A bill to permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, and for other purposes.
PL 111-202 (S.3104), enacted 07/13/2010

124 STAT. 1373 
PUBLIC LAW 111–202—JULY 13, 2010 
Public Law 111–202 
111th Congress 
An Act 
To permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, 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. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Radio Free Asia (referred to in this Act as ‘‘RFA’’)— 
(A) was authorized under section 309 of the United 
States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 
6208); 
(B) was incorporated as a private, non-profit corpora-
tion in March 1996 in the hope that its operations would 
soon be obviated by the global advancement of democracy; 
and 
(C) is headquartered in Washington, DC, with addi-
tional offices in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh, Seoul, 
Ankara, and Taipei. 
(2) RFA broadcasts serve as substitutes for indigenous 
free media in regions lacking free media outlets. 
(3) The mission of RFA is ‘‘to provide accurate and timely 
news and information to Asian countries whose governments 
prohibit access to a free press’’ in order to enable informed 
decisionmaking by the people within Asia. 
(4) RFA provides daily broadcasts of news, commentary, 
analysis, and cultural programming to Asian countries in sev-
eral languages, including— 
(A) 12 hours per day in Mandarin; 
(B) 8 hours per day in 3 Tibetan dialects, Uke, Kham, 
and Amdo; 
(C) 4 hours per day in Korean and Burmese; 
(D) 2 hours per day in Cantonese, Vietnamese, Laotian, 
Khmer (Cambodian), and Uyghur; and 
(E) 11⁄2 hours per week in Wu (local Shanghai dialect). 
(5) The governments of the countries targeted for these 
broadcasts have consistently denied and blocked attempts at 
Medium Wave and FM transmissions into their countries, 
forcing RFA to rely on Shortwave broadcasts and the Internet. 
(6) RFA has provided continuous online news to its Asian 
audiences since 2004, although some countries— 
(A) routinely and aggressively block RFA’s website; 
(B) monitor access to RFA’s website; and 
(C) discourage online users by making it illegal to 
access RFA’s website. 
22 USC 6208 
note. 
July 13, 2010 
[S. 3104] 
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124 STAT. 1374 
PUBLIC LAW 111–202—JULY 13, 2010 
(7) Despite these attempts, RFA has successfully managed 
to reach its online audiences through proxies, cutting-edge soft-
ware, and active republication and repostings by its audience. 
(8) RFA also provides forums for local opinions and experi-
ences through message boards, podcasts, web logs (blogs), cell 
phone-distributed 
newscasts, 
and 
new 
media, 
including 
Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube. 
(9) Freedom House has documented that freedom of the 
press is in decline in nearly every region of the world, particu-
larly in Asia, where none of the countries served by RFA 
have increased their freedom of the press during the past 
5 years. 
(10) In fiscal year 2010, RFA is operating on a $37,000,000 
budget, less than $400,000 of which is available to fund Internet 
censorship circumvention. 
(11) Congress currently provides grant funding for RFA’s 
operations on a fiscal year basis. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE. 
It is the sense of the Senate that— 
(1) public access to timely, uncensored, and accurate 
information is imperative for promoting government account-
ability and the protection of human rights; 
(2) Radio Free Asia provides a vital voice to people in 
Asia; 
(3) some of the governments in Asia spend millions of 
dollars each year to jam RFA’s shortwave, block its Internet 
sites; 
(4) Congress should provide additional funding to RFA 
and the other entities overseen by the Broadcasting Board 
of Governors for— 
(A) Internet censorship circumvention; and 
(B) enhancement of their cyber security efforts; and 
(5) permanently authorizing funding for Radio Free Asia 
would— 
(A) reflect the concern that media censorship and press 
restrictions in the countries served by RFA have increased 
since RFA was established; and 
(B) send a powerful signal of our Nation’s support 
for free press in Asia and throughout the world. 
SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION FOR RADIO FREE ASIA. 
Section 309 of the United States International Broadcasting 
Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6208) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ‘‘, and shall further 
specify that funds to carry out the activities of Radio Free 
Asia may not be available after September 30, 2010’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (f); 
(3) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsection 
(f) and (g), respectively; and 
(4) in subsection (f), as redesignated— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The Board’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) NOTIFICATION.—The Board’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘before entering’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘before— 
‘‘(A) entering’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘Radio Free Asia.’’ and inserting the 
following: ‘‘Radio Free Asia; or 
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124 STAT. 1375 
PUBLIC LAW 111–202—JULY 13, 2010 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 3104: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 111–214 (Comm. on Foreign Relations). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 156 (2010): 
June 25, considered and passed Senate. 
June 30, considered and passed House. 
‘‘(B) entering into any agreements in regard to the 
utilization of Radio Free Asia transmitters, equipment, or 
other resources that will significantly reduce the broad-
casting activities of Radio Free Asia.’’; 
(D) by striking ‘‘The Chairman’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Chairman’’; and 
(E) by inserting ‘‘or Radio Free Asia broadcasting 
activities’’ before the period at the end. 
Approved July 13, 2010. 
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