S. 3676 — American Decade of Sports Act

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, (1) the terms "American decade of sports" and "mega-decade of sports" to 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, 2031 Men’s and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics; and (2) "appropriate congressional committees" as the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

This section requires the Secretary of State to submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 5-year sports diplomacy strategy—not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act and a second strategy not later than 5 years after enactment—to leverage major U.S.-hosted sporting events for enhancing U.S. soft power, diplomatic relationships, and global leadership. Both strategies must include (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 to showcase U.S. national strengths and forge diplomatic connections; (3) a plan for internal coordination to integrate sports diplomacy into regional bureaus' bilateral engagements, public diplomacy efforts to reach new foreign audiences, and commercial diplomacy; (4) a plan to ensure expeditious and secure visa processes—including reduced appointment wait times—for athletes, families, support staff, and eligible international visitors; (5) a description of required financial and personnel support; and (6) plans to deploy domestic public diplomacy resources, such as the Cultural Unit and Foreign Press Center from the 1984 Olympic Games. The strategies must be publicly available on the Department's website not later than 180 days after enactment (first strategy) or 5 years after enactment (second strategy); the Secretary must consult with congressional committees prior to submission; and the Secretary must provide semiannual implementation updates through December 31, 2034.

This section requires the Secretary of State, not later than 90 days after enactment, to rename the Sports Diplomacy Division in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as the Office of Sports Diplomacy under the supervision of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges. The Office must manage sports diplomacy exchange programs (i.e., people-to-people initiatives using sports to advance U.S. foreign policy) and implement strategies required under section 3(a) by (1) coordinating implementation across Department of State bureaus; (2) partnering with host cities, diaspora communities, the U.S. sports industry, trade and tourism offices, and arts creators; and (3) facilitating visa processing for international visitors, athletes, and broadcasters attending major U.S. sporting events. Not later than 180 days after enactment and through December 31, 2034, the Secretary must assign at least three additional full-time equivalent staff dedicated exclusively to these strategies, using mechanisms such as flexible hiring authorities or personnel realignments.

This section requires the Secretary of State to submit to the appropriate congressional committees, not later than one year after submission of the first strategy required under section 2(a) and annually thereafter until December 31, 2034, a report describing progress made toward achieving the objectives of the Act.