Radio Free Afghanistan Act
PL 107-148 (H.R.2998), enacted 03/11/2002

116 STAT. 64 
PUBLIC LAW 107-148—MAR. 11, 2002 
Public Law 107-148 
107th Congress 
Mar. 11, 2002 
[H.R. 2998] 
Radio Free 
Afghanistan Act. 
22 use 6201 
note. 
22 use 6215. 
Deadline. 
Reports. 
Effective date. 
An Act 
To authorize the establishment of Radio Free Afghanistan. 
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 "Radio Free Afghanistan Act". 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF RADIO FREE AFGHANISTAN. 
(a) REQUIREMENT OF A DETAILED PLAN.—Not later than 15 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, RFE/RL, Incorporated, 
shall submit to the Broadcasting Board of Governors a report setting 
forth a detailed plan for the provision by RFE/RL, Incorporated, 
of surrogate broadcasting services in the Dari and Pashto languages 
to Afghanistan. Such broadcasting services shall be known as "Radio 
Free Afghanistan", 
(b) GRANT AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—^Effective 15 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, or the date on which the report required 
by subsection (a) is submitted, whichever is later, the Broad-
casting Board of Governors is authorized to make grants to 
support Radio Free Afghanistan. 
(2) SUPERSEDES EXISTING LIMITATION ON TOTAL ANNUAL 
GRANT AMOUNTS.—Grants made to RFE/RL, Incorporated, 
during the fiscal year 2002 for support of Radio Free Afghani-
stan may be made without regard to section 308(c) of the 
United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 
6207(c)). 
(c) AVAILABLE AUTHORITIES.—In addition to the authorities in 
this Act, the authorities applicable to carry out United States 
Government broadcasting activities under the United 
States 
Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, the United 
States International Broadcasting Act of 1994, the Foreign Affairs 
Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, and other provisions of 
law consistent with such purpose may be used to carry out the 
grant authority of subsection (b). 
(d) STANDARDS; OVERSIGHT.—Radio Free Afghanistan shall 
adhere to the same standards of professionalism and accountability, 
and shall be subject to the same oversight mechanisms, as other 
services of RFE/RL, Incorporated. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In addition to such amounts as are otherwise 
available for such purposes, the following amounts are authorized 
PUBLIC LAW 107-148—MAR. 11, 2002 
116 STAT. 65 
to be appropriated to carry out United States Grovemment broad-
casting activities under the United States Information and Edu-
cational Exchange Act of 1948, the United States International 
Broadcasting Act of 1994, the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restruc-
turing Act of 1998, and this Act, and to carry out other authorities 
in law consistent with such purposes: 
(1) For "International Broadcasting Operations", $8,000,000 
for the fiscal year 2002. 
(2) For "Broadcasting Capital Improvements", $9,000,000 
for the fiscal year 2002. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appropriated pursuant 
to subsection (a) are authorized to remain available until expended. 
SEC. 4. REPEAL OF BAN ON UNITED STATES TRANSMITTER IN KUWAIT. 
Section 226 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
Years 1994 and 1995 (PubUc Law 103-236; 108 Stat. 423), is 
repealed. 
Approved March 11, 2002. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2998 (S. 1779): 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 107-125 accompanying S. 1779 (Comm. on Foreign 
Relations). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 147 (2001): Nov. 6, 7, considered and passed Hoiise. 
Vol. 148 (2002): Feb. 7, considered and passed Senate, amended, in lieu of 
S. 1779. 
Feb. 12, House concurred in Senate amendment.