This bill requires the State Department to create and carry out a sports diplomacy strategy for the major international sporting events hosted in the United States between 2024 and 2034. The strategy must be submitted 120 days after enactment and updated every five years. It must describe diplomatic goals and success metrics, plans to work with host cities, diaspora communities, athletes, the sports industry, private sector partners, human rights groups, and civil society. The strategy must show how sports will be integrated into regional diplomacy, public diplomacy, and commercial diplomacy. It must include a plan to speed and secure visa processing for athletes, support staff, and eligible international visitors. The strategy must describe needed financial and personnel support and may deploy domestic public diplomacy resources used in past Games. The strategy must be made public on a State Department website. The State Department must rename its sports diplomacy division as the Office of Sports Diplomacy and give it specific duties to coordinate implementation, engage partners, and work on visa processing. The Office must have at least three additional full-time equivalent staff (not dual-hatted) dedicated to these tasks through December 31, 2034. The Secretary must report annually on progress until that date.
If you are an athlete, coach, sports official, event organizer, or international visitor, the bill aims to make some visa and event-related processes quicker and more coordinated. If you are in a host city or work in arts, culture, trade, or tourism, the bill aims to encourage the State Department to work with local partners to promote cultural and economic ties during these events. The bill sets public reporting deadlines so the public and Congress can see progress.
The bill requires the strategy to describe the financial and personnel support needed. It also requires at least three additional full-time equivalent staff be assigned to the Office of Sports Diplomacy until December 31, 2034. No publicly available information on total dollar costs or budget sources is included in the bill text.
Supporters say the bill will use major sporting events between 2024 and 2034 to boost U.S. soft power, strengthen diplomatic relationships, and show U.S. global leadership. The bill emphasizes partnerships with host cities, diaspora groups, athletes, the sports industry, creatives, and civil society, and it aims to integrate sports into public and commercial diplomacy while improving visa processes.
No publicly available information.