Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§1464b Voice of America hiring practices

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 18— - UNITED STATES INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - DISSEMINATION ABROAD OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNITED STATES › § 1464b

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

After February 16, 1990, Voice of America may not hire anyone who must be preapproved for the job by a foreign government or an entity controlled by a foreign government. The ban does not apply to people in VOA exchange programs or to clerical, technical, or maintenance staff at VOA offices abroad. If the Broadcasting Board of Governors decides the ban would force the end of a specific VOA foreign‑language service, then at least 90 days before recruiting such preapproved candidates the Board must send a report to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs showing (1) how many and where eligible speakers could be hired without breaking the rule, and (2) what steps VOA took to recruit those people.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §1464b

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)After February 16, 1990, the Voice of America shall not select candidates for employment who must be or are preapproved for employment at the Voice of America by a foreign government or an entity controlled by a foreign government.
(b)The prohibition referred to in this section shall not apply to—
(1)participants in the Voice of America’s exchange programs; or
(2)clerical, technical, or maintenance staff at Voice of America offices in foreign countries.
(c)If the Broadcasting Board of Governors determines that the prohibition under subsection (a) would require the termination of a specific Voice of America foreign language service, then, not less than 90 days before the Board begins to recruit such candidates, the Board shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report concerning—
(1)the number and location of speakers of the applicable foreign language who could be recruited by the Voice of America without violating this section; and
(2)the efforts made by the Voice of America to recruit such individuals for employment.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–277, in introductory provisions, substituted “Broadcasting Board of Governors” for “Director of the United States Information Agency”, “Board begins” for “Agency begins”, and “Board shall” for “Director shall”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Broadcasting Board of Governors renamed United States Agency for Global Media pursuant to section 6204(a)(21) of this title. The renaming was effectuated by notice to congressional appropriations committees dated May 24, 2018, and became effective Aug. 22, 2018.

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–277 effective Oct. 1, 1999, see section 1301 of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 6531 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 1464b

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73