Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/1400

 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