right to free speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States; or (B) censors speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States; and (2) such government, or any employee acting under official authority or influence, uses any form of communication (without regard to whether the communication is visible to members of the public) to direct, coerce, compel, or encourage a provider of a covered platform to take, suggest or imply that a provider of a covered platform should take, or request that a provider of a covered platform take, any action to censor speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States. (b) Publication in Federal Register The Secretary of State shall publish in the Federal Register each determination made under subsection (a). (c) Definitions In this section— (1) the term covered platform means— (A) an interactive computer service, as that term is defined in section 230(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 230(f) ); and (B) any platform through which a media organization disseminates information, without regard to whether the organization disseminates that information— (i) through broadcast or print; (ii) online; or (iii) through any other channel; and (2) the term employee acting under official authority or influence , with respect to a foreign government, means— (A) any employee of such government; and (B) includes— (i) a head of state or head of such government; and (ii) an individual working under contract with such government.