HR6428-119

What This Bill Does

This bill treats educational and cultural exchange programs as strategic public-diplomacy tools. It states that international exchange and study-abroad programs advance U.S. national security, strengthen diplomatic ties, and build global leadership skills, while the People's Republic of China is using similar programs to expand influence.

Within 180 days and every five years afterward, the Secretary of State must report to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The report must list, by country, participants in PRC-sponsored or PRC-funded educational and cultural exchange programs and participants in U.S.-sponsored or U.S.-funded programs. For U.S. programs, in coordination with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Innovation Unit, the report must include funding amounts, participant counts, cohorts, countries of origin, ages, and survey metrics on views of the U.S. government, U.S. citizens, U.S. culture and values, democratic values, U.S. study opportunities, U.S. citizen networks, and awareness that the program is a State Department program. Covered programs include Fulbright, the Mandela Washington Fellowship under YALI, YSEALI, Kennedy-Lugar YES, FLEX, previously reported programs, and at least 10 additional U.S. exchange programs in later reports.

Who Benefits and How

Congressional foreign-affairs committees benefit from country-level data comparing PRC and U.S. exchange-program reach. State Department public-diplomacy leaders benefit from recurring evidence on which programs improve views of the United States. Fulbright Program managers benefit from funding, participant, cohort, and perception metrics that can defend or improve the program. YALI and Mandela Washington Fellowship managers benefit from data showing strategic effects in African partner countries. YSEALI managers benefit from comparable metrics in Southeast Asia. U.S. exchange participants and foreign alumni benefit if the report strengthens programs that build networks with U.S. citizens.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State Department exchange-program staff must collect country-level participation data and prepare recurring reports. The Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Innovation Unit must coordinate detailed program metrics and survey measures. Program managers for Fulbright, YALI, YSEALI, YES, and FLEX must provide funding, cohort, demographic, and outcome data. State Department analysts must compare diplomatic and strategic influence of U.S. programs and PRC programs in each country. PRC-sponsored exchange operators face greater U.S. congressional scrutiny because their participation numbers and influence effects must be tracked.

Key Provisions

• States congressional findings that exchange programs advance U.S. national security and diplomatic influence.
• Requires a State Department report within 180 days and every five years thereafter.
• Requires country-level counts for PRC-sponsored or PRC-funded exchange-program participants.
• Requires country-level counts for U.S.-sponsored or U.S.-funded exchange-program participants.
• Requires funding, cohort, demographic, and survey metrics for U.S. exchange programs.
• Covers Fulbright, YALI, Mandela Washington Fellowship, YSEALI, Kennedy-Lugar YES, FLEX, prior reported programs, and at least 10 new programs in later reports.
• Requires analysis of participation trends and implications for U.S. diplomatic and strategic interests.
• Allows an unclassified report with a classified annex.