Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§2656d Responsibilities of Secretary of State

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 38— - DEPARTMENT OF STATE › § 2656d

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State must lead and oversee major science and technology agreements and projects between the United States and other countries, international organizations, or joint commissions. Before talks begin, the Secretary must consult federal agencies that have main responsibility or a strong interest, like those in charge of technology policy, national security, trade, and any covered by relevant Executive orders. In deciding whether to support an agreement or activity, the Secretary must weigh scientific quality, fair access, possible commercial or trade links with the United States, national security, and any other relevant factors. When Congress provides money, the Secretary may hire consultants, sign contracts, make grants, and take other steps to get studies and advice on using science and technology in foreign policy. The Secretary may also fund short- and long-term help to train U.S. government employees at all Foreign Service and Civil Service levels in using science and technology and in long-range planning and analysis. State Department staff may be allowed time away for graduate study. The Secretary can make grants or cooperative agreements for science and technology fellowship programs, including recruiting and paying stipends, travel, and other expenses. Those stipends are not counted as pay under 18 U.S.C. 209, and total grants for these programs cannot exceed $2,000,000 in any fiscal year.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §2656d

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)In order to implement the policies set forth in section 2656b of this title, the Secretary of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) shall have primary responsibility for coordination and oversight with respect to all major science or science and technology agreements and activities between the United States and foreign countries, international organizations, or commissions of which the United States and one or more foreign countries are members.
(2)In coordinating and overseeing such agreements and activities, the Secretary shall consider (A) scientific merit; (B) equity of access as described in section 2656c(b) of this title; (C) possible commercial or trade linkages with the United States which may flow from the agreement or activity; (D) national security concerns; and (E) any other factors deemed appropriate.
(3)Prior to entering into negotiations on such an agreement or activity, the Secretary shall provide Federal agencies which have primary responsibility for, or substantial interest in, the subject matter of the agreement or activity, including those agencies responsible for—
(A)Federal technology management policies set forth by Public Law 96–517 and the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 [15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.];
(B)national security policies;
(C)United States trade policies; and
(D)relevant Executive orders,
(b)The Secretary shall, to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into long-term contracts, including contracts for the services of consult­ants, and shall make grants and take other appropriate measures in order to obtain studies, analyses, and recommendations from knowledgeable persons and organizations with respect to the application of science or technology to problems of foreign policy.
(c)The Secretary shall, to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into short-term and long-term contracts, including contracts for the services of consult­ants, and shall make grants and take other appropriate measures in order to obtain assistance from knowledgeable persons and organizations in training officers and employees of the United States Government, at all levels of the Foreign Service and Civil Service—
(1)in the application of science and technology to problems of United States foreign policy and international relations generally; and
(2)in the skills of long-range planning and analysis with respect to the scientific and technological aspects of United States foreign policy.
(d)In obtaining assistance pursuant to subsection (c) in training personnel who are officers or employees of the Department of State, the Secretary may provide for detached service for graduate study at accredited colleges and universities.
(e)(1)The Secretary is authorized to make grants or enter into cooperative agreements related to Department of State science and technology fellowship programs, including for assistance in recruiting fellows and the payment of stipends, travel, and other appropriate expenses to fellows.
(2)Stipends under paragraph (1) shall not be considered compensation for purposes of section 209 of title 18.
(3)The total amount of grants made pursuant to this subsection may not exceed $2,000,000 in any fiscal year.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Public Law 96–517, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), is Pub. L. 96–517, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 3015, which enacted sections 200 to 211 and 301 to 307 of Title 35, Patents, amended section 1113 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade, section 101 and 117 of Title 17, Copyrights, section 41, 42, and 154 of Title 35, and section 2186 and 5908 and former section 2457 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and enacted provisions set out as notes under section 13 and 41 of Title 35. Section 2457 of Title 42 was repealed and restated as section 20135 of Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs, by Pub. L. 111–314, §§ 3, 6, Dec. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 3328, 3444. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 1980 Amendment note set out under section 41 of Title 35 and Tables. The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), is Pub. L. 96–480, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2311, which is classified generally to chapter 63 (§ 3701 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 3701 of Title 15 and Tables.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted “$2,000,000” for “$500,000”. 2021—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–81 added subsec. (e). 1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–418 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “In order to implement the policy set forth in section 2656b of this title, the Secretary of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘Secretary’) shall have primary responsibility for coordination and oversight with respect to all major science or science and technology agreements and activities between the United States and foreign countries, international organizations, or commissions of which the United States and one or more foreign countries are members.” 1982—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97–241 struck out subsec. (e) which provided that not later than Jan. 20, 1979, the Secretary transmit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, a report on the implementation of his responsibilities under this title, which report was to include an assessment of the personnel required in order to carry out such responsibilities, existing and planned programs for research and analysis to support long-range planning for the application of science and technology to foreign policy, existing and planned programs for training officers and employees of the United States Government pursuant to subsec. (c) of this section, and existing and planned programs to enter into long-term contracts with academic and other organizations for assistance in training and in obtaining studies, analyses, and recommendations with respect to the application of science or technology to problems of foreign policy.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Multilateral Agreement Governing Use of Nuclear-Powered Satellites Pub. L. 95–426, title VI, § 608, Oct. 7, 1978, 92 Stat. 988, as amended by Pub. L. 97–241, title V, § 505(a)(2), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 299, provided that: “(a) The Congress finds that—“(1) no international regime governs the use of nuclear-powered satellites in space; “(2) the unregulated use of such technology poses the possibility of catastrophic damage to human life and the global environment; and “(3) this danger has been evidenced by mishaps encountered, despite certain precautions, by nuclear-powered satellites of both the United States and the Soviet Union. “(b) It is therefore the sense of the Congress that the United States should take the initiative immediately in seeking a multilateral agreement governing the use of nuclear-powered satellites in space. “(c) [Repealed. Pub. L. 97–241, title V, § 505(a)(2), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 299.]”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 2656d

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73