,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #baei  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #i1 #bjai,mr4 
,watkins introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to       
modernize and streamline the public     
diplomacy capabilities of the           
,department of ,state1 increase         
evaluation of public diplomacy          
programming1 enhance strategic planning 
for the ,department's public diplomacy  
physical presence abroad1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,public ,diplomacy  
,modernization ,act of #bjai4  #b4      
,avoiding duplication of programs and   
efforts ,the ,under ,secretary for      
,public ,diplomacy and ,public ,affairs 
of the ,department of ,state shall--    
7#a7 identify opportunities for greater 
efficiency of operations1 including     
through improved coordination of efforts
 across public diplomacy bureaus and    
offices of the ,department of ,state2   

and  7#b7 maximize shared use of        
resources between1 and within1 such     
public diplomacy bureaus and offices in 
cases in which programs1 facilities1 or 
administrative functions are duplicative
 or substantially overlapping4  #c4     
,improving research and evaluation of   
public diplomacy  7a7 ,research and     
evaluation activities ,the ,secretary of
 ,state1 acting through the ,director of
 ,research and ,evaluation established  
under subsection 7b71 shall--  7#a7     
conduct regular research and evaluation 
of public diplomacy programs and        
activities of the ,department of ,state1
 including through the routine use of   
audience research1 digital analytics1   
and impact evaluations1 to plan and     
execute such programs and activities2   
and  7#b7 make available to ,congress   
the findings of the research and        
evaluations conducted under paragraph   
7#a74  7b7 ,director of ,research and   
,evaluation  7#a7 ,appointment ,not     
later than #ij days after the date of   

the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,state shall appoint a    
,director of ,research and ,evaluation  
7referred to in this subsection as the  
,director7 in the ,office of ,policy1   
,planning1 and ,resources for ,public   
,diplomacy and ,public ,affairs of the  
,department of ,state4  7#b7 ,limitation
 on appointment ,the appointment of the 
,director pursuant to paragraph 7#a7    
shall not result in an increase in the  
overall full-time equivalent positions  
within the ,department of ,state4  7#c7 
,responsibilities ,the ,director shall--
 7,a7 coordinate and oversee the        
research and evaluation of public       
diplomacy programs and activities of the
 ,department of ,state to--  7i7 improve
 public diplomacy strategies and        
tactics2 and  7ii7 ensure that such     
programs and activities are increasing  
the knowledge1 understanding1 and trust 
of the ,united ,states by relevant      
target audiences2  7,b7 report to the   
,director of ,policy ,planning of the   

,office of ,policy1 ,planning1 and      
,resources for ,public ,diplomacy and   
,public ,affairs2  7,c7 routinely       
organize and oversee audience research1 
digital analytics1 and impact           
evaluations across all public diplomacy 
bureaus and offices of the ,department2 
7,d7 support embassy public affairs     
sections2  7,e7 share appropriate public
 diplomacy research and evaluation      
information within the ,department and  
with other appropriate ,federal         
departments and agencies2  7,f7         
regularly design and coordinate         
standardized research questions1        
methodologies1 and procedures to ensure 
that public diplomacy programs and      
activities across all public diplomacy  
bureaus and offices are designed to meet
 appropriate foreign policy objectives2 
and  7,g7 report biannually to the      
,united ,states ,advisory ,commission on
 ,public ,diplomacy1 through the        
,subcommittee on ,research and          
,evaluation established pursuant to     

subsection 7f71 regarding the research  
and evaluation of all public diplomacy  
bureaus and offices4  7#d7 ,guidance and
 training ,not later than one year after
 the appointment of the ,director       
pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 the         
,director shall develop guidance and    
training1 including curriculum for use  
by the ,foreign ,service ,institute1 for
 all public diplomacy officers regarding
 the reading and interpretation of      
public diplomacy program and activity   
evaluation findings to ensure that such 
findings and related lessons learned are
 implemented in the planning and        
evaluation of all public diplomacy      
programs and activities of the          
,department of ,state4  7c7             
,prioritizing research and evaluation   
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of      
,policy ,planning of the ,office of     
,policy1 ,planning1 and ,resources for  
,public ,diplomacy and ,public ,affairs 
shall ensure that research and          
evaluation of public diplomacy and      

activities of the ,department of ,state1
 as coordinated and overseen by the     
,director of ,research and ,evaluation  
pursuant to subsection 7b71 supports    
strategic planning and resource         
allocation across all public diplomacy  
bureaus and offices of the ,department4 
7#b7 ,allocation of resources ,amounts  
allocated for the purposes of research  
and evaluation of public diplomacy      
programs and activities pursuant to     
subsection 7b7 shall be made available  
to be disbursed at the direction of the 
,director of ,research and ,evaluation  
among the research and evaluation staff 
across all public diplomacy bureaus and 
offices of the ,department of ,state4   
7#c7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the     
sense of ,congress that the ,department 
of ,state should gradually increase its 
allocation of funds made available under
 the headings ,,educational ,,and       
,,cultural ,,exchange ,,programs and    
,,diplomatic ,,and ,,consular ,,programs
 for research and evaluation of public  

diplomacy programs and activities       
pursuant to subsection 7b7 to a         
percentage of program funds that is     
commensurate with ,federal ,government  
best practices4  7d7 ,limited exemption 
relating to the ,paperwork ,reduction   
,act ,chapter #ce of title #dd1 ,united 
,states ,code 7commonly known as the    
,paperwork ,reduction ,act71 shall not  
apply to the collection of information  
directed at any individuals conducted   
by1 or on behalf of1 the ,department of 
,state for the purpose of audience      
research1 monitoring1 and evaluations1  
and in connection with the ,department's
 activities conducted pursuant to--     
7#a7 the ,united ,states ,information   
and ,educational ,exchange ,act of #aidh
 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #adca et seq472  7#b7   
the ,mutual ,educational and ,cultural  
,exchange ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4  
#bdea et seq472  7#c7 section #abhg of  
the ,national ,defense ,authorization   
,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjag 7,public   
,law #aad-cbh2 #bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bfef      

note72 or  7#d7 the ,foreign ,assistance
 ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea et  
seq474  7e7 ,limited exemption relating 
to the ,privacy ,act  7#a7 ,in general  
,the ,department of ,state shall        
maintain1 collect1 use1 and disseminate 
records 7as such term is defined in     
section #eeb;a7a77#d7 of title #e1      
,united ,states ,code7 for audience     
research1 digital analytics1 and impact 
evaluation of communications related to 
public diplomacy efforts intended for   
foreign audiences4  7#b7 ,conditions    
,audience research1 digital analytics1  
and impact evaluations under paragraph  
7#a7 shall be-- 7,a7 reasonably tailored
 to meet the purposes of this           
subsection2 and  7,b7 carried out with  
due regard for privacy and civil        
liberties guidance and oversight4  7f7  
,united ,states ,advisory ,commission on
 ,public ,diplomacy  7#a7 ,subcommittee 
for ,research and ,evaluation ,the      
,united ,states ,advisory ,commission on
 ,public ,diplomacy shall establish a   

,subcommittee for ,research and         
,evaluation to monitor and advise       
regarding audience research1 digital    
analytics1 and impact evaluations       
carried out by the ,department of ,state
 and the ,united ,states ,agency for    
,global ,media4  7#b7 ,report ,the      
,subcommittee for ,research and         
,evaluation established pursuant to     
paragraph 7#a7 shall submit to ,congress
 an annual report1 in conjunction with  
the ,united ,states ,advisory           
,commission on ,public ,diplomacy's     
,comprehensive ,annual ,report on the   
performance of the ,department and the  
,united ,states ,agency for ,global     
,media1 describing all actions taken by 
the ,subcommittee pursuant to           
subparagraph 7#a7 and any findings made 
as a result of such actions4  #d4       
,permanent reauthorization of the       
,united ,states ,advisory ,commission on
 ,public ,diplomacy ,section #accd of   
the ,foreign ,affairs ,reform and       
,restructuring ,act of #aiih 7#bb       

,u4,s4,c4 #feec7 is amended--  7#a7 in  
the section heading1 by striking ,sunset
 and inserting ,continuation2 and  7#b7 
by striking until ,october #a1 #bjbj4   
#e4 ,streamlining of support functions  
,section #a7;b77#c7 of the ,state       
,department ,basic ,authorities ,act of 
#aief 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bfea;a7b77#c77 is 
amended--  7#a7 in subparagraph 7,d71 by
 striking and after the semicolon2  7#b7
 in subparagraph 7,e71 by striking the  
period at the end and inserting 2 and2  
and  7#c7 by adding at the end the      
following new subparagraph3  7,f7       
consolidate all human resources1        
personnel1 travel1 purchasing1 budgetary
 planning for public diplomacy funds1   
and other executive support functions   
for all bureaus that report to the      
,under ,secretary4  4  #f4 ,guidance for
 closure of public diplomacy facilities 
7a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj    
days after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state     
shall adopt1 and include in the ,foreign

 ,affairs ,manual1 guidelines to collect
 and utilize information from each      
foreign post at which the construction  
of a new embassy compound or new        
consulate compound would result in the  
closure or co-location of an ,american  
,space1 ,american ,center1 ,american    
,corner1 or any other public diplomacy  
facility under the ,secure ,embassy     
,construction and ,counterterrorism ,act
 of #aiii 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #dhfe et seq474
  7b7 ,requirements ,the guidelines     
required by subsection 7a7 shall        
include-- 7#a7 standardized notification
 to each chief of mission describing the
 requirements of the ,secure ,embassy   
,construction and ,counterterrorism ,act
 of #aiii and the impact on the mission 
footprint of such requirements2  7#b7 an
 assessment and recommendations from    
each chief of mission of potential      
impacts to public diplomacy programming 
at such foreign post if any public      
diplomacy facility referred to in       
subsection 7a7 is closed or staff is    

co-located in accordance with such ,act2
  7#c7 a process by which assessments   
and recommendations under paragraph 7#b7
 are considered by the ,secretary of    
,state and the appropriate under        
secretaries and assistant secretaries at
 the ,department of ,state2 and  7#d7   
notification to ,congress1 prior to the 
initiation of new compound design1 of   
the intent to close any such public     
diplomacy facility or co-locate public  
diplomacy staff in accordance with such 
,act4  7c7 ,report ,not later than one  
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state     
shall submit to the appropriate         
congressional committees a report       
containing the guidelines required under
 subsection 7a7 and any recommendations 
for any modifications to such           
guidelines4  #g4 ,definitions ,in this  
,act3 7#a7 ,audience research ,the term 
audience research means research        
conducted at the outset of a public     
diplomacy program or the outset of      

campaign planning and design regarding  
specific audience segments to understand
 the attitudes1 interests1 knowledge1   
and behaviors of such audience segments4
  7#b7 ,digital analytics ,the term     
digital analytics means the analysis of 
qualitative and quantitative data1      
accumulated in digital format1 to       
indicate the outputs and outcomes of a  
public diplomacy program or campaign4   
7#c7 ,impact evaluation ,the term impact
 evaluation means an assessment of the  
changes in the audience targeted by a   
public diplomacy program or campaign    
that can be attributed to such program  
or campaign4  7#d7 ,public diplomacy    
bureaus and offices ,the term public    
diplomacy bureaus and offices means1    
with respect to the ,department of      
,state-- 7,a7 the ,bureau of            
,educational and ,cultural ,affairs2    
7,b7 the ,bureau of ,public ,affairs2   
7,c7 the ,bureau of ,international      
,information ,programs2  7,d7 the       
,office of ,policy1 ,planning1 and      

,resources for ,public ,diplomacy and   
,public ,affairs2  7,e7 the ,global     
,engagement ,center2 and  7,f7 the      
public diplomacy functions within the   
regional and functional bureaus4  7#e7  
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     
committees means--  7,a7 the ,committee 
on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of   
,representatives2  7,b7 the ,committee  
on ,appropriations of the ,house of     
,representatives2  7,c7 the ,committee  
on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2  
and  7,d7 the ,committee on             
,appropriations of the ,senate4