Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2010

Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2010 - Amends the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to authorize the Secretary of State to provide for the preparation and dissemination of information intended primarily for foreign audiences abroad about the United States, including about its people, its history, and the federal government's policies, through press, publications, radio, motion pictures, the internet, and other information media, and through information centers and instructors. (Under current law such authority is restricted to information disseminated abroad, with a limited domestic exception.)

Amends the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 1987 to prohibit Department of State funds from being used to influence public opinion or propagandizing in the United States. (Under current law such provision applies to the United States Information Agency [USIA].)

States that such provision shall: (1) not prohibit the Department from responding to inquiries about its operations, policies, programs, or program material, or making such information available to members of the media, public, or Congress; (2) not be construed to prohibit the Department from engaging in any medium of information on a presumption that a U.S. domestic audience may be exposed to program material; and (3) apply only to the Department and to no other federal department or agency.

[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5729 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5729

  To modernize authorities to fight and win the war of ideas against 
  violent extremist ideologies over the internet and other mediums of 
                  information, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 13, 2010

Mr. Thornberry (for himself, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Langevin, Ms. 
  Giffords, Mr. Rehberg, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. 
Tanner, Mr. Boren, and Mr. Rohrabacher) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To modernize authorities to fight and win the war of ideas against 
  violent extremist ideologies over the internet and other mediums of 
                  information, 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 ``The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 
2010''.

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

    (a) United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 
1948.--Title V of the United States Information and Educational 
Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in the title heading, by striking ``ABROAD''; and
            (2) by amending section 501 to read as follows:
    ``Sec. 501.  The Secretary is authorized to provide for the 
preparation and dissemination of information intended primarily for 
foreign audiences abroad about the United States, including about its 
people, its history, and the Federal Government's policies, through 
press, publications, radio, motion pictures, the internet, and other 
information media, and through information centers and instructors.''.
    (b) Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1986 and 
1987.--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:

      ``clarification on domestic distribution of program material

    ``Sec. 208. 
    ``(a) No funds authorized to be appropriated to the Department of 
State shall be used for the purpose of influencing public opinion or 
propagandizing in the United States. The provisions of this section 
shall not prohibit or delay the Department from responding to inquiries 
about its operations, policies, programs, or program material, or 
making such available to members of the media, public, or Congress.
    ``(b) No provision of this section shall be construed or 
interpreted to prohibit the Department of State to engage in any medium 
of information on a presumption that a United States domestic audience 
may be exposed to program material. Such material shall be available 
within the United States and disseminated pursuant to sections 502 and 
1005 of the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 
1948 (22 U.S.C. 1462 and 1437).
    ``(c) The provisions of this section shall apply only to the 
Department of State and to no other department or agency of the Federal 
Government.''.
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