I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2985 
To establish a public diplomacy international exchange program to be known 
as the Ambassador’s Fund for Strategic Exchanges, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2009 
Mr. MORAN of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To establish a public diplomacy international exchange pro-
gram to be known as the Ambassador’s Fund for Stra-
tegic Exchanges, 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 ‘‘Ambassador’s Fund 
for Strategic Exchanges Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The United States has a strategic national 
interest in improving its image around the world, 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
18:51 Jun 21, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
given the historically low levels of public opinion to-
ward the United States in many countries. 
(2) International exchange programs have been 
proven to be one of the most beneficial and cost-ef-
fective means by which to promote mutual under-
standing between citizens of the United States and 
citizens of other countries and to advance United 
States national interests through closer working 
partnerships with leaders around the world. 
(3) Prominent world leaders during recent dec-
ades, such as Tony Blair and Anwar Sadat, have 
deepened their friendship and openness to the 
United States through international exchanges, and 
many persons who previously had highly anti-Amer-
ican opinions have changed their views after partici-
pating in exchange programs organized by the 
United States Government. 
(4) United States exchange programs, such as 
the International Visitors Program, make a tremen-
dous impact in the lives of those individuals who 
participate and consistently are ranked by public di-
plomacy experts as some of the most effective public 
diplomacy programs. 
(5) The International Visitors Program of the 
United States Department of State organizes ex-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
23:39 Jun 30, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
change programs for anticipated future leaders in 
their countries who travel to the United States for 
programs generally of three weeks, and it produces 
very positive results among its target audience. 
(6) Another key target audience for United 
States exchanges is not addressed by the Inter-
national Visitors Program; this group includes cur-
rent political, economic, and civil society leaders, 
often from less privileged backgrounds, who have not 
traveled to the United States previously. 
(7) Such persons currently in leadership posi-
tions in their countries are often unable to leave 
their jobs for a period of three weeks, given the 
press of their responsibilities, and United States em-
bassies administering exchange programs not infre-
quently find that identified candidates for Inter-
national Visitor Program exchanges decline partici-
pation because of this fact. 
(8) A number of United States embassies, in-
cluding the embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, have piloted 
country-specific, embassy-initiated exchange pro-
grams targeted to such groups of current leaders 
who have never traveled to the United States. These 
programs generally last from 5-7 program days and 
bring together 8-10 participants from a country who 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
18:51 Jun 21, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
work on similar issues but have not worked with 
each other before. Some of these programs have 
been coordinated with the Voluntary Visitors Divi-
sion of the International Visitors Office in the Bu-
reau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the De-
partment of State. 
(9) Such programs have proven highly effective 
in having an immediate impact on current leaders 
working in key sectors and in helping advance 
United States interests such as greater democratiza-
tion, observance of human rights, economic reform 
and poverty alleviation, empowerment of women and 
girls, and improved cooperation with the United 
States in confronting threats from organized crime, 
narco-trafficking, and terrorist groups. These pro-
grams also promote greater cooperation across sec-
tors, agencies, and regions within a country, given 
the shared experience the exchange visitors have to-
gether during their trip to the United States. 
(10) A key element of the success of these pilot 
exchanges is that they are conceived and developed 
in individual embassies overseas, keyed to specific 
interests of the United States in each country. 
(11) However, these pilot exchanges currently 
have not been replicated widely within the Depart-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
18:51 Jun 21, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
ment of State, being confined to only a few United 
States embassies around the world, because there 
are no Department-wide programmatic guidelines or 
central funding for these exchange programs. 
SEC. 3. AMBASSADOR’S FUND FOR STRATEGIC EXCHANGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall es-
tablish in the Voluntary Visitors Division of the Office of 
International Visitors in the Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs a program to conduct public diplomacy 
exchanges, to be known as the ‘‘Ambassador’s Fund for 
Strategic Exchanges’’, to bring political, economic, civil 
society, and other leaders to the United States for short- 
term exchange visits in order to advance key United States 
strategic goals. 
(b) COORDINATION.—Under the program established 
pursuant to subsection (a), each United States embassy 
and the Office of International Visitors shall coordinate 
to develop the short-term exchange visits described in such 
subsection. 
(c) NUMBER AND DURATION.—The short-term ex-
change visits shall be for groups of up to between eight 
and ten participants, and shall be for visits of five to eight 
days. 
(d) AREAS OF FOCUS.—The key United States stra-
tegic goals referred to in subsection (a) may include the 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
18:51 Jun 21, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
following, as determined by the individual United States 
embassy and the Office of International Visitors: 
(1) 
Strengthening 
democracy 
and 
human 
rights. 
(2) Advancing the rule of law. 
(3) Strengthening cooperation in the fight 
against terrorism, organized crime, and drug traf-
ficking. 
(4) Reducing poverty and promoting economic 
reform. 
(5) Empowering women and girls. 
(6) Broadening political and economic partici-
pation to include traditionally excluded groups. 
(7) Other embassy and Office of International 
Visitors-identified priority purposes. 
(e) SELECTION.—The Bureau of Educational and 
Cultural Affairs shall solicit proposals from United States 
embassies for short-term exchange visits and select among 
them on a competitive basis. 
(f) COST-SHARING AND FUNDING.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In accordance with para-
graphs (2) and (3), as appropriate, the Bureau of 
Educational and Cultural Affairs and the United 
States embassies shall engage in cost-sharing in car-
rying out the short-term exchange visits. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
18:51 Jun 21, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
(2) BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL 
AFFAIRS.—From amounts authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act pursuant to section 4 
and from amounts made available for the regular 
program budget of the Voluntary Visitors Division, 
such sums as may be necessary are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Bureau of Educational and Cul-
tural Affairs to carry out the short-term exchange 
visits. Such visits shall be treated in the same man-
ner as Voluntary Visitor trips are treated. 
(3) UNITED STATES EMBASSIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—From amounts author-
ized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
and from amounts made available for the public 
diplomacy budgets of United States embassies, 
such sums as may be necessary are authorized 
to be appropriated to such embassies to carry 
out the short-term exchange visits. Allowable 
expenses associated with such visits include air-
fares, pre-departure expenses, and such other 
expenses as are needed to allow individuals to 
travel to the United States to participate in 
such visits. 
(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this section may be construed as imposing any 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
18:51 Jun 21, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
restrictions, such as restrictions included in the 
Foreign Affairs Manual of the Department of 
State, on the ability of United States embassies 
to pay for airfares of individuals participating 
in the short-term exchange visits. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary of State such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act. 
(b) ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS.—In addition to amounts 
authorized to be appropriated pursuant to subsection (a), 
there are authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 to the 
International Visitors Program for Professional and Cul-
tural Exchanges for short-term exchange visits conducted 
under the auspices of the Ambassador’s Fund for Stra-
tegic Exchanges. Such amounts shall be administered by 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
18:51 Jun 21, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2985.IH
H2985
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS