"Open Translation Center Authorization Act" ()

Key Chapter Title List

1. Short Title
2. Findings
3. Definitions
4. Establishment
5. Incorporation
6. Purpose and Mission
7. Duties
8. Cooperation and Consultation
9. Sponsorship
10. Authorization of Appropriations

Document Introduction

The success of U.S. foreign policy heavily relies on the accurate perception and understanding of other countries' diplomatic and domestic policies. Open-source materials from countries like China provide a uniquely valuable window into the politics, policies, ideologies, intentions, and activities of these nations. However, a severe shortage of foreign language expertise significantly hinders the understanding of relevant countries and governments by U.S. policymakers, journalists, scholars, students, and other groups. There is an urgent need for a public translation and analysis institution to fill this gap, which is the core background for proposing the "Open Translation and Analysis Center Authorization Act."

This Act aims to establish a federally funded research and development center—the Open Translation and Analysis Center (OTAC). Its legal status is defined as an independent entity, which can be operated by the management organization of an existing federally funded research and development center or registered as a nonprofit membership corporation. The Center's governance structure is clear: a Board of Directors consisting of 5 members appointed by the Secretary of State, the Director of National Intelligence, and the Register of Copyrights. Members must possess relevant professional qualifications in translation, copyright law, international relations, etc., and during their tenure, they cannot serve as U.S. government employees or officials.

The core mission of the Open Translation and Analysis Center includes translating, analyzing, and publicly disseminating foreign language government documents and other materials from designated countries; providing contextual interpretation of translations to help users understand their meaning and significance; making translations public whenever possible and providing summaries for classified materials; and cultivating analysts and linguists specializing in designated countries. Its duties cover multiple aspects, including translating materials from designated countries into English, providing analytical summaries and background information, cooperating with federal agencies, and publishing related content through a public website. The translation materials encompass various types such as government and military documents, official speeches, news commentaries, and social media content.

In terms of operational methods, the Center will integrate professional talent and technologies like artificial intelligence to ensure translation timeliness, extensively involve experts from various fields in translation review, and strengthen cooperation with U.S. public and private sectors and allies to improve efficiency and avoid duplication of effort, while strictly adhering to domestic and international copyright-related commitments. The Secretary of State will serve as the primary sponsor of the Center and may enter into sponsorship agreements with other federal agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency. The Act also explicitly authorizes appropriations of $85 million for fiscal year 2025 and $80 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to provide funding for the Center's operations.

The introduction of this Act is an important measure by the United States to strengthen its foreign policy research support system under the current international landscape. By establishing a professional and systematic translation and analysis mechanism, it attempts to address the bottleneck issues of foreign language information acquisition and interpretation, providing multi-dimensional support for U.S. diplomatic decision-making, academic research, and public understanding.