# 119-hr-5251: To provide for the public diplomacy authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.

119-hr-5251, To provide for the public diplomacy authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4] (R-MI); status in_committee (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5251
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5251
- Congress: 119
- Title: To provide for the public diplomacy authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-09-10
- Sponsor: Rep. Huizenga, Bill [R-MI-4] (R-MI)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## 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. - 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.

## Provisions PRIA read

- New State Department public diplomacy leadership: benefit, low. 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 cultura…
- Removes limit on expo funding: benefit, low. 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.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act
- 119-hr-6955: Main Street Capital Access Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-5251 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5251)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-3633: Digital Asset Market Clarity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3633)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-2570: Maximum Pressure Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2570)
- [119-hr-6955: Main Street Capital Access Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6955)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5251 (as of 2026-04-21).