International Documentary Exchange Act of 2009

International Documentary Exchange Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of State to make grants to U.S. nongovernmental organizations that use independently produced documentary films to promote a better understanding of the United States among individuals abroad and, in the United States, a better understanding of global perspectives and of other countries.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1976 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1976

    To authorize grants for nongovernmental organizations that use 
      independently produced documentary films to promote better 
 understanding of the United States abroad and better understanding of 
     global perspectives and other countries in the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 2, 2009

 Ms. Watson (for herself, Ms. Richardson, Ms. Slaughter, Ms. Woolsey, 
 Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Towns, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Fortenberry, Mrs. Bono 
  Mack, Mr. Schiff, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Costa, Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of 
California, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Royce, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. 
   Sherman, and Ms. Eshoo) introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To authorize grants for nongovernmental organizations that use 
      independently produced documentary films to promote better 
 understanding of the United States abroad and better understanding of 
     global perspectives and other countries in the United States.

    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 ``International Documentary Exchange 
Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since September 11, 2001, a distorted perception of the 
        United States has grown abroad, even as many Americans struggle 
        to understand the increasingly complex world beyond the borders 
        of the United States.
            (2) This public diplomacy crisis poses an ongoing threat to 
        United States security, diplomatic relations, commerce, and 
        citizen-to-citizen relationships between the United States and 
        other countries.
            (3) Independently produced documentary films have proven to 
        be an effective means of communicating United States ideas and 
        values to populations of other countries.
            (4) It is in the interest of the United States to provide 
        assistance to United States nongovernmental organizations that 
        produce and distribute independently produced documentary 
        films.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY EXCHANGE PROGRAMS TO 
              PROMOTE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNITED STATES ABROAD 
              AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES AND OTHER 
              COUNTRIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Assistance.--The Secretary of State is authorized to make 
grants, on such terms and conditions as the Secretary may determine, to 
United States nongovernmental organizations that use independently 
produced documentary films to promote better understanding of the 
United States abroad and better understanding of global perspectives 
and other countries in the United States.
    (b) Activities Supported.--Grants provided under subsection (a) 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be used to carry out the 
following activities:
            (1) Fund, distribute, and promote accessible, compelling, 
        and credible documentary films that convey a diversity of views 
        about life in the United States to foreign audiences and bring 
        insightful foreign perspectives to United States audiences.
            (2) Support documentaries described in paragraph (1) that 
        are made by independent foreign and domestic producers, 
        selected through a peer review process.
            (3) Develop a network of overseas partners to produce, 
        distribute, and broadcast such documentaries.
    (c) Special Factors.--In making the grants described in subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give preference to nongovernmental 
organizations that--
            (1) provide at least 35 percent of the total project cost 
        in matching funds from non-Federal sources; and
            (2) have prior experience supporting independently produced 
        documentary films that have been broadcast on public television 
        in the United States.
    (d) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
that contains a detailed description of the implementation of this 
section for the prior year.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Secretary of State such sums as may be necessary for each 
        of fiscal years 2010 through 2015 to carry out this section.
            (2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
        authorization of appropriations under paragraph (1) are 
        authorized to remain available until expended.
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