US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

22 U.S.C. § 2707

International communications and information policy; duties of Secretary of State

(a)
Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 162(k)(1)(A)108 Stat. 408 Repealed. , , .
(b)
The Secretary of State shall be responsible for formulation, coordination, and oversight of foreign policy related to international communications and information policy. The Secretary of State shall—
(1)
exercise primary authority for the conduct of foreign policy with respect to such telecommunications functions, including the determination of United States positions and the conduct of United States participation in negotiations with foreign governments and international bodies. In exercising this responsibility, the Secretary shall coordinate with other agencies as appropriate, and, in particular, shall give full consideration to the authority vested by law or Executive order in the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representative in this area;
(2)
maintain continuing liaison with other executive branch agencies concerned with international communications and information policy and with the Federal Communications Commission, as appropriate;
(3)
1
1 So in original.
in accordance with such authority as may be delegated by the President pursuant to Executive order, supervise and coordinate the activities of any senior interagency policymaking group on international telecommunications and information policy and chair such interagency meetings as may be necessary to coordinate actions on pending issues;; 
(4)
coordinate the activities of, and assist as appropriate, interagency working level task forces and committees concerned with specific aspects of international communications and information policy;
(5)
maintain liaison with the members and staffs of committees of the Congress concerned with international communications and information policy and provide testimony before such committees;
(6)
maintain appropriate liaison with representatives of the private sector to keep informed of their interests and problems, meet with them, and provide such assistance as may be needed to ensure that matters of concern to the private sector are promptly considered by the Department or other executive branch agencies; and
(7)
assist in arranging meetings of such public sector advisory groups as may be established to advise the Department of State and other executive branch agencies in connection with international communications and information policy issues.

Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 841Pub. L. 98–164, title I, § 12497 Stat. 1025Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 173(a)(1)101 Stat. 1360Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 162(k)(1)108 Stat. 408(, title I, § 35, as added , , ; amended , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

section 124 of Pub. L. 98–164section 2651 of this titlePub. L. 102–138, title I, § 111(1)105 Stat. 654A prior section 35 of act , was renumbered section 36 by , and subsequently renumbered, and set out as a Short Title of 1956 Amendment note under , prior to repeal by , , .

Amendments

Pub. L. 103–236, § 162(k)(1)(A)1994—Subsec. (a). , struck out subsec. (a) which read as follows: “The Secretary of State shall assign responsibility for international communications and information policy matters within the Department of State to an appropriate Under Secretary of State (hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘Under Secretary’).”

Pub. L. 103–236, § 162(k)(1)(B)(i)section 5315 of title 5Subsec. (b). , inserted introductory provisions and struck out former introductory provisions which read as follows: “The Secretary of State shall establish, within the Department of State, an Office of the Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, headed by a Coordinator who shall be responsible to the Under Secretary. The Coordinator shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall have the rank of ambassador. The Coordinator shall be compensated at the annual rate of pay for positions authorized by . The Coordinator shall be responsible, on behalf of the Under Secretary, for formulation, coordination, and oversight of international communications and information policy assigned to the Under Secretary. On behalf  of  the  Under  Secretary,  the  Coordinator  shall—”.

Pub. L. 103–236, § 162(k)(1)(B)(iv)Subsec. (b)(1). , added par. (1). Former par. (1) redesignated (2).

Pub. L. 103–236, § 162(k)(1)(B)(ii)Subsec. (b)(2). , (iii), (v), redesignated par. (1) as (2), struck out “with the bureaus and offices of the Department of State and” after “continuing liaison”, inserted “and with the Federal Communications Commission, as appropriate” before semicolon, and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “in accordance with such authority as may be delegated by the President pursuant to Executive order, chair such agency and interagency meetings as may be necessary to coordinate actions on pending issues to ensure proper policy coordination;”.

Pub. L. 103–236, § 162(k)(1)(B)(vi)Subsec. (b)(3). , substituted “any senior interagency policymaking group on international telecommunications and information policy and chair such interagency meetings as may be necessary to coordinate actions on pending issues;” for “the Senior Interagency Group on International Communications and Information Policy”.

Pub. L. 100–204section 5315 of title 51987—Subsec. (b). inserted after second sentence “The Coordinator shall be compensated at the annual rate of pay for positions authorized by .”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Pub. L. 103–236Pub. L. 103–236section 161(b) of Pub. L. 103–236section 2651a of this titleAmendment by applicable with respect to officials, offices, and bureaus of Department of State when executive orders, regulations, or departmental directives implementing the amendments by sections 161 and 162 of become effective, or 90 days after , whichever comes earlier, see , as amended, set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1987 Amendment

Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 173(b)101 Stat. 1360

section 4303 of this title“The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section and ] shall take effect 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act [].”
, , , provided that:

Effect of 1994 Amendments on Scope of Authority Vested as of

Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 162(k)(2)108 Stat. 409

“Nothing in the amendments made by paragraph (1) [amending this section] affects the nature or scope of the authority that is on the date of enactment of this Act [] vested by law or Executive order in the Department of Commerce, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Federal Communications Commission, or any officer thereof.”
, , , provided that:

New Spending Authority

Pub. L. 100–204, title I, § 173(c)101 Stat. 1360

2 U.S.C. 651(c)“Any new spending authority (as defined in section 401(c) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 []) provided by this section [amending sections 2707 and 4303 of this title] shall be effective for any fiscal year only to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in advance in appropriation Acts.”
, , , provided that: