[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1157 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 1157
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the authorization of appropriations for the Countering
the People's Republic of China Malign Influence Fund, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Countering the PRC Malign Influence
Fund Authorization Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR COUNTERING THE PEOPLE'S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA MALIGN INFLUENCE FUND.
(a) Countering the People's Republic of China Malign Influence
Fund.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated
$325,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 for the
Countering the People's Republic of China Malign Influence Fund
to counter the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party
and the Government of the People's Republic of China and
entities acting on their behalf globally.
(2) Availability; amounts in addition to other amounts.--
Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under paragraph (1)--
(A) are authorized to remain available until
expended; and
(B) shall be in addition to amounts otherwise
authorized to be appropriated for the purposes
described in paragraph (1).
(b) Consultation Required.--The obligation of funds appropriated
pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) or
otherwise made available for the purposes described in subsection
(a)(1) shall be subject to prior consultation with, and consistent with
section 634A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2394-1),
the regular notification procedures of--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(c) Policy Guidance, Coordination, and Approval.--
(1) Coordinator.--The Secretary of State shall designate an
existing senior official of the Department of State to provide
policy guidance, coordination, and approval for the obligation
of funds appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under subsection (a).
(2) Assistant coordinator.--The Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development shall designate an
existing senior official of the United States Agency for
International Development to assist and consult with the senior
official of the Department of State designated pursuant to
paragraph (1).
(3) Duties.--The senior official of the Department of State
designated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be responsible for--
(A) on an annual basis, the identification of
specific strategic priorities for using funds
appropriated pursuant to the authorization of
appropriations under subsection (a), such as geographic
areas of focus or functional categories of programming
that funds are to be concentrated within, consistent
with the national interests of the United States and
the purposes of this section;
(B) the coordination and approval of all
programming conducted using such funds, based on an
assessment that such programming directly counters the
malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party or the
Government of the People's Republic of China, including
specific activities or policies advanced by the Chinese
Communist Party or the Government of the People's
Republic of China and entities acting on their behalf
globally, pursuant to the strategic objectives of the
United States, as established in the 2017 National
Security Strategy, the 2018 National Defense Strategy,
and other relevant national and regional strategies as
appropriate;
(C) ensuring that all programming approved bears a
sufficiently direct nexus to such activities of the
Chinese Communist Party or the Government of the
People's Republic of China described in subsection (d)
and adheres to the requirements outlined in subsection
(e); and
(D) conducting oversight, monitoring, and
evaluation of the effectiveness of all programming
conducted using such funds to ensure that it advances
United States interests and degrades the ability of the
Chinese Communist Party or the Government of the
People's Republic of China, to advance activities that
align with subsection (d) of this section.
(4) Interagency coordination.--The senior official of the
Department of State designated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall,
in coordinating and approving programming pursuant to paragraph
(2), seek--
(A) to conduct appropriate interagency
consultation; and
(B) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable,
that all approved programming functions in concert with
other Federal activities to counter the malign
influence of the Chinese Communist Party or the
Government of the People's Republic of China.
(d) Malign Influence.--In this section, the term ``malign
influence'', with respect to the Chinese Communist Party or the
Government of the People's Republic of China, shall be construed to
include acts conducted by the Chinese Communist Party or the Government
of the People's Republic of China, or entities acting on their behalf
that--
(1) undermine a free and open international order;
(2) advance an alternative, repressive international order
that bolsters the Chinese Communist Party's or the Government
of the People's Republic of China's hegemonic ambitions and is
characterized by coercion and dependency;
(3) undermine the national security or sovereignty of the
United States or other countries; or
(4) undermine the economic security of the United States or
other countries, including by promoting corruption and
advancing coercive economic practices.
(e) Countering Malign Influence.--In this section, countering
malign influence through the use of funds appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) shall include
efforts--
(1) to promote transparency and accountability, and reduce
corruption, including in governance structures targeted by the
malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party or the
Government of the People's Republic of China;
(2) to support civil society and independent media to raise
awareness of and increase transparency regarding the negative
impact of activities related to the Belt and Road Initiative,
associated initiatives, other economic initiatives with
strategic or political purposes, and coercive economic
practices;
(3) to counter transnational criminal networks that
benefit, or benefit from, the malign influence of the Chinese
Communist Party or the Government of the People's Republic of
China;
(4) to encourage economic development structures that help
protect against predatory lending schemes, including support
for market-based alternatives in key economic sectors, such as
digital economy, energy, and infrastructure;
(5) to counter activities that provide undue influence to
the security forces of the People's Republic of China;
(6) to expose misinformation and disinformation of the
Chinese Communist Party's or the Government of the People's
Republic of China's propaganda, including through programs
carried out by the Global Engagement Center; and
(7) to counter efforts by the Chinese Communist Party or
the Government of the People's Republic of China to legitimize
or promote authoritarian ideology and governance models.
(f) Annual Summary.--Not later than September 30, 2023, and
annually thereafter for 5 years, the senior official of the Department
of State designated pursuant to subsection (c)(1) shall submit to the
congressional committees specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
subsection (b), a summary identifying each activity or program approved
pursuant to subsection (c), and shall include--
(1) for each program or activity, an identification of the
country or regional location of the program or activity;
(2) for each program or activity, whether the program or
activity was ongoing prior to receiving support from funds from
the Countering People's Republic of China Malign Influence
Fund, or any predecessor resource intended for the same or
substantially similar purpose;
(3) for each program or activity, an identification of the
acts described in subsection (d) that such program or activity
is intended to counter; and
(4) a table identifying the respective allocation of all
programs or activities approved during that fiscal year across
accounts and regional or functional bureaus.
Passed the House of Representatives September 9, 2024.
Attest:
Clerk.
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 1157
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the authorization of appropriations for the Countering
the People's Republic of China Malign Influence Fund, and for other
purposes.