I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5729 
To modernize authorities to fight and win the war of ideas against violent 
extremist ideologies over the internet and other mediums of information, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 13, 2010 
Mr. THORNBERRY (for himself, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. LANGEVIN, 
Ms. GIFFORDS, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. MILLER of Flor-
ida, Mr. TANNER, Mr. BOREN, and Mr. ROHRABACHER) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To modernize authorities to fight and win the war of ideas 
against violent extremist ideologies over the internet and 
other mediums of information, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Smith-Mundt 
Modernization Act of 2010’’. 
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SEC. 2. DISSEMINATION ABROAD OF INFORMATION ABOUT 
THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) UNITED
STATES
INFORMATION
AND
EDU-
CATIONAL EXCHANGE ACT
OF 1948.—Title V of the 
United States Information and Educational Exchange Act 
of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) 
in 
the 
title 
heading, 
by 
striking 
‘‘ABROAD’’; and 
(2) by amending section 501 to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 501. The Secretary is authorized to provide for 
the preparation and dissemination of information intended 
primarily for foreign audiences abroad about the United 
States, including about its people, its history, and the Fed-
eral Government’s policies, through press, publications, 
radio, motion pictures, the internet, and other information 
media, and through information centers and instructors.’’. 
(b) FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FIS-
CAL YEARS 1986 AND 1987.—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: 
‘‘CLARIFICATION ON DOMESTIC DISTRIBUTION OF 
PROGRAM MATERIAL 
‘‘SEC. 208. 
‘‘(a) No funds authorized to be appropriated to the 
Department of State shall be used for the purpose of influ-
encing public opinion or propagandizing in the United 
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States. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit 
or delay the Department from responding to inquiries 
about its operations, policies, programs, or program mate-
rial, or making such available to members of the media, 
public, or Congress. 
‘‘(b) No provision of this section shall be construed 
or interpreted to prohibit the Department of State to en-
gage in any medium of information on a presumption that 
a United States domestic audience may be exposed to pro-
gram material. Such material shall be available within the 
United States and disseminated pursuant to sections 502 
and 1005 of the United States Information and Edu-
cational Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1462 and 
1437). 
‘‘(c) The provisions of this section shall apply only 
to the Department of State and to no other department 
or agency of the Federal Government.’’. 
Æ 
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