H.R. 6695 — Charlie Kirk Act

This section revises the general authorization under the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1461) to vest authority solely with the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM CEO), working through its component networks (i.e., international broadcasters such as Voice of America), to prepare and disseminate abroad information about the United States, its people, and its policies via press, publications, radio, motion pictures, the internet, and other media. It prohibits domestic dissemination of such information (except specified publications sold by the Government Publishing Office), but permits its English-language availability at the Department of State for examination by U.S. press, scholars, and Members of Congress. The section further requires the USAGM CEO to make motion pictures, films, video, audio, and other materials available to the Archivist of the United States for domestic distribution 12 years after initial dissemination abroad (or preparation, if never disseminated), with reimbursement of USAGM expenses credited to its appropriations; designates the Archivist as custodian who must ensure requesters secure U.S. rights/licenses and pay fees under 44 U.S.C. 2116(c) deposited into the National Archives Trust Fund; and clarifies no obligation to provide materials in formats other than those disseminated abroad. (Thus, this standardizes and expands prior archiving requirements, which applied only to pre-2013 materials, to all USAGM-produced content.) This section also revises the ban on domestic activities (22 U.S.C. 1461-1a) to prohibit USAGM funds from influencing U.S. public opinion or distributing its program material domestically, except as authorized under revised 22 U.S.C. 1461 or the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.), while permitting USAGM employees to respond to public inquiries about its operations.