Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§8262 United States democracy assistance programs

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 89— - ADVANCING DEMOCRATIC VALUES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VI— - FUNDING FOR PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY › § 8262

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress says using many different groups — like the National Endowment for Democracy, USAID, and the State Department — makes U.S. support for democracy stronger. The State Department’s Human Rights and Democracy Fund must pay for new programs, media, and materials that protect democratic values, strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights and the rule of law, and help build civil society around the world. Congress also notes democracy help comes in many forms (such as help for the rule of law, civil society, political parties, media, courts, audits, and security reform) and that how this help is coordinated needs to be clearer. The Secretary of State and the USAID Administrator must work with the right congressional committees to make simple guidelines for U.S. missions abroad on coordinating democracy assistance and choosing the right mix of grants, contracts, and other tools.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §8262

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)United States support for democracy is strengthened by using a variety of different instrumentalities, such as the National Endowment for Democracy, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Department; and

(2)the purpose of the Department’s Human Rights and Democracy Fund should be to support innovative programming, media, and materials designed to uphold democratic principles, practices, and values, support and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights and the rule of law, and build civil societies in countries around the world.

(b)(1)Congress finds the following:

(A)Democracy assistance has many different forms, including assistance to promote the rule of law, build the capacity of civil society, political parties, and legislatures, improve the independence of the media and the judiciary, enhance independent auditing functions, and advance security sector reform.

(B)There is a need for greater clarity on the coordination and delivery mechanisms for United States democracy assistance.

(2)It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development should develop guidelines, in consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, building on the existing framework for grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and other acquisition mechanisms to guide United States missions in foreign countries in coordinating United States democracy assistance and selecting the appropriate combination of such mechanisms for such assistance.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 8262

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73