PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Green, Mark E. [R-TN-7] · R–TN
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: May 8, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-27 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed SCREEN Act would require U.S. film companies seeking certain State Department assistance to disclose films submitted to Chinese officials for screening review and promise not to change film content in response to anticipated or actual official requests. It would also restrict presidential authorization of federal assistance and contracts for films involving specified Chinese co-producers or companies flagged in State Department reports for content changes.
This Act may be cited as the Stopping Communist Regimes from Engaging in Edits Now Act or the SCREEN Act.
enters into a written agreement with the Secretary not to alter the content of the film in response to, or in anticipation of, a request by an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP
provides to the Secretary a list of all films produced or funded by that company the content of which has been submitted, during the shorter of the preceding 10-year period or the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, to an official of the Government of the People’s Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for evaluation with respect to screening the film in the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
the President may not authorize the provision of technical support or access to any asset controlled by the Federal Government for, or authorize the head of a Federal agency to enter into any contract relating to, the production or funding of a film by a United States company if— (1) the film is co-produced by an entity located in the PRC that is subject to conditions on content imposed by an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP; or (2) with respect to the most recent report submitted under subsection (c), the United States company is listed in the report pursuant to subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (2) of that subsection.
For the State Department support or access described in subsection (a), a company would have to list all films it produced or funded whose content was submitted to Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party officials for screening evaluation. The list would cover the shorter of the preceding 10 years or the period since enactment and include each film’s title and submission date.
The Secretary of State may only authorize the provision of technical support or access to an asset controlled by or related to the Department of State to enter into a contract relating to the production or funding of a film by a United States company if the United States company, as a condition of receiving the support or access— (1) provides to the Secretary a list of all films produced or funded by that company the content of which has been submitted, during the shorter of the preceding 10-year period or the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, to an official of the Government of the People’s Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for evaluation with respect to screening the film in the People’s Republic of China (PRC); (2) includes, with respect to each such film— (A) the title of the film; and (B) the date on which such submission occurred
As another condition of that support or access, the company would have to enter into and submit a written agreement with the Secretary of State promising not to change the film’s content in response to, or in anticipation of, a request from Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party officials.
as a condition of receiving the support or access
(3) enters into a written agreement with the Secretary not to alter the content of the film in response to, or in anticipation of, a request by an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP; and (4) submits such agreement to the Secretary.
Even if a company met those conditions, the President could not authorize federal technical support, access to federal assets, or agency contracts for producing or funding its film if either of two triggers applied: the film had a China-based co-producer subject to official Chinese content conditions, or the company appeared in the latest report’s specified content-alteration lists. The second trigger concerns the company’s listing, rather than only the film seeking assistance.
Notwithstanding subsection (a), the President may not authorize the provision of technical support or access to any asset controlled by the Federal Government for, or authorize the head of a Federal agency to enter into any contract relating to, the production or funding of a film by a United States company if— (1) the film is co-produced by an entity located in the PRC that is subject to conditions on content imposed by an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP; or (2) with respect to the most recent report submitted under subsection (c), the United States company is listed in the report pursuant to subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (2) of that subsection.
The Secretary of State would have to report within 180 days after enactment and annually afterward to the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees. The report would cover disclosed films associated with companies that received State Department technical support or asset access, or entered federal contracts, for film production or funding.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on films disclosed under subsection (a) that are associated with a United States company that has received technical support or access to an asset controlled by the Department of State for, or has entered into a contract with the Federal Government relating to, the production or funding of a film.
The term appropriate committees of Congress means— (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
The reports would describe disclosed submissions for Chinese screening review, identifying the company, film title, and submission date. They would also identify companies and films covered by written promises not to change content in response to actual or anticipated official requests. Both reporting descriptions use the shorter of the preceding 10 years or the period since enactment.
(A) A description of each film listed pursuant to the requirement under subsection (a)(1), the content of which was submitted, during the shorter of the preceding 10-year period or the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, by a United States company to an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP for evaluation with respect to screening the film in the PRC, including— (i) the United States company that submitted the contents of the film; (ii) the title of the film; and (iii) the date on which such submission occurred.
(B) A description of each film with respect to which a United States company entered into a written agreement with the Department of State, providing the support or access, pursuant to the requirement under subsection (a)(2) not to alter the content of the film in response to, or in anticipation of, a request by an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP, during the shorter of the preceding 10-year period or the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, including— (i) the United States company that entered into the agreement; and (ii) the title of the film.
One report list would identify disclosed films submitted to Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party officials during the preceding three years, and their corresponding companies, when the Secretary assessed that content had been changed in response to or in anticipation of an official request.
(C) The title of any film described pursuant to subparagraph (A), and the corresponding United States company described pursuant to clause (i) of that subparagraph— (i) that was submitted to an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP during the preceding 3-year period; and (ii) for which the Secretary assesses that the content was altered in response to, or in anticipation of, a request by an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP.
A second report list would identify films appearing in both the screening-submission and written-agreement categories, along with the corresponding companies. It would apply to submissions during the preceding 10 years when the Secretary assessed that content had been changed in response to or in anticipation of an official request.
(D) The title of any film that is described in both subparagraph (A) and subparagraph (B), and the corresponding one or more United States companies described in clause (i) of each such subparagraph— (i) that was submitted to an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP during the preceding 10-year period; and (ii) for which the Secretary assesses that the content was altered in response to, or in anticipation of, a request by an official of the Government of the PRC or the CCP.
The bill defines film “content” to include any description of a film, including its script. A covered U.S. company would be a private entity incorporated under U.S. law or the law of any jurisdiction within the United States.
(2) Content The term content means any description of a film, including the script. (3) United states company The term United States company means a private entity incorporated under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated May 8, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Government Reform committees on February 27, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2025-05-08T16:21:08Z.
2025-02-27: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-02-27: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-27. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish formal earmark status in accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow preferential benefit, special exemption, or carve-out was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not extend to other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: May 8, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI