[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5021 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5021
To require a sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the
major sporting events being hosted in the United States in the next
decade to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic relationships,
and global leadership, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 22, 2025
Ms. Kamlager-Dove (for herself, Mr. Huizenga, Mr. Meeks, Mr. McCaul,
Mr. Moylan, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Lawler, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr.
Lieu, Ms. Titus, Mr. Amo, Ms. Castor of Florida, Ms. McBride, Mr.
Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. Johnson of Georgia,
Mr. Bacon, Mr. Baumgartner, Mrs. Radewagen, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Mrs.
Kim, Mr. McCormick, Mr. Keating, and Mr. Stanton) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the
major sporting events being hosted in the United States in the next
decade to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic relationships,
and global leadership, 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 ``American Decade of Sports Act''.
SEC. 2. MEGA-DECADE SPORTS DIPLOMACY STRATEGY.
(a) Submission.--
(1) Initial strategy.--Not later than 120 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for
Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate a 5-year sports diplomacy strategy to strategically
leverage the major sporting events being hosted in the United
States to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic
relationships, and global leadership.
(2) Subsequent strategy.--Not later than 5 years after the
date on which the initial strategy is submitted pursuant to
paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives and Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate a subsequent 5-year sports
diplomacy strategy in accordance with the requirements of this
section.
(b) Elements.--The elements of each strategy required by subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) A description of the Department of State's diplomatic
objectives and metrics of success related to the mega-decade of
sports.
(2) A plan to partner with local host cities, diaspora
communities, creatives, athletes, the sports industry, private
sector entities, human rights organizations, and civil society
stakeholders surrounding the competitions for the purpose of
showcasing United States national strengths and forging new
diplomatic connections.
(3) A plan to coordinate internally within the Department
of State to leverage sporting events to advance various
diplomatic lines of effort, including by--
(A) integrating sports diplomacy into regional
bureaus' bilateral engagements and efforts to pursue
new areas of cooperation with foreign partners;
(B) integrating sports into public diplomacy to
reach new foreign audiences that might not otherwise
engage with United States embassies abroad; and
(C) leveraging sports diplomacy to advance
commercial diplomacy.
(4) A plan to ensure an expeditious and secure visa process
for athletes and their families and support staff and eligible
international visitors planning to travel to the United States
to attend the games, including reducing visa appointment wait
times.
(5) A description of the financial and personnel support
needed to implement the 5-year sports diplomacy strategy.
(6) Any plans to deploy domestic public diplomacy
resources, such as the Cultural Unit and Foreign Press Center
established during the 1984 Olympic Games, to enable foreign
visitors to engage with American culture and values.
(c) Public Availability.--Each strategy required by subsection (a)
shall be made publicly available on an internet website of the
Department of State not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and again 5 years later.
(d) Consultation.--Prior to the submission of each strategy
required by subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary for Educational and
Cultural Affairs shall consult with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate on the elements of the strategy and every 180 days
thereafter provide information on the implementation of each strategy
until December 31, 2034.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT FOR THE OFFICE OF SPORTS DIPLOMACY TO CARRY OUT THE
MEGA-DECADE OF SPORTS DIPLOMACY STRATEGY.
(a) In General.--No later than 90 days after the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of State shall rename the sports diplomacy division
of the Department of State as the Office of Sports Diplomacy. The
Office shall report directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Professional and Cultural Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs. The Office shall be responsible for managing sports
diplomacy exchange programs and implementing each strategy required by
section 2(a), including by carrying out the following:
(1) Coordinating implementation of the strategy across
relevant bureaus, directorates, and offices of the Department
of State.
(2) Working with host cities and their social, political,
and economic partners to identify new avenues for engagement
with foreign entities.
(3) Engaging local diaspora communities to deepen people-
to-people connections with foreign visitors and officials.
(4) Partnering with the United States sports industry,
major sports leagues, and individual athletes to promote new
international sports partnerships and sports diplomacy
programs.
(5) Collaborating with host cities' international trade and
tourism offices to deepen economic and commercial ties with
foreign nations.
(6) Elevating American arts, film, and music creators to
promote cultural exchange and connection with foreign visitors.
(7) Coordinating with internal Department and interagency
stakeholders to ensure efficient and expeditious processing of
visas for eligible international visitors, broadcasters,
athletes, and support staff interested in attending the games.
(b) Full-Time Equivalent Employees.--The Secretary of State shall,
not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
and until December 31, 2034, assign to the Office of Sports Diplomacy
established under subsection (a) not less than 3 additional full-time
equivalent staff dedicated to implementing each strategy required by
section 2(a). Such staff shall not be dual-hatted, and shall be
assigned to the Office by considering mechanisms, including--
(1) the use of existing flexible hiring authorities,
including Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETOs); and
(2) the realignment of existing personnel.
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION REPORT.
Not later than 1 year after the submission of the strategy required
in section 2(a), and annually thereafter until December 31, 2034, 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 on the progress toward achieving the objectives of
this Act.
SEC. 5. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the terms ``mega-decade of sports'' and ``American
decade of sports'' mean the major international sporting competitions
hosted in the United States between 2024 and 2034, including the 2024
Copa America, 2025 Club World Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2028 Summer
Olympics and Paralympics, the 2031 Men's and 2033 Women's Rugby World
Cup, and the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
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