[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3676 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 502
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3676
To require a sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the
major sporting events being hosted in the United States during the next
decade to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic relationships,
and global leadership, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 15, 2026
Ms. Rosen (for herself, Mr. Young, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Curtis)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
July 27, 2026
Reported by Ms. Rosen, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the
major sporting events being hosted in the United States during the next
decade to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic relationships,
and global leadership, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``American Decade of Sports
Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> In this Act:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) American decade of sports; mega-decade of
sports.--The terms ``American decade of sports'' and ``mega-
decade of sports'' mean the major international sporting
competitions hosted in the United States between 2024 and 2034,
including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the 2024 Copa America;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the 2025 Club World Cup;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) the 2026 FIFA World Cup;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) the 2028 Summer Olympics and
Paralympics;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) the 2031 Men's and 2033 Women's Rugby
World Cup; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (F) the 2034 Winter Olympics and
Paralympics.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of
the House of Representatives.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. MEGA-DECADE SPORTS DIPLOMACY STRATEGY.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Submission.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and not later than 5 years after such date,
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a 5-year sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage
the major sporting events being hosted in the United States to enhance
United States soft power, diplomatic relationships, and global
leadership.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Elements.--Both strategies required under subsection
(a) shall include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) a description of the Department of State's
diplomatic objectives and metrics of success related to the
mega-decade of sports;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) a plan to partner with local host cities,
diaspora communities, creatives, athletes, the sports industry,
private sector entities, human rights organizations, and civil
society stakeholders surrounding the competitions for the
purpose of showcasing United States national strengths and
forging new diplomatic connections;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) a plan to coordinate internally within the
Department of State to leverage sporting events to advance
various diplomatic lines of effort, including by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) integrating sports diplomacy into
regional bureaus' bilateral engagements and efforts to
pursue new areas of cooperation with foreign
partners;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) integrating sports into public
diplomacy to reach new foreign audiences that might not
otherwise engage with United States embassies abroad;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) leveraging sports diplomacy to advance
commercial diplomacy;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) a plan to ensure an expeditious and secure
visa process for athletes and their families and support staff
and eligible international visitors planning to travel to the
United States to attend major international sporting events,
including reducing visa appointment wait times;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) a description of the financial and personnel
support needed to implement the 5-year sports diplomacy
strategy; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) any plans to deploy domestic public diplomacy
resources, such as the Cultural Unit and Foreign Press Center
established during the 1984 Olympic Games, to enable foreign
visitors to engage with American culture and values.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Public Availability.--The strategies required under
subsection (a) shall be made publicly available on an internet website
of the Department of State not later than--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, with respect to the first 5-year strategy;
or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) 5 years after the date described in paragraph
(1), with respect to the second 5-year strategy.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (d) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) consult with the appropriate congressional
committees regarding the elements of the strategy required
under subsection (a) before submitting either strategy;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) provide information regarding the
implementation of the most recently submitted strategy every
180 days during the period beginning on the date of such
submission and ending on December 31, 2034.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF SPORTS DIPLOMACY TO
CARRY OUT THE MEGA-DECADE OF SPORTS DIPLOMACY
STRATEGY.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall rename the
Sports Diplomacy Division in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs as the Office of Sports Diplomacy (referred to in this section
as the ``Office''). The Office shall be under the general supervision
of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural
Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Functions.--The Office shall manage sports diplomacy
exchange programs and implement each strategy required under section
3(a), including by coordinating with internal Department of State and
interagency stakeholders--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) to coordinate the implementation of the
strategy across relevant bureaus, directorates, and offices of
the Department of State;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) to work with host cities and their social,
political, and economic partners to identify new avenues for
engagement with foreign entities;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) to engage local diaspora communities to deepen
people-to-people connections with foreign visitors and
officials;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) to partner with the United States sports
industry, major sports leagues, and individual athletes to
promote new international sports partnerships and sports
diplomacy programs;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) to collaborate with host cities' international
trade and tourism offices to deepen economic and commercial
ties with foreign nations;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) to elevate American arts, film, and music
creators to promote cultural exchange and connection with
foreign visitors; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) to coordinate with internal Department of
State and interagency stakeholders to ensure efficient and
expeditious processing of visas for eligible international
visitors, broadcasters, athletes, and support staff interested
in attending major international sporting events in the United
States.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Full-Time Equivalent Employees.--During the period
beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act and ending on December 31, 2034, the Secretary of State shall
assign to the Office not fewer than 3 additional full-time equivalent
staff dedicated exclusively to implementing each strategy required
under section 3(a). These staff shall be assigned to the Office by
considering mechanisms, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the use of existing flexible hiring
authorities, including Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) the realignment of existing
personnel.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Not later than 1 year after the submission of the first
strategy required under section 2(a), and annually thereafter until
December 31, 2034, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the
appropriate congressional committees describing the progress made
toward achieving the objectives of this Act.</DELETED>
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Decade of Sports Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) American decade of sports; mega-decade of sports.--The
terms ``American decade of sports'' and ``mega-decade of
sports'' mean the major international sporting competitions
hosted in the United States between 2024 and 2034, including--
(A) the 2024 Copa America;
(B) the 2025 Club World Cup;
(C) the 2026 FIFA World Cup;
(D) the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics;
(E) the 2031 Men's and 2033 Women's Rugby World
Cup; and
(F) the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives.
SEC. 3. MEGA-DECADE SPORTS DIPLOMACY STRATEGY.
(a) Submission of Initial Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 5-year sports
diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the major sporting events
being hosted in the United States to enhance United States soft power,
diplomatic relationships, and global leadership.
(b) Submission of Subsequent Strategy.--Not later than 5 years
after the date on which the initial strategy is submitted pursuant to
subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a subsequent 5-year strategy that is similar
to the strategy described in subsection (a), but also includes
evaluations of lessons learned from international sporting events held
in the United States during the previous 5-year period.
(c) Elements.--The strategies required under subsections (a) and
(b) shall include--
(1) a description of the Department of State's diplomatic
objectives and metrics of success related to the mega-decade of
sports;
(2) a plan to partner with local host cities, diaspora
communities, creatives, athletes, the sports industry, private
sector entities, human rights organizations, and civil society
stakeholders surrounding the competitions for the purpose of
showcasing United States national strengths and forging new
diplomatic connections;
(3) a plan to coordinate internally within the Department
of State to leverage sporting events to advance various
diplomatic lines of effort, including by--
(A) integrating sports diplomacy into regional
bureaus' bilateral engagements and efforts to pursue
new areas of cooperation with foreign partners;
(B) integrating sports into public diplomacy to
reach new foreign audiences that might not otherwise
engage with United States embassies abroad; and
(C) leveraging sports diplomacy to advance
commercial diplomacy;
(4) a plan to ensure an expeditious and secure visa process
for athletes and their families and support staff and eligible
international visitors planning to travel to the United States
to attend major international sporting events, including
reducing visa appointment wait times;
(5) a description of the financial and personnel support
needed to implement the 5-year sports diplomacy strategy; and
(6) any plans to deploy domestic public diplomacy
resources, such as the Cultural Unit and Foreign Press Center
established during the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, to enable
foreign visitors to engage with American culture and values.
(d) Public Availability.--The strategies required under subsections
(a) and (b) shall be made publicly available on an internet website of
the Department of State not later than--
(1) 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
with respect to the strategy required under subsection (a); and
(2) 5 years after the date described in paragraph (1), with
respect to the strategy required under subsection (b).
(e) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall--
(1) consult with the appropriate congressional committees
regarding the elements of the strategy required under
subsection (a) before submitting either strategy; and
(2) provide information regarding the implementation of the
most recently submitted strategy every 180 days during the
period beginning on the date of such submission and ending on
December 31, 2034.
SEC. 4. OFFICE OF SPORTS DIPLOMACY.
(a) In General.--The Office of Sports Diplomacy (referred to in
this section as the ``Office'') is established in the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State.
(b) Functions.--The Office shall manage sports diplomacy exchange
programs and implement the strategies required under subsections (a)
and (b) of section 3, including by coordinating with internal
Department of State and interagency stakeholders--
(1) to coordinate the implementation of the strategy across
relevant bureaus, directorates, and offices of the Department
of State;
(2) to work with host cities and their social, political,
and economic partners to identify new avenues for engagement
with foreign entities;
(3) to engage local diaspora communities to deepen people-
to-people connections with foreign visitors and officials;
(4) to partner with the United States sports industry,
major sports leagues, and individual athletes to promote new
international sports partnerships and sports diplomacy
programs;
(5) to collaborate with host cities' international trade
and tourism offices to deepen economic and commercial ties with
foreign nations;
(6) to elevate American arts, film, and music creators to
promote cultural exchange and connection with foreign visitors;
and
(7) to coordinate with internal Department of State and
interagency stakeholders to ensure efficient and expeditious
processing of visas for eligible international visitors,
broadcasters, athletes, and support staff interested in
attending major international sporting events in the United
States.
(c) Sunset.--This section shall cease to have effect beginning on
the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS.
Not later than 1 year after the submission of the strategy required
under section 3(a), and annually thereafter until December 31, 2034,
the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the appropriate
congressional committees describing the progress made toward achieving
the objectives of this Act.
Calendar No. 502
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3676
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the
major sporting events being hosted in the United States during the next
decade to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic relationships,
and global leadership, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 27, 2026
Reported with an amendment