119-s2844

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2844 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2844

 To clarify United States policy with respect to limitations on the 
domestic dissemination of program material about the United States that 
 was prepared or disseminated by the United States Agency for Global 
 Media or its component networks.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 17 (legislative day, September 16), 2025

Mr. Marshall (for Mr. Lee) (by request) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To clarify United States policy with respect to limitations on the 
domestic dissemination of program material about the United States that 
 was prepared or disseminated by the United States Agency for Global 
 Media or its component networks.

 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 ``Charlie Kirk Act''.

SEC. 2. DISSEMINATION ABROAD OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 
1948.--

Section 501 of the 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 Chief Executive 
Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media (referred to in 
this section as the `USAGM CEO'), working through its component 
networks, is authorized to provide for the preparation, and 
dissemination 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, instructors abroad, and other direct or indirect 
means of communication. Except as provided in subsection

    (b) , any such 
information (other than `Problems of Communism' and the `English 
Teaching Forum', which may be sold by the Government Publishing Office) 
may not be disseminated within the United States, its territories, or 
possessions. However, such information may be made available in the 
English language at the Department of State, at all reasonable times 
following its release as information abroad, for examination only by 
representatives of United States press associations, newspapers, 
magazines, radio systems, and stations, and by research students and 
scholars, and on request, shall be made available for examination by 
Members of Congress.
 ``

    (b) Dissemination of Information Within the United States.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The USAGM CEO shall make available to 
 the Archivist of the United States (referred to in this 
 subsection as the `Archivist'), for domestic distribution, 
 motion pictures, films, video, audio, and other materials 
 prepared for dissemination abroad beginning 12 years after the 
 date on which--
 ``
        (A) such material was initially disseminated 
 abroad; or
 ``
        (B) the material was prepared, if such material 
 was never disseminated abroad.
 ``

    (2) Reimbursement.--The USAGM CEO shall be reimbursed for 
 any expenses resulting from the implementation of paragraph

    (1) . Such reimbursement shall be credited to the applicable 
 appropriation of the United States Agency for Global Media.
 ``

    (3) Responsibilities of the archivist.--The Archivist--
 ``
        (A) shall be the official custodian of the 
 material described in paragraph

    (1) ;
 ``
        (B) shall promulgate regulations to ensure that 
 persons seeking the release of such material--
 ``
            (i) have secured necessary United States 
 rights and licenses; and
 ``
            (ii) have paid a fee, in accordance with 
 

section 2116
            (c) of title 44, United States 
 Code, which is sufficient to cover the costs 
 incurred by the Archivist to provide such 
 material to such persons; and
 ``
            (C) all fees collected pursuant to subparagraph
        (B)
            (ii) are paid into, administered, and expended as 
 part of the National Archives Trust Fund.
 ``
            (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed to require the USAGM CEO to make material disseminated abroad 
available in any format other than in the format disseminated 
abroad.''.

    (b) Foreign Relations Authorization 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 ACTIVITIES OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR 
 GLOBAL MEDIA.

 ``

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsections

    (b) and
            (c) and in 

section 501 of the United States Information and Educational 
Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461)--
 ``

    (1) amounts appropriated to the United States Agency for 
 Global Media or its component networks (referred to 
 collectively in this section as `USAGM') may not be used to 
 influence public opinion in the United States; and
 ``

    (2) no program material prepared by USAGM may be 
 distributed within the United States.
 ``

    (b) Exemption.--The limitation under subsection

    (a) shall not 
apply to programs carried out pursuant to the Mutual Educational and 
Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).
 ``
            (c) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section may be construed 
to prohibit any employee of the United States Agency for Global Media 
from responding to inquiries from members of the public about USAGM 
operations, policies, or programs.''.

    (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents for the 
 Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 
 (22 U.S.C. 1461-1a) is amended by striking the item relating to 
 

section 208 and inserting the following:

``

Sec. 208. Ban on domestic activities of the United States Agency for 
 Global Media.''.
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