A bill to permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, and for other purposes.
Public Law 111-202 · S. 3104 · 111th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jul 13, 2010 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Edward Kaufman, Sen. Al Franken,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) public access to accurate information is imperative for promoting government accountability and the protection of human rights; (2) Radio Free Asia (RFA) provides a vital voice to people in Asia; (3) some of the governments in Asia spend millions of dollars each year to jam RFA; and (4) Congress should provide additional and permanent funding for RFA.
Amends the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 to make permanent the authority of the Broadcasting Board of Governors to make grants to operate RFA.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 4886Related bill
To permanently authorize Radio Free Asia, and for other purposes.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.
- Jul 13, 2010Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 111-202.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jul 1, 2010FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jun 30, 2010FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 3104.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Watson moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Jun 28, 2010FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jun 25, 2010FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 22, 2010CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 439.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Kerry with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 111-214.
- May 25, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Mar 11, 2010CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.