Iran Provisions in Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations

Yesterday, I posted the language in the Senate Appropriations Committee report on the Fiscal Year 2009 Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bill. As with most appropriations bills this year, it is not likely that the Foreign Operations Appropriations will be considered by the full House or Senate.

Below is the full text of the Iran-related sections in the S. 3288 the FY'09 Foreign Ops Appropriations bill.

Transparency in Broadcasting (page 26-27)
SEC. 114. Funds appropriated under the heading ‘‘International Broadcasting Operations’’ in this Act for programs and activities supporting international broadcasting to the Middle East and Iran in fiscal year 2009 may be made available if the United States Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors Inspector General reports to the Committees on Appropriations that such broadcasting meets the standards in the Office of Inspector General report ISP–IB–08–45, May 2008.

Democracy Fund (page 44)
(e) Of the funds appropriated under this heading, up to $20,000,000 shall be made available for programs to promote democracy in Iran and to counter the political influence of the Government of Iran in Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza: Provided, That none of such funds may be used for educational and cultural exchanges.

Prohibition Against Direct Funding for Certain Countries (page 77-78)
SEC. 706. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to this Act shall be obligated or expended to finance directly any assistance or reparations to Cuba, North Korea, Iran, or Syria, unless the President determines that assistance to such countries is important to the national interest of the United States and notifies the Committees on Appropriations in accordance with the regular notification procedures: Provided,That for purposes of this section, the prohibition on obligations or expenditures shall include direct loans, credits, insurance and guarantees of the Export-Import Bank or its agents.

Special Notification Requirements (page 96)
SEC. 719. None of the funds appropriated under titles II through VI of this Act shall be obligated or expended for assistance for Serbia, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Iran, Haiti, Libya, Ethiopia, Mexico, or Cambodia except as provided through the regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.