Enhancing Subnational Diplomacy Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9524 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9524

   To enhance subnational diplomacy efforts within the Department of 
                     State, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 10, 2024

  Mr. Lieu (for himself, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, and Mr. Meeks) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

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                                 A BILL


 
   To enhance subnational diplomacy efforts within the Department of 
                     State, 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 as the ``Enhancing Subnational Diplomacy 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SUBNATIONAL DIPLOMACY UNIT AUTHORITIES.

    To enable its work with states, counties, cities and other 
municipalities in the United States, the State Department is authorized 
to provide assistance to elected officials at the state, county and 
city level in the United States (including their staff) to participate 
in international activities that the Secretary determines align with 
the United States government's interests in promoting subnational 
engagement in foreign policy, including providing assistance in 
attracting or bidding for hosting of major international events, 
capacity building around internationally-oriented staff, funding travel 
of United States elected officials at the state, county and city level 
in the United States to participate in meetings, conferences, workshops 
and other gatherings with foreign officials, and funding the costs 
associated with memberships in United States and internationally based 
organizations.

SEC. 3. GRANT ASSISTANCE.

    The Secretary of State may, in consultation with the heads of 
relevant agencies, award grants to eligible subnational United States 
government entities to carry out technical assistance, public 
diplomacy, and commercial diplomacy projects in collaboration with 
interagency partners to better augment United States government service 
delivery and/or support United States foreign policy goals.
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