Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.1253 | Sponsor: Rep. Meuser, Daniel (R-PA)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021
This bill establishes measures related to public diplomacy conducted by the Department of State.
Specifically, the bill directs the State Department to appoint a Director of Research and Evaluation in the State Department's Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The director's responsibilities shall include (1) overseeing research to improve State Department public diplomacy strategy and tactics, and (2) developing guidance and training for public diplomacy officers on interpreting and implementing public diplomacy-related research.
The bill permanently reauthorizes the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy and directs the commission to establish the Subcommittee for Research and Evaluation. The subcommittee shall provide advice regarding audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluation for State Department activities.
The bill directs the State Department to establish a working group to analyze a potential transition to a shared-services model for human resources, travel, purchasing, and all other executive support functions for all bureaus that report to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.
The State Department shall adopt certain guidelines related to collecting and utilizing information in the event of a closure or consolidation of a public diplomacy facility.

To modernize and streamline the public diplomacy capabilities of the 
     Department of State, increase evaluation of public diplomacy 
  programming, enhance strategic planning for the Department's public 
      diplomacy physical presence abroad, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Public Diplomacy Modernization Act 
of 2021''.

SEC. 2. AVOIDING DUPLICATION OF PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS.

    The Secretary of State shall--
            (1) identify opportunities for greater efficiency of 
        operations, including through improved coordination of efforts 
        across public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department 
        of State; and
            (2) maximize shared use of resources between, and within, 
        such public diplomacy bureaus and offices in cases in which 
        programs, facilities, or administrative functions are 
        duplicative or substantially overlapping.

SEC. 3. IMPROVING RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.

    (a) Research and Evaluation Activities.--The Secretary of State, 
acting through the Director of Research and Evaluation appointed 
pursuant to subsection (b), shall--
            (1) conduct regular research and evaluation of public 
        diplomacy programs and activities of the Department, including 
        through the routine use of audience research, digital 
        analytics, and impact evaluations, to plan and execute such 
        programs and activities; and
            (2) make available to Congress the findings of the research 
        and evaluations conducted under paragraph (1).
    (b) Director of Research and Evaluation.--
            (1) Appointment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall appoint 
        a Director of Research and Evaluation (referred to in this 
        subsection as the ``Director'') in the Office of Policy, 
        Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs 
        of the Department.
            (2) Limitation on appointment.--The appointment of the 
        Director pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not result in an 
        increase in the overall full-time equivalent positions within 
        the Department of State.
            (3) Responsibilities.--The Director shall--
                    (A) coordinate and oversee the research and 
                evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities 
                of the Department of State in order to--
                            (i) improve public diplomacy strategies and 
                        tactics; and
                            (ii) ensure that such programs and 
                        activities are increasing the knowledge, 
                        understanding, and trust of the United States 
                        by relevant target audiences;
                    (B) routinely organize and oversee audience 
                research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations 
                across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the 
                Department;
                    (C) support United States diplomatic posts' public 
                affairs sections;
                    (D) share appropriate public diplomacy research and 
                evaluation information within the Department and with 
                other appropriate Federal departments and agencies;
                    (E) regularly design and coordinate standardized 
                research questions, methodologies, and procedures to 
                ensure that public diplomacy programs and activities 
                across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices are 
                designed to meet appropriate foreign policy objectives; 
                and
                    (F) report biannually to the United States Advisory 
                Commission on Public Diplomacy, through the 
                Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation established 
                pursuant to subsection (f), regarding the research and 
                evaluation of all public diplomacy bureaus and offices.
            (4) Guidance and training.--Not later than one year after 
        the appointment of the Director pursuant to paragraph (1), the 
        Director shall develop guidance and training, including 
        curriculum for use by the Foreign Service Institute, for all 
        public diplomacy officers of the Department regarding the 
        reading and interpretation of public diplomacy program and 
        activity evaluation findings to ensure that such findings and 
        related lessons learned are implemented in the planning and 
        evaluation of all public diplomacy programs and activities of 
        the Department.
    (c) Prioritizing Research and Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--The head of the Office of Policy, 
        Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs 
        of the Department of State shall ensure that research and 
        evaluation of public diplomacy and activities of the 
        Department, as coordinated and overseen by the Director 
        pursuant to subsection (b), supports strategic planning and 
        resource allocation across all public diplomacy bureaus and 
        offices of the Department.
            (2) Allocation of resources.--Amounts allocated for the 
        purpose of research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs 
        and activities of the Department of State pursuant to 
        subsection (b) shall be made available to be disbursed at the 
        direction of the Director of Research and Evaluation among the 
        research and evaluation staff across all public diplomacy 
        bureaus and offices of the Department.
            (3) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the Department of State should gradually increase its 
        allocation of funds made available under the headings 
        ``Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs'' and ``Diplomatic 
        Programs'' for research and evaluation of public diplomacy 
        programs and activities of the Department pursuant to 
        subsection (b) to a percentage of program funds that is 
        commensurate with Federal Government best practices.
    (d) Limited Exemption Relating to the Paperwork Reduction Act.--
Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the 
``Paperwork Reduction Act'') shall not apply to the collection of 
information directed at any individuals conducted by, or on behalf of, 
the Department of State for the purpose of audience research, 
monitoring, and evaluations, and in connection with the Department's 
activities conducted pursuant to any of the following:
            (1) The Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 
        1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).
            (2) Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
        for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
            (3) The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et 
        seq.).
    (e) Limited Exemption Relating to the Privacy Act.--
            (1) In general.--The Department of State shall maintain, 
        collect, use, and disseminate records (as such term is defined 
        in section 552a(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code) for 
        audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluation of 
        communications related to public diplomacy efforts intended for 
        foreign audiences.
            (2) Conditions.--Audience research, digital analytics, and 
        impact evaluations under paragraph (1) shall be--
                    (A) reasonably tailored to meet the purposes of 
                this subsection; and
                    (B) carried out with due regard for privacy and 
                civil liberties guidance and oversight.
    (f) United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.--
            (1) Subcommittee for research and evaluation.--The United 
        States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy shall establish 
        a Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation to monitor and advise 
        regarding audience research, digital analytics, and impact 
        evaluations carried out by the Department of State and the 
        United States Agency for Global Media.
            (2) Annual report.--The Subcommittee on Research and 
        Evaluation established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall submit 
        to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
        Senate an annual report, in conjunction with the United States 
        Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy's Comprehensive Annual 
        Report on the performance of the Department of State and the 
        United States Agency for Global Media, describing all actions 
        taken by the Subcommittee pursuant to paragraph (1) and any 
        findings made as a result of such actions.

SEC. 4. PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES ADVISORY 
              COMMISSION ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.

    Section 1334 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 
1998 (22 U.S.C. 6553) is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``sunset'' and 
        inserting ``continuation''; and
            (2) by striking ``until October 1, 2021''.

SEC. 5. STREAMLINING OF SUPPORT FUNCTIONS.

    (a) Working Group Established.--Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
establish a working group to explore the possibilities and cost-benefit 
analysis of transitioning to a shared services model as such pertains 
to human resources, travel, purchasing, budgetary planning, and all 
other executive support functions for all bureaus of the Department of 
State that report to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy of the 
Department.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a plan to implement any 
such findings of the working group established under subsection (a).

SEC. 6. GUIDANCE FOR CLOSURE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY FACILITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall adopt, and include 
in the Foreign Affairs Manual, guidelines to collect and utilize 
information from each diplomatic post at which the construction of a 
new embassy compound or new consulate compound would result in the 
closure or co-location of an American Space, American Center, American 
Corner, or any other public diplomacy facility under the Secure Embassy 
Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (22 U.S.C. 4865 et seq.).
    (b) Requirements.--The guidelines required by subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) Standardized notification to each chief of mission at a 
        diplomatic post describing the requirements of the Secure 
        Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 and the 
        impact on the mission footprint of such requirements.
            (2) An assessment and recommendations from each chief of 
        mission of potential impacts to public diplomacy programming at 
        such diplomatic post if any public diplomacy facility referred 
        to in section (a) is closed or staff is co-located in 
        accordance with such Act.
            (3) A process by which assessments and recommendations 
        under paragraph (2) are considered by the Secretary of State 
        and the appropriate Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries 
        of the Department of State.
            (4) Notification to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
        House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations 
        of the Senate, prior to the initiation of a new embassy 
        compound or new consulate compound design, of the intent to 
        close any such public diplomacy facility or co-locate public 
        diplomacy staff in accordance with such Act.
    (c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report containing the 
guidelines required under subsection (a) and any recommendations for 
any modifications to such guidelines.

SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Audience research.--The term ``audience research'' 
        means research conducted at the outset of a public diplomacy 
        program or the outset of campaign planning and design regarding 
        specific audience segments to understand the attitudes, 
        interests, knowledge, and behaviors of such audience segments.
            (2) Digital analytics.--The term ``digital analytics'' 
        means the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, 
        accumulated in digital format, to indicate the outputs and 
        outcomes of a public diplomacy program or campaign.
            (3) Impact evaluation.--The term ``impact evaluation'' 
        means an assessment of the changes in the audience targeted by 
        a public diplomacy program or campaign that can be attributed 
        to such program or campaign.
            (4) Public diplomacy bureaus and offices.--The term 
        ``public diplomacy bureaus and offices'' means, with respect to 
        the Department, the following:
                    (A) The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
                    (B) The Bureau of Global Public Affairs.
                    (C) The Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources 
                for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
                    (D) The Global Engagement Center.
                    (E) The public diplomacy functions within the 
                regional and functional bureaus.
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