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A bill entitled "United States International Programming to Ukraine and Neighboring Regions".

Public Law 113-96 · S. 2183 · 113th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Apr 3, 2014 · International Affairs

Sponsor: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 399 yea, 12 nay399–12
  • 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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Directs Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Incorporated, and the Voice of America (VOA) service to Ukraine and neighboring regions to: (1) provide accurate and accessible news and information; (2) emphasize investigative and analytical journalism to highlight misinformation provided by Russian or pro-Russian media outlets; (3) prioritize programming to target populations and areas where access to uncensored information is limited, especially populations serviced by Russian supported media outlets; (4) increase the number of reporters and organizational presence in eastern Ukraine, especially in Crimea; (5) promote democratic processes, human rights, freedom of the press, and territorial sovereignty; (6) increase programming and content services that promote democracy to Russia; (7) prioritize programming to eastern Ukraine, including Crimea, and Moldova, and to ethnic and linguistic Russian populations, as well as to Tatar minorities; (8) prioritize news and information that contribute to the target audiences' understanding of political and economic developments in Ukraine and Moldova; (9) partner with private sector broadcasters and affiliates to increase distribution; (10) expand the use and audience of mobile news and multimedia platforms, including through Internet-based social networking platforms; and (11) provide programming content 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to target populations, including specified programming in Ukrainian, Russian, and Tatar languages.

Authorizes FY2014 appropriations for programming in the Ukrainian, Balkan, Russian, and Tatar language services of RFE/RL, Incorporated, and VOA to: (1) bolster programming to the people of Ukraine and neighboring regions, and (2) increase programming capacity and jamming circumvention technology.

Requires the Broadcasting Board of Governors to report to Congress on plans to increase broadcasts.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 113th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 399 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

399 yea12 nay20 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(188)

Republicans who voted yea(211)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 789 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The record shows no committee referral for this bill.

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.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.

  1. Apr 3, 2014Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 113-96.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Apr 1, 2014FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 399 - 12 (Roll no. 150).House roll call 150
  5. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  6. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2183.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  10. FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  11. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  12. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  13. Mar 27, 2014FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  14. 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.

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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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.