[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6328. Ms. ROSEN (for herself, Mr. Curtis, and Mr. Padilla)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S.
4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of title XII, add the following:
Subtitle F--American Decade of Sports
SECTION 1271. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``American Decade of
Sports Act''.
SEC. 1272. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(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. 1273. 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. 1274. 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 1273, 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. 1275. ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION REPORTS.
Not later than 1 year after the submission of the strategy
required under section 1273(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
subtitle.
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