Public Diplomacy Resource Centers Act of 2008

Public Diplomacy Resource Centers Act of 2008 - Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to direct the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy to provide for the establishment of new, and maintenance of existing, libraries and resource centers at or in connection with U.S. diplomatic or consular missions.

Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) ensure that such libraries and resource centers are open to the general public to the greatest extent practicable, subject to security considerations; and (2) schedule public showings of American films that showcase American culture, society, values, and history.

Directs the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy to report to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations respecting the functions and effectiveness of such libraries and resource centers.

Authorizes appropriations.

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2553 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2553

To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide 
    for the establishment and maintenance of existing libraries and 
 resource centers at United States diplomatic and consular missions to 
 provide information about American culture, society, and history, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2007

Ms. Watson (for herself and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to provide 
    for the establishment and maintenance of existing libraries and 
 resource centers at United States diplomatic and consular missions to 
 provide information about American culture, society, and history, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited at the ``Public Diplomacy Resource Centers 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. UNITED STATES PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.

    (a) Establishment and Maintenance of Libraries.--Section 1(b)(3) of 
the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 
2651a(b)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(F) provide for the establishment of new and the 
                maintenance of existing libraries and resource centers 
                at or in connection with United States diplomatic and 
                consular missions.''.
    (b) Operation of Libraries.--
            (1) In general.--The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy 
        shall ensure that libraries and resource centers established 
        and maintained in accordance with subparagraph (F) of section 
        1(b)(3) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 
        (as added by section 2(a)(3) of this Act) are open to the 
        general public to the greatest extent practicable, subject to 
        policies and procedures established by the Under Secretary to 
        ensure the safety and security of United States diplomatic and 
        consular missions and of United States officers, employees, and 
        personnel posted at such missions at which such libraries are 
        located.
            (2) Johnny grant film series.--The Under Secretary for 
        Public Diplomacy shall ensure that such libraries and resource 
        centers schedule public showings of American films that 
        showcase American culture, society, values, and history. Such 
        public showings shall be known as the ``Johnny Grant Film 
        Series''.
    (c) Receipt of Donations.--The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy 
may accept donations that are made to the libraries and resource 
centers authorized under this Act if the Under Secretary determines 
that such receipt will not result in any cost to the Federal 
Government.
    (d) Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.--The Advisory 
Commission on Public Diplomacy (authorized under section 1334 of the 
Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6553)) 
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
report containing and evaluation of the functions and effectiveness of 
the libraries and resource centers that are authorized under this Act.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to amounts that 
are otherwise authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State 
under the educational and cultural exchange programs account to carry 
out purposes similar to those required under this Act, there are 
authorized to the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy such sums as may 
be necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>