[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8320 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8320
To require additional duties of the Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace
and Digital Policy with respect to United States diplomatic efforts
ahead of certain international conferences, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 16, 2026
Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require additional duties of the Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace
and Digital Policy with respect to United States diplomatic efforts
ahead of certain international conferences, 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 ``USA 6G Global Leadership Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the Sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States has a national security, economic,
and foreign policy interest in winning the race for 6G global
leadership;
(2) the People's Republic of China's (PRC) use of malign
nonmarket practices to accelerate its development of 5G and 6G
technology is coercive and constrains countries' access to
reliable and secure telecommunications services;
(3) the United States government should leverage economic
and diplomatic tools to ensure United States companies are
positioned to compete as leading providers of 6G technology and
are not unfairly disadvantaged by PRC based state owned
enterprises;
(4) it is in the United States interest to engage at the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and private
standard setting bodies to ensure the United States is
positioned to lead on the key telecommunications, information,
and other emerging technologies, including artificial
intelligence; and
(5) it is critical to cooperate with like-minded allies and
partners, including through multilateral coordination, to
promote secure telecommunications networks by achieving market
leadership for trusted vendors.
SEC. 3. AMBASSADOR AT LARGE FOR CYBERSPACE AND DIGITAL POLICY
RESPONSIBILITIES AT PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCE AND WORLD
RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE.
(a) Coordinator.--The Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and
Digital Policy (authorized under subsection (i) of section 1 of the
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956; 22 U.S.C. 2651a(i))
shall coordinate and lead United States diplomatic efforts ahead of the
Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) in 2026 and the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027.
(b) Duties.--In carrying out the coordination required by
subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital
Policy shall be responsible for--
(1) coordinating across the Department of State, the
Department of Commerce, and other Federal departments and
agencies, as appropriate, to promote candidates for election to
the ITU's leadership bodies that support the United States
economic and security objectives for increased
telecommunications security, digital freedom, and information
technology governance and standards;
(2) consulting with United States private sector entities
to ensure that views and perspectives are understood,
incorporated, and represented as the Department of State
engages in the ITU elections process;
(3) consulting with Congress by providing quarterly
briefings on developments leading up to the ITU elections and
the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027;
(4) coordinating across the Department of State, the
Department of Commerce, and other Federal departments and
agencies, as appropriate, to advance United States interests
ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027;
(5) conducting diplomatic outreach to promote United States
interests in the field of international telecommunications; and
(6) other such duties that the Secretary of State may
prescribe.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop
and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
on efforts by the People's Republic of China and by the Russian
Federation to--
(A) leverage the ITU or other international forums
to promote policies or standards that constrain digital
freedom;
(B) expand the mandate of the ITU to cover internet
governance policy, including by proposing internet
governance standards at the ITU;
(C) leverage their private sector's influence over
developing countries to compel such countries to
deliver favorable decisions on standards proposals,
election victories, candidate selection, and other
decisions at the ITU; and
(D) use the influence of Chinese or Russian
nationals serving in the ITU to advantage companies,
standards decisions, and ITU leadership candidates that
advance the interests of the People's Republic of China
or the Russian Federation, respectively.
(2) Form.--The report required by this subsection shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified
annex.
(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of
the Senate.
(d) Sunset.--The authorities and requirements under this section
shall expire upon the conclusion of the World Radiocommunication
Conference 2027.
SEC. 4. PROJECT ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination with the
Chief Executive Officer of the International Development Finance
Corporation and the Director of the United States Trade and Development
Agency, should carry out projects that assert United States global
leadership in telecommunications infrastructure.
(b) Priority Projects.--For assistance pursuant to subsection (a),
the Secretary of State shall prioritize projects that--
(1) promote connectivity and use of trusted vendors in
developing countries; and
(2) use technology produced by United States companies or
entities if not specifically important that they are
incorporated or by companies organized under the laws of United
States allies if United States technology goods and services
are not available.
(c) Forms of Support.--The projects carried under this section may
receive support through the following methods:
(1) Early-stage project development including feasibility
studies.
(2) Development loans.
(3) Direct investments in companies or projects that
advance Unites States foreign policy interests.
(4) Other types of support as appropriate.
(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report
that describes the projects undertaken pursuant to subsection (b).
SEC. 5. 6G TECHNOLOGY DOMINANCE STRATEGY.
(a) Strategy for 6G Technology Dominance.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report that details the United States
strategy to promote and dominate 6G technology globally.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall also
include a description and analysis of the activities of the Department
of State regarding--
(1) actions to deepen cooperation with like-minded
countries to promote United States and allied market leadership
in 6G networks and technologies;
(2) efforts to coordinate and cooperate with relevant
Federal departments and agencies as well as United States-based
private sector entities to plan, strategize, and conduct
diplomatic engagements at telecommunication standard-setting
bodies and organizations; and
(3) the effects on and impact of competition in artificial
intelligence and other critical or emerging technologies,
including the role of low-earth orbit satellites, in ensuring
that the United States remains the partner of choice in 6G
infrastructure.
(c) Form.--The report required by this section shall be submitted
in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
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