[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3672-S3673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6534. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him 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 subtitle E of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 1270A. DISSEMINATION ABROAD OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE
UNITED STATES.
(a) United States Information and Educational Exchange Act
of 1948.--Section 501 of the United States Information and
Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461) is amended
to read as follows:
[[Page S3673]]
``SEC. 501. GENERAL AUTHORIZATION.
``(a) Dissemination of Information Abroad.-- The Chief
Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global
Media (referred to in this section as the `USAGM CEO'),
working through its component networks, is authorized to
provide for the preparation, and dissemination abroad, of
information about the United States, its people, and its
policies, through press, publications, radio, motion
pictures, the Internet, and other information media, and
through information centers, instructors abroad, and other
direct or indirect means of communication. Except as provided
in subsection (b), any such information (other than `Problems
of Communism' and the `English Teaching Forum', which may be
sold by the Government Publishing Office) may not be
disseminated within the United States, its territories, or
possessions. However, such information may be made available
in the English language at the Department of State, at all
reasonable times following its release as information abroad,
for examination only by representatives of United States
press associations, newspapers, magazines, radio systems, and
stations, and by research students and scholars, and on
request, shall be made available for examination by Members
of Congress.
``(b) Dissemination of Information Within the United
States.--
``(1) In general.--The USAGM CEO shall make available to
the Archivist of the United States (referred to in this
subsection as the `Archivist'), for domestic distribution,
motion pictures, films, video, audio, and other materials
prepared for dissemination abroad beginning 12 years after
the date on which--
``(A) such material was initially disseminated abroad; or
``(B) the material was prepared, if such material was never
disseminated abroad.
``(2) Reimbursement.--The USAGM CEO shall be reimbursed for
any expenses resulting from the implementation of paragraph
(1). Such reimbursement shall be credited to the applicable
appropriation of the United States Agency for Global Media.
``(3) Responsibilities of the archivist.--The Archivist--
``(A) shall be the official custodian of the material
described in paragraph (1);
``(B) shall promulgate regulations to ensure that persons
seeking the release of such material--
``(i) have secured necessary United States rights and
licenses; and
``(ii) have paid a fee, in accordance with section 2116(c)
of title 44, United States Code, which is sufficient to cover
the costs incurred by the Archivist to provide such material
to such persons; and
``(C) all fees collected pursuant to subparagraph (B)(ii)
are paid into, administered, and expended as part of the
National Archives Trust Fund.
``(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to require the USAGM CEO to make material
disseminated abroad available in any format other than in the
format disseminated abroad.''.
(b) Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986
and 1987.--
(1) In general.--Section 208 of the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 (22 U.S.C.
1461-1a) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 208. BAN ON DOMESTIC ACTIVITIES OF THE UNITED STATES
AGENCY FOR GLOBAL MEDIA.
``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsections (b)
and (c) and in section 501 of the United States Information
and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461)--
``(1) amounts appropriated to the United States Agency for
Global Media or its component networks (referred to
collectively in this section as `USAGM') may not be used to
influence public opinion in the United States; and
``(2) no program material prepared by USAGM may be
distributed within the United States.
``(b) Exemption.--The limitation under subsection (a) shall
not apply to programs carried out pursuant to the Mutual
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451
et seq.).
``(c) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to prohibit any employee of the United States
Agency for Global Media from responding to inquiries from
members of the public about USAGM operations, policies, or
programs.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for the
Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and
1987 (22 U.S.C. 1461-1a) is amended by striking the item
relating to section 208 and inserting the following:
``Sec. 208. Ban on domestic activities of the United States Agency for
Global Media.''.
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