targeting foreign audiences, strategic communications and 
information, international educational and cultural ex-
change programs, and such other duties as the Secretary 
may from time to time designate. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—In addition to the respon-
sibilities described under subsection (a), the Under Sec-
retary for Public Diplomacy shall oversee and coordinate 
all matters pertaining to global public diplomacy and for-
eign information operations, including, as appropriate— 
(1) leading and directing all information and 
public diplomacy activities targeted at foreign audi-
ences, communicating United States policy to for-
eign audiences, documenting and exposing the ma-
lign actions of foreign adversaries, ensuring global 
access to free information, and countering foreign 
censorship; 
(2) preparing and leading implementation of an 
annual strategic plan for public diplomacy in col-
laboration with regional and functional bureaus and 
overseas posts and in consultation with relevant na-
tional security agencies; 
(3) ensuring public diplomacy programs are as-
sessed using effective and appropriate evaluation 
methods; 
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(4) overseeing and directing Department per-
sonnel in the United States and abroad who conduct 
or implement public diplomacy policies, programs, 
and activities; 
(5) assisting United States-funded media to 
present the policies of the United States clearly and 
effectively; 
(6) submitting statements of United States pol-
icy and editorial material to the United States-fund-
ed media; 
(7) allocating and managing the financial and 
human resources for all public diplomacy functions 
within the Department of State, including for— 
(A) the Bureau of Educational and Cul-
tural Affairs; 
(B) the Bureau of Strategic Communica-
tions; and 
(C) the public diplomacy functions within 
the regional and functional bureaus; 
(8) establishing and overseeing a regional public 
diplomacy team for each region, each of which 
shall— 
(A) integrate all public diplomacy pro-
gramming and operations of the Department; 
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(B) implement such programming and op-
erations in the region of such team; and 
(C) be responsible for— 
(i) operationalizing the Department’s 
public diplomacy strategy in the region of 
such team; 
(ii) enabling region-specific execution 
of such strategy; and 
(iii) maintaining coherence with a uni-
fied United States strategy and over-
arching global objectives of the Depart-
ment; 
(9) serving as Chair of interagency meetings on 
public diplomacy to align messaging across the De-
partment of Defense, Department of State, Depart-
ment of Commerce, Department of the Treasury, the 
intelligence community, and members of the Group 
of Seven; and 
(10) performing such other duties as the Sec-
retary may from time to time designate. 
SECTION 702. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR 
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY. 
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the 
Secretary of State under section 141, the Under Secretary 
for Public Diplomacy shall receive the funds necessary to 
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fulfill missions and responsibilities for fiscal years 2026 
and 2027. 
Subtitle B—Educational and 
Cultural Affairs 
SEC. 711. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND 
CULTURAL AFFAIRS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be in the Depart-
ment an Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural 
Affairs who shall be responsible to the Under Secretary 
for Public Diplomacy for matters pertaining to the devel-
opment, implementation, and oversight of all educational, 
cultural, and professional exchange programs, as well as 
related initiatives and activities, and such other related 
duties as the Secretary may from time to time designate. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—In addition to the respon-
sibilities described under subsection (a), the Assistant Sec-
retary for Educational and Cultural Affairs shall be re-
sponsible for matters pertaining to academic, cultural, and 
professional exchanges in the conduct of foreign policy, in-
cluding, as appropriate— 
(1) administering programs for youth and stu-
dents, young leaders, established leaders, cultural 
elites, members of the press, and influencers, includ-
ing the programs described in section 112 of the 
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Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2460); 
(2) integrating all exchange programming into 
global public diplomacy planning; 
(3) identifying regional priorities; 
(4) reducing overhead and administrative 
spending costs for programs; 
(5) consolidating support services for programs; 
(6) expanding cost-sharing partnerships with 
the private and nonprofit sectors; 
(7) ensuring clear foreign policy outcomes and 
performance; and 
(8) performing such other duties as the Under 
Secretary for Public Diplomacy may from time to 
time designate. 
SEC. 712. BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AF-
FAIRS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of State shall 
maintain the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
described in section 112 of the Mutual Educational and 
Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2460), which 
shall perform functions related to academic, cultural, and 
professional exchanges as the Under Secretary for Public 
Diplomacy may prescribe. 
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(b) HEAD OF BUREAU.—The Assistant Secretary for 
Educational and Cultural Affairs shall be the head of the 
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 
SEC. 713. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR EDU-
CATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS. 
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the 
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy under section 702, 
the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Af-
fairs shall receive the funds necessary to fulfill Bureau 
functions and the Assistant Secretary’s responsibilities for 
fiscal years 2026 and 2027. 
Subtitle C—Strategic 
Communications 
SEC. 721. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR STRATEGIC COMMU-
NICATIONS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is authorized to be in 
the Department an Assistant Secretary for Strategic Com-
munications who shall be responsible to the Under Sec-
retary for Public Diplomacy for matters pertaining to 
strategic communication, global access to free information, 
countering foreign censorship efforts, and such other re-
lated duties as the Secretary may from time to time des-
ignate. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—In addition to the respon-
sibilities described under subsection (a), the Assistant Sec-
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retary for Strategic Communications shall oversee and co-
ordinate all matters pertaining to foreign policy messaging 
in the conduct of foreign policy, including, as appro-
priate— 
(1) overseeing foreign-facing information oper-
ations; 
(2) managing regional content operations and 
media relations; 
(3) overseeing and providing strategic direction 
for all United States Government funded media enti-
ties; 
(4) establishing and overseeing an Office of 
Global Distribution and News Services that shall— 
(A) create and lead the open-content wire 
service; and 
(B) manage translation and distribution of 
United States Government content; 
(5) supporting investigative and independent 
media; 
(6) advocating for internet freedom; 
(7) advancing circumvention and access tools; 
(8) opposing censorship by foreign govern-
ments; 
(9) leading diplomatic engagements on informa-
tion freedom; and 
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(10) performing such other duties as the Under 
Secretary for Public Diplomacy may from time to 
time designate. 
(c) APPOINTMENTS.— 
(1) FIRST APPOINTMENT.—The individual serv-
ing as the Assistant Secretary for Global Public Af-
fairs on the day immediately prior to the date of the 
enactment of this Act shall be the Assistant Sec-
retary for Strategic Communications on and after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, until such in-
dividual vacates or is removed from such position. 
(2) SUBSEQUENT
APPOINTMENTS.—Any ap-
pointment of an individual to the position of Assist-
ant Secretary for Strategic Communications subse-
quent to the term of the individual described in 
paragraph (1) shall be subject to the advice and con-
sent of the Senate. 
SEC. 722. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR STRA-
TEGIC COMMUNICATIONS. 
Of the funds authorized to be appropriated to the 
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy under section 702, 
the Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications 
shall receive the funds necessary to fulfill Bureau func-
tions and the Assistant Secretary’s responsibilities for fis-
cal years 2026 and 2027. 
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SEC. 723. REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR 
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITIONS. 
Section 204 of the Admiral James W. Nance and 
Meg Donovan Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
Years 2000 and 2001 (22 U.S.C. 2452b) is repealed. 
Subtitle D—United States Code 
Classification 
SEC. 731. UNITED STATES CODE CLASSIFICATION. 
The Office of Law Revision Counsel shall— 
(1) reclassify sections 211a through 214a, 
217a, and 218 of title 22, United States Code, as 
sections 244 through 254 of title 22, United States 
Code; 
(2) utilize sections 191 through 221 of title 22, 
United States Code, to classify the sections of this 
title; and 
(3) maintain the legislative history, under edi-
torial notes, of repealed and reclassified law which 
previously occupied the corresponding sections of 
United States Code. 
Æ 
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