I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5704 
To repeal the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2013 and to prohibit 
domestic propagandization by the Federal Government. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 8, 2025 
Mr. MASSIE (for himself and Mr. PERRY) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To repeal the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2013 and 
to prohibit domestic propagandization by the Federal 
Government. 
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 ‘‘Repeal the Smith- 
Mundt Modernization Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 
2. 
REPEAL 
SMITH-MUNDT 
DOMESTIC 
PROPAGANDIZATION. 
(a) UNITED
STATES
INFORMATION
AND
EDU-
CATIONAL EXCHANGE ACT OF 1948.—Section 501 of the 
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United States Information and Educational Exchange Act 
of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 501. GENERAL AUTHORIZATION. 
‘‘(a) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ABROAD.— 
The Secretary of State and the Chief Executive Officer 
of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) 
are authorized to provide for the preparation and dissemi-
nation 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 and instructors 
abroad, except that such dissemination may not include 
the use of social media accounts, websites, or podcasts 
other than official platforms maintained by the Depart-
ment of State or USAGM for purposes of foreign dissemi-
nation. 
‘‘(b) ABILITY TO REVIEW INFORMATION DOMESTI-
CALLY.— 
‘‘(1) Any materials produced under subsection 
(a) shall, upon request, be made available in the 
English language, at all reasonable times following 
their release abroad, for examination at the Depart-
ment of State or the United States Agency for Glob-
al Media, as appropriate, by representatives of 
United States press associations, newspapers, maga-
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zines, radio systems, and stations, and by Members 
of Congress. Except as provided in subsection (c), 
such materials may not be disseminated within the 
United States, except that Members of Congress 
may use such materials in the exercise of their offi-
cial oversight functions. 
‘‘(2) No funds authorized to be appropriated to 
the Department of State or the United States Agen-
cy for Global Media, or its component networks, 
shall be used for the purpose of influencing public 
opinion or propagandizing in the United States. 
‘‘(c) ARCHIVAL OF RECORDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State and 
the Chief Executive Officer of the United States 
Agency for Global Media shall make available to the 
Archivist of the United States any materials pro-
duced under subsection (a). Such materials shall be 
maintained by the Archivist and made accessible to 
the public only for examination in a format that per-
mits viewing but not reproduction or redistribu-
tion— 
‘‘(A) beginning on the date that is 20 
years after the date on which such material was 
initially disseminated abroad; or 
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‘‘(B) in the case of material that was pre-
pared but never disseminated abroad, beginning 
on the date that is 20 years after the date on 
which such material was prepared. 
‘‘(2) RESTRICTION
ON
DOMESTIC
DISSEMINA-
TION.—Any materials produced under subsection 
(a)— 
‘‘(A) may not be distributed domestically 
by the Archivist before the expiration of the 20- 
year period described in paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(B) any materials made accessible by the 
Archivist after such period, shall bear a clear 
and permanent identifier, watermark, or dis-
claimer indicating— 
‘‘(i) the United States Government 
entity responsible for its production; 
‘‘(ii) the foreign country or region for 
which the material was originally prepared 
or disseminated; and 
‘‘(iii) the purpose or program under 
which the material was produced, if appli-
cable. 
‘‘(3) RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ARCHIVIST.— 
The Archivist— 
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‘‘(A) shall be the official custodian of the 
material described in paragraph (1); 
‘‘(B) shall promulgate regulations to— 
‘‘(i) facilitate public examination of 
such materials in accordance with para-
graph (1); and 
‘‘(ii) govern the release of such mate-
rials in accordance with paragraph (2), in-
cluding requirements that any person seek-
ing such release— 
‘‘(I) has secured all necessary 
United States rights and licenses; and 
‘‘(II) has paid a fee, in accord-
ance with section 2116(c) of title 44, 
United States Code, sufficient to 
cover the costs incurred by the Archi-
vist in providing such materials; and 
‘‘(C) shall ensure that all fees collected 
under subparagraph (B)(ii)(II) are deposited 
into, administered, and expended as part of the 
National Archives Trust Fund. 
‘‘(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to require the Secretary of State 
or the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency 
for Global Media to make material disseminated abroad 
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available in any format other than in the format dissemi-
nated abroad.’’. 
(b) FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATIONS 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 DISTRIBUTION OF PROGRAM 
MATERIAL. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) USE OF FUNDS.—No funds authorized to 
be appropriated to the Department of State or the 
United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM), 
or any of its component networks, may be used to 
influence public opinion in the United States. 
‘‘(2) RESTRICTION
ON
DOMESTIC
DISTRIBU-
TION.—No program material prepared by USAGM 
may be distributed in the United States, except as 
provided in section 501 of the United States Infor-
mation and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (22 
U.S.C. 1461). 
‘‘(3) TRANSPARENCY EXCEPTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to prohibit or 
delay the Department of State or USAGM from pro-
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