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119-hr-5251119th Congress

To provide for the public diplomacy authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.

Sponsored By: Representative Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4]

In Committee

Summary

Centralize U.S. public diplomacy and strategic communications under a new Under Secretary. This bill would create a single senior leader at the State Department to coordinate foreign-facing information operations, public diplomacy, and international exchanges while adding two assistant secretaries and authorizing funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

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  • Students and exchange participants would see exchange programs folded under a new Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs to improve coordination, cut overhead, and expand cost-sharing with private and nonprofit partners.
  • U.S.-funded and independent media would get new support and distribution tools through an Office of Global Distribution and News Services that would run an open-content wire service, handle translation and distribution, and receive statements or editorial material from the Under Secretary.
  • State Department staff and U.S. agencies would be reorganized around regional public diplomacy teams and a single lead who would allocate resources, set annual strategic plans, and chair interagency messaging meetings with Defense, Commerce, Treasury, the intelligence community, and G7 partners.
  • Global audiences would be targeted with efforts to counter foreign censorship, expand internet freedom and circumvention tools, and document malign actions by foreign adversaries.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New State Department public diplomacy leadership

This bill would set up an Under Secretary to lead U.S. public diplomacy and foreign-facing information work. They would plan strategy each year, run regional teams, help U.S.-funded media, and counter foreign censorship. It would also create two Assistant Secretaries: one to run student and cultural exchanges, and one to direct strategic communications. The strategic communications office would build an open-content wire service to translate and share U.S. Government content. The current head of Global Public Affairs would serve in that new role until replaced. Funding would come from amounts Congress authorizes for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.

Removes limit on expo funding

The bill would repeal a rule that limits how funds can be used for international expositions. This could let the State Department use money for expositions if Congress approves the funds and other laws allow it.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4]

MI • R

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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