"Inasmuch as foreign language skills are crucial for maintaining U.S. security and leadership globally, it is our nation's core capability to translate data economically, promptly and without misinterpretation that is key. Many with multilingual skills can produce translations, but few are skillful translators. A quality translation is an art form, a tapestry etched from the fabric of a translator's learned skills, life experiences and intricate knowledge of human interaction. "

Jeff Robinson
Director National Virtual Translation Center

H.R.4628
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003
(Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate)

SEC. 313. NATIONAL VIRTUAL TRANSLATION CENTER.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT- The Director of Central Intelligence, acting as the head of the intelligence community, shall establish in the intelligence community an element with the function of connecting the elements of the intelligence community engaged in the acquisition, storage, translation, or analysis of voice or data in digital form.

(b) DESIGNATION- The element established under subsection (a) shall be known as the National Virtual Translation Center.

(c) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS-

(1) The Director shall retain direct supervision and control over the element established under subsection (a).
(2) The element established under subsection (a) shall connect elements of the intelligence community utilizing the most current available information technology that is applicable to the function of the element.

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