H.R. 5021
119th CONGRESS 1st Session
To require a sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the major sporting events being hosted in the United States in the next decade to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic relationships, and global leadership, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · August 22, 2025 · Sponsor: Ms. Kamlager-Dove · Committee: Committee on Foreign Affairs
Table of contents
SEC. 1. Short title
- This Act may be cited as the American Decade of Sports Act.
SEC. 2. Mega-Decade Sports Diplomacy Strategy
- (a) Submission
- (1) Initial strategy
- Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 5-year sports diplomacy strategy to strategically leverage the major sporting events being hosted in the United States to enhance United States soft power, diplomatic relationships, and global leadership.
- (2) Subsequent strategy
- Not later than 5 years after the date on which the initial strategy is submitted pursuant to paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a subsequent 5-year sports diplomacy strategy in accordance with the requirements of this section.
- (1) Initial strategy
- (b) Elements
- The elements of each strategy required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
- A description of the Department of State’s diplomatic objectives and metrics of success related to the mega-decade of sports.
- 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 surrounding the competitions for the purpose of showcasing United States national strengths and forging new diplomatic connections.
- A plan to coordinate internally within the Department of State to leverage sporting events to advance various diplomatic lines of effort, including by—
- integrating sports diplomacy into regional bureaus’ bilateral engagements and efforts to pursue new areas of cooperation with foreign partners;
- integrating sports into public diplomacy to reach new foreign audiences that might not otherwise engage with United States embassies abroad; and
- leveraging sports diplomacy to advance commercial diplomacy.
- A plan to ensure an expeditious and secure visa process for athletes and their families and support staff and eligible international visitors planning to travel to the United States to attend the games, including reducing visa appointment wait times.
- A description of the financial and personnel support needed to implement the 5-year sports diplomacy strategy.
- Any plans to deploy domestic public diplomacy resources, such as the Cultural Unit and Foreign Press Center established during the 1984 Olympic Games, to enable foreign visitors to engage with American culture and values.
- The elements of each strategy required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
- (c) Public availability
- Each strategy required by subsection (a) shall be made publicly available on an internet website of the Department of State not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and again 5 years later.
- (d) Consultation
- Prior to the submission of each strategy required by subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs shall consult with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate on the elements of the strategy and every 180 days thereafter provide information on the implementation of each strategy until December 31, 2034.
SEC. 3. Requirement for the Office of Sports Diplomacy to carry out the Mega-Decade of Sports Diplomacy Strategy
- (a) In general
- No later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall rename the sports diplomacy division of the Department of State as the Office of Sports Diplomacy. The Office shall report directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Office shall be responsible for managing sports diplomacy exchange programs and implementing each strategy required by section 2(a), including by carrying out the following:
- Coordinating implementation of the strategy across relevant bureaus, directorates, and offices of the Department of State.
- Working with host cities and their social, political, and economic partners to identify new avenues for engagement with foreign entities.
- Engaging local diaspora communities to deepen people-to-people connections with foreign visitors and officials.
- Partnering with the United States sports industry, major sports leagues, and individual athletes to promote new international sports partnerships and sports diplomacy programs.
- Collaborating with host cities’ international trade and tourism offices to deepen economic and commercial ties with foreign nations.
- Elevating American arts, film, and music creators to promote cultural exchange and connection with foreign visitors.
- Coordinating with internal Department and interagency stakeholders to ensure efficient and expeditious processing of visas for eligible international visitors, broadcasters, athletes, and support staff interested in attending the games.
- No later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall rename the sports diplomacy division of the Department of State as the Office of Sports Diplomacy. The Office shall report directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The Office shall be responsible for managing sports diplomacy exchange programs and implementing each strategy required by section 2(a), including by carrying out the following:
- (b) Full-Time equivalent employees
- The Secretary of State shall, not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and until December 31, 2034, assign to the Office of Sports Diplomacy established under subsection (a) not less than 3 additional full-time equivalent staff dedicated to implementing each strategy required by section 2(a). Such staff shall not be dual-hatted, and shall be assigned to the Office by considering mechanisms, including—
- the use of existing flexible hiring authorities, including Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETOs); and
- the realignment of existing personnel.
- The Secretary of State shall, not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and until December 31, 2034, assign to the Office of Sports Diplomacy established under subsection (a) not less than 3 additional full-time equivalent staff dedicated to implementing each strategy required by section 2(a). Such staff shall not be dual-hatted, and shall be assigned to the Office by considering mechanisms, including—
SEC. 4. Implementation report
- Not later than 1 year after the submission of the strategy required in section 2(a), and annually thereafter until December 31, 2034, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the progress toward achieving the objectives of this Act.
SEC. 5. Definition
- In this Act, the terms and 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, the 2031 Men’s and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and the 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
American decade of sportsmega-decade of sports