H.R. 8075 — Introduced in House

I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8075 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 15, 2022Mrs. Demings (for herself and Mr. Keating) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To authorize the Open Technology Fund of the United States Agency for Global Media to make grants to surge and sustain support for internet freedom technologies to counter acute escalations in censorship in closed countries, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Internet Freedom Rapid Response Act of 2022. 2. Open Technology Fund grants (a) In general In addition to grants made to the Open Technology Fund of the United States Agency for Global Media pursuant to section 305 of the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6204) to make grants for the purposes specified in section 309A of such Act (22 U.S.C. 6208a), the Open Technology Fund may make grants to eligible entities to surge and sustain support for internet freedom technologies to counter acute escalations in censorship in closed countries. (b) Methodology Grants under this section shall be made competitively, and shall be subject to audits by the Open Technology Fund to ensure that technologies described in subsection (a) are secure and have not been compromised in a manner detrimental to the interests of the United States or to individuals or organizations benefitting from programs supported by such grants. (c) Reporting The Open Technology Fund shall annually submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate a report on grants made and activities carried out pursuant to such grants during the immediately preceding fiscal year. (d) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this section. (2) Availability Amounts authorized to be appropriated pursuant to this subsection are authorized to remain available until expended. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Closed countries The term closed countries means countries in which democratic participation, free expression, freedom of movement, or access to information is suppressed or explicitly prohibited through political, judicial, social, or technical means, or as otherwise determined by the Secretary of State, the Chief Executive Officer for the United States Agency for Global Media, or the President of the Open Technology Fund. (2) Eligible entities The term eligible entities means public or private sector entities with proven and already-deployed technology relating to surging and sustaining support for internet freedom technologies to counter acute escalations in censorship in closed countries.