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