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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5251 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5251
To provide for the public diplomacy authorities of the Department of
State, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 10, 2025
Mr. Huizenga introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the public diplomacy authorities of 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,
TITLE VII--PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Subtitle A--Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy
SEC. 701. UNDER SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.
(a) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department an Under
Secretary for Public Diplomacy who shall be responsible to the
Secretary of State for matters pertaining to global public diplomacy,
information operations targeting foreign audiences, strategic
communications and information, international educational and cultural
exchange programs, and such other duties as the Secretary may from time
to time designate.
(b) Responsibilities.--In addition to the responsibilities
described under subsection (a), the Under Secretary for Public
Diplomacy shall oversee and coordinate all matters pertaining to global
public diplomacy and foreign information operations, including, as
appropriate--
(1) leading and directing all information and public
diplomacy activities targeted at foreign audiences,
communicating United States policy to foreign audiences,
documenting and exposing the malign actions of foreign
adversaries, ensuring global access to free information, and
countering foreign censorship;
(2) preparing and leading implementation of an annual
strategic plan for public diplomacy in collaboration with
regional and functional bureaus and overseas posts and in
consultation with relevant national security agencies;
(3) ensuring public diplomacy programs are assessed using
effective and appropriate evaluation methods;
(4) overseeing and directing Department personnel in the
United States and abroad who conduct or implement public
diplomacy policies, programs, and activities;
(5) assisting United States-funded media to present the
policies of the United States clearly and effectively;
(6) submitting statements of United States policy and
editorial material to the United States-funded media;
(7) allocating and managing the financial and human
resources for all public diplomacy functions within the
Department of State, including for--
(A) the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs;
(B) the Bureau of Strategic Communications; and
(C) the public diplomacy functions within the
regional and functional bureaus;
(8) establishing and overseeing a regional public diplomacy
team for each region, each of which shall--
(A) integrate all public diplomacy programming and
operations of the Department;
(B) implement such programming and operations in
the region of such team; and
(C) be responsible for--
(i) operationalizing the Department's
public diplomacy strategy in the region of such
team;
(ii) enabling region-specific execution of
such strategy; and
(iii) maintaining coherence with a unified
United States strategy and overarching global
objectives of the Department;
(9) serving as Chair of interagency meetings on public
diplomacy to align messaging across the Department of Defense,
Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of the
Treasury, the intelligence community, and members of the Group
of Seven; and
(10) performing such other duties as the Secretary may from
time to time designate.
SECTION 702. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of
State under section 141, the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy shall
receive the funds necessary to fulfill missions and responsibilities
for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
Subtitle B--Educational and Cultural Affairs
SEC. 711. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
(a) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department an Assistant
Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs who shall be responsible
to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy for matters pertaining to
the development, implementation, and oversight of all educational,
cultural, and professional exchange programs, as well as related
initiatives and activities, and such other related duties as the
Secretary may from time to time designate.
(b) Responsibilities.--In addition to the responsibilities
described under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary for Educational
and Cultural Affairs shall be responsible for matters pertaining to
academic, cultural, and professional exchanges in the conduct of
foreign policy, including, as appropriate--
(1) administering programs for youth and students, young
leaders, established leaders, cultural elites, members of the
press, and influencers, including the programs described in
section 112 of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2460);
(2) integrating all exchange programming into global public
diplomacy planning;
(3) identifying regional priorities;
(4) reducing overhead and administrative spending costs for
programs;
(5) consolidating support services for programs;
(6) expanding cost-sharing partnerships with the private
and nonprofit sectors;
(7) ensuring clear foreign policy outcomes and performance;
and
(8) performing such other duties as the Under Secretary for
Public Diplomacy may from time to time designate.
SEC. 712. BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall maintain the
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs described in section 112 of
the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C.
2460), which shall perform functions related to academic, cultural, and
professional exchanges as the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy may
prescribe.
(b) Head of Bureau.--The Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs shall be the head of the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs.
SEC. 713. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL
AFFAIRS.
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary
for Public Diplomacy under section 702, the Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs shall receive the funds necessary to
fulfill Bureau functions and the Assistant Secretary's responsibilities
for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
Subtitle C--Strategic Communications
SEC. 721. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS.
(a) Establishment.--There is authorized to be in the Department an
Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications who shall be
responsible to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy for matters
pertaining to strategic communication, global access to free
information, countering foreign censorship efforts, and such other
related duties as the Secretary may from time to time designate.
(b) Responsibilities.--In addition to the responsibilities
described under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary for Strategic
Communications shall oversee and coordinate all matters pertaining to
foreign policy messaging in the conduct of foreign policy, including,
as appropriate--
(1) overseeing foreign-facing information operations;
(2) managing regional content operations and media
relations;
(3) overseeing and providing strategic direction for all
United States Government funded media entities;
(4) establishing and overseeing an Office of Global
Distribution and News Services that shall--
(A) create and lead the open-content wire service;
and
(B) manage translation and distribution of United
States Government content;
(5) supporting investigative and independent media;
(6) advocating for internet freedom;
(7) advancing circumvention and access tools;
(8) opposing censorship by foreign governments;
(9) leading diplomatic engagements on information freedom;
and
(10) performing such other duties as the Under Secretary
for Public Diplomacy may from time to time designate.
(c) Appointments.--
(1) First appointment.--The individual serving as the
Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs on the day
immediately prior to the date of the enactment of this Act
shall be the Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications
on and after the date of the enactment of this Act, until such
individual vacates or is removed from such position.
(2) Subsequent appointments.--Any appointment of an
individual to the position of Assistant Secretary for Strategic
Communications subsequent to the term of the individual
described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to the advice and
consent of the Senate.
SEC. 722. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS.
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary
for Public Diplomacy under section 702, the Assistant Secretary for
Strategic Communications shall receive the funds necessary to fulfill
Bureau functions and the Assistant Secretary's responsibilities for
fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
SEC. 723. REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR INTERNATIONAL
EXPOSITIONS.
Section 204 of the Admiral James W. Nance and Meg Donovan Foreign
Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 (22 U.S.C.
2452b) is repealed.
Subtitle D--United States Code Classification
SEC. 731. UNITED STATES CODE CLASSIFICATION.
The Office of Law Revision Counsel shall--
(1) reclassify sections 211a through 214a, 217a, and 218 of
title 22, United States Code, as sections 244 through 254 of
title 22, United States Code;
(2) utilize sections 191 through 221 of title 22, United
States Code, to classify the sections of this title; and
(3) maintain the legislative history, under editorial
notes, of repealed and reclassified law which previously
occupied the corresponding sections of United States Code.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 48 - 0.
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