22 U.S.C. § 1461
Section 1461 · General authorization
Viewing 22 U.S.C. § 1461 as in effect on February 16, 1990. The text changed in 1 later edition (most recent January 2, 2013).
View current version →The Director is authorized, when he finds it appropriate, to provide for the preparation, and dissemination abroad, of information about the United States, its people, and its policies, through press, publications, radio, motion pictures, and other information media, and through information centers and instructors abroad. Subject to subsection (b) of this section, any such information (other than “Problems of Communism” and the “English Teaching Forum” which may be sold by the Government Printing Office) shall not be disseminated within the United States, its territories, or possessions, but, on request, shall be available in the English language at the Agency, at all reasonable times following its release as information abroad, for examination only by representatives of United States press associations, newspapers, magazines, radio systems, and stations, and by research students and scholars, and, on request, shall be made available for examination only to Members of Congress.
(1) The Director of the United States Information Agency shall make available to the Archivist of the United States, for domestic distribution, motion pictures, films, videotapes, and other material prepared for dissemination abroad 12 years after the initial dissemination of the material abroad or, in the case of such material not disseminated abroad, 12 years after the preparation of the material.
(2) The Director of the United States Information Agency shall be reimbursed for any attendant expenses. Any reimbursement to the Director pursuant to this subsection shall be credited to the applicable appropriation of the United States Information Agency.
(3) The Archivist shall be the official custodian of the material and shall issue necessary regulations to ensure that persons seeking its release in the United States have secured and paid for necessary United States rights and licenses and that all costs associated with the provision of the material by the Archivist shall be paid by the persons seeking its release. The Archivist may charge fees to recover such costs, in accordance with section 2116(c) of title 44. Such fees shall be paid into, administered, and expended as part of the National Archives Trust Fund.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Amendments
1990—Pub. L. 101–246 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted “Subject to subsection (b) of this section, any such information” for “Any such information” in second sentence, and added subsec. (b).
1979—Pub. L. 96–60 substituted “ ‘Problems of Communism’ and the ‘English Teaching Forum’ which may be sold” for “ ‘Problems of Communism’ which may continue to be sold” in parenthetical clause.
1972—Pub. L. 92–352 substituted provisions relating to the prohibition, except as otherwise provided, on the dissemination of information within the United States, its territories, or possessions, other than “Problems of Communism” which could continue to be sold at the Government Printing Office, for provisions relating to the availability of press release or radio scripts for examination by representatives of United States press associations, newspapers, magazines, radio systems, and stations, and, on request, Members of Congress.
Transfer of Functions
“Director” substituted in text for “Secretary” pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1977, §7(a)(1), 42 F.R. 62461, 91 Stat. 1637, set out below, which transferred functions vested in President, Secretary of State, Department of State, United States Information Agency, and Director thereof, under this chapter, to Director of International Communication Agency, except to extent that such functions were vested in President under sections 1452, 1456, and 1467 of this title, effective on or before July 1, 1978, at such time as specified by President. Director authorized by section 5 of Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1977 to delegate performance of any such transferred functions to any officer, employee, or unit of International Communication Agency. Accordingly, “Agency” also substituted for “Department of State”. International Communication Agency, and Director thereof, redesignated United States Information Agency, and Director thereof, by section 303 of Pub. L. 97–241, title III, Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 291, set out as a note below.
Functions vested in Secretary of State by this section and section 1462 of this title, together with so much of functions as is incidental to or is necessary for performance of such functions, transferred to Director of United States Information Agency by Reorg. Plan No. 8 of 1953, eff. Aug. 1, 1953, 18 F.R. 4542, set out as a note below.
Emergency Preparedness Functions
For assignment of certain emergency preparedness functions to Director of United States Information Agency, see Parts 1, 2, and 25 of Ex. Ord. No. 12656, Nov. 18, 1988, 53 F.R. 47491, set out as a note under section 5195 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.
USIA Network for Dissemination of Information Concerning United States Programs To Combat Narcotics and Other Controlled Substances
Section 210 of Pub. L. 101–246 provided that: “The United States Information Agency shall establish and maintain an international narcotics information network. The network shall disseminate prompt, accurate, and comprehensive information to foreign governments concerning programs and activities of the United States Government—
“(1) to eliminate the illicit production, trafficking, and abuse of narcotic and psychotropic drugs and other controlled substances within the United States; and
“(2) to promote drug prevention and rehabilitation in the United States.”
Public Service Announcements To Promote Child Survival
Pub. L. 101–246, title II, §233, Feb. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 57, provided that: “The United States Information Agency shall establish and maintain through the Voice of America a system of public service announcements focusing on child survival techniques.”
USIA Posts and Personnel Overseas
Pub. L. 100–204, title II, §204, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1373, which prohibited use of appropriated funds to pay expenses associated with closing of United States Information Agency posts abroad or to pay expenses associated with Bureau of Management or with television and film service of Agency if an Agency post abroad was closed after Apr. 1, 1987, and not reopened within 180 days after Dec. 22, 1987, placed limitation on reduction of number of positions filled by American employees of Agency stationed abroad, authorized waiver of both prohibition and limitation, and permitted Director, in case of a sequestration order, to submit a report to congressional committees proposing a list of Agency posts to be downgraded or closed in order to comply with sequestration order, was repealed by Pub. L. 102–138, title II, §206(c), Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 693. See section 1475g of this title.
Redesignation of International Communication Agency as United States Information Agency
Pub. L. 97–241, title III, §303, Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 291, provided that:
“(a) The International Communication Agency, established by Reorganization Plan Numbered 2 of 1977 [set out as a note below], is hereby redesignated the United States Information Agency. The Director of the International Communication Agency or any other official of the International Communication Agency is hereby redesignated the Director or other official, as appropriate, of the United States Information Agency.
“(b) Any reference in any statute, reorganization plan, Executive order, regulation, agreement, determination, or other official document or proceeding to the International Communication Agency or the Director or other official of the International Communication Agency shall be deemed to refer respectively to the United States Information Agency or the Director or other official of the United States Information Agency, as so redesignated by subsection (a).”
Compensation of Director and Deputy Director of United States Information Agency
Compensation of Director and Deputy Director, see sections 5313 and 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.