Sec. 6. Strategy on Iran broadcasting and human rights assistance
483 words·~2 min read·
/bill/119/s/3900/is/section-6A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy to expand and enhance United States and international broadcasting efforts and United States programs to support the protection and promotion of internationally recognized human rights in Iran. The strategy required under subsection
(a)shall include— a comprehensive review and assessment of current United States Government and international broadcasting efforts targeted at Iran, including Voice of America Persian Service, Radio Farda, and other relevant programs, including their reach, effectiveness, and vulnerabilities to Iranian regime censorship, as well as United States Government efforts to support internationally recognized human rights and democratic civil society, including efforts to assist in the credible documentation of abuses of internationally recognized human rights; specific plans and initiatives to ensure the Iranian people have reliable access to accurate, uncensored, and unbiased news coverage, including through satellite broadcasting, digital circumvention tools, shortwave radio, and emerging technologies; programs to support independent Iranian journalists, media outlets, and citizen journalists, including grants for equipment, training, secure communication platforms, and capacity-building for Persian and other local language media; programs to support and train Iranian civil society; coordination mechanisms with international partners, the private sector, and diaspora communities to amplify credible independent media; annual performance metrics and benchmarks for audience reach, content impact, and program outcomes; and a multi-year budget and resource requirements plan to implement the strategy. The strategy required in subsection
(a)shall be transmitted in an unclassified form and may contain a classified annex. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report examining Federal expenditures under the Near East Regional Democracy
(NERD)account over fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The report shall include— a detailed accounting of all NERD funds obligated and expended for Iran-related programs, including broadcasting, media support, civil society assistance, and human rights initiatives; an assessment of the processes used for grant allocation, contractor oversight, vetting of recipients, and measuring program outcomes; an evaluation of the effectiveness of such programs in advancing United States policy objectives, including expanding information access and supporting independent media within Iran; and recommendations for improving transparency, accountability, and impact measurement. The strategy and the GAO report required under this section shall each be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed Services, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.