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Open Translation and Analysis Center Authorization Act
12/31/2022, 5:04 AM
Summary of Bill HR 4747
The bill outlines the responsibilities of the center, which include conducting linguistic analysis, providing cultural context, and identifying potential threats or opportunities for the United States. The center will also work to improve the government's language capabilities by training and hiring qualified translators and analysts.
Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability within the center, requiring regular reporting to Congress on its activities and budget. It also includes provisions for oversight and evaluation to ensure that the center is effectively fulfilling its mission. Overall, the Open Translation and Analysis Center Authorization Act seeks to enhance the US government's ability to understand and respond to global events by improving its language capabilities and analysis of foreign language materials.
Congressional Summary of HR 4747
Open Translation and Analysis Center Authorization Act
This bill establishes the Open Translation and Analysis Center as a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Department of State.
The center must disseminate translations and analysis of foreign language materials from China and other countries of strategic interest, with a particular focus on government materials (e.g., documents, reports, and speeches of political and military leadership).
To carry out its activities, the center must (1) select appropriate materials for translation and analysis; (2) train analysts and linguists; (3) use technologies to expedite translations; and (4) otherwise coordinate its work with federal agencies, foreign allies, and others. Specifically, the center must cooperate and consult with relevant federal agencies and stakeholders, including grantees of the United States Agency for Global Media and research organizations. The center may consult with foreign governments if the State Department certifies that the consultation serves U.S. national interests.
Additionally, the center must maintain a publicly available website of all translations and analyses that are not subject to copyright or intellectual property protections. Materials subject to those protections must be made available at no cost on a private website to federal employees and contractors and members of Congress and their staff.
The bill designates the State Department as the primary sponsor of the center. However, the State Department may enter into sponsorship agreements with other federal agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency.
