§ 2707. — International communications and information policy; duties of Secretary of State.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 22USC2707]
TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE
CHAPTER 38--DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Sec. 2707. International communications and information policy;
duties of Secretary of State
(a) Repealed. Pub. L. 103-236, title I, Sec. 162(k)(1)(A), Apr. 30,
1994, 108 Stat. 408.
(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) 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;; \1\
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\1\ So in original.
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(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. 841, title I, Sec. 35, as added Pub. L. 98-164, title
I, Sec. 124, Nov. 22, 1983, 97 Stat. 1025; amended Pub. L. 100-204,
title I, Sec. 173(a)(1), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1360; Pub. L. 103-236,
title I, Sec. 162(k)(1), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 408.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 35 of act Aug. 1, 1956, was renumbered section 36 by
section 124 of Pub. L. 98-164, and subsequently renumbered, and set out
as a Short Title of 1956 Amendment note under section 2651 of this
title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102-138, title I, Sec. 111(1), Oct.
28, 1991, 105 Stat. 654.
Amendments
1994--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-236, Sec. 162(k)(1)(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').''
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103-236, Sec. 162(k)(1)(B)(i), 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
section 5315 of title 5. 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--''.
Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 103-236, Sec. 162(k)(1)(B)(iv), added par.
(1). Former par. (1) redesignated (2).
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 103-236, Sec. 162(k)(1)(B)(ii), (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;''.
Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 103-236, Sec. 162(k)(1)(B)(vi), 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''.
1987--Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100-204 inserted after second sentence
``The Coordinator shall be compensated at the annual rate of pay for
positions authorized by section 5315 of title 5.''
Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 103-236 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 Pub. L. 103-236 become effective, or 90 days
after Apr. 30, 1994, whichever comes earlier, see section 161(b) of Pub.
L. 103-236, as amended, set out as a note under section 2651a of this
title.
Effective Date of 1987 Amendment
Section 173(b) of Pub. L. 100-204 provided that: ``The amendments
made by subsection (a) [amending this section and section 4303 of this
title] shall take effect 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act
[Dec. 22, 1987].''
Effect of 1994 Amendments on Scope of Authority Vested as of April 30,
1994
Section 162(k)(2) of Pub. L. 103-236 provided that: ``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 [Apr. 30, 1994] 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.''
New Spending Authority
Section 173(c) of Pub. L. 100-204 provided that: ``Any new spending
authority (as defined in section 401(c) of the Congressional Budget Act
of 1974 [2 U.S.C. 651(c)]) 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.''
