H.R. 8320

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8320 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8320

To require additional duties of the Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace 
and Digital Policy with respect to United States diplomatic efforts 
ahead of certain international conferences, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 16, 2026

Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mrs. Biggs of South Carolina) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require additional duties of the Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace 
and Digital Policy with respect to United States diplomatic efforts 
ahead of certain international conferences, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``USA 6G Global Leadership Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the Sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States has a national security, economic, 
and foreign policy interest in winning the race for 6G global 
leadership;
(2) the People's Republic of China's (PRC) use of malign 
nonmarket practices to accelerate its development of 5G and 6G 
technology is coercive and constrains countries' access to 
reliable and secure telecommunications services;
(3) the United States government should leverage economic 
and diplomatic tools to ensure United States companies are 
positioned to compete as leading providers of 6G technology and 
are not unfairly disadvantaged by PRC based state owned 
enterprises;
(4) it is in the United States interest to engage at the 
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and private 
standard setting bodies to ensure the United States is 
positioned to lead on the key telecommunications, information, 
and other emerging technologies, including artificial 
intelligence; and
(5) it is critical to cooperate with like-minded allies and 
partners, including through multilateral coordination, to 
promote secure telecommunications networks by achieving market 
leadership for trusted vendors.

SEC. 3. AMBASSADOR AT LARGE FOR CYBERSPACE AND DIGITAL POLICY 
RESPONSIBILITIES AT PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCE AND WORLD 
RADIOCOMMUNICATION CONFERENCE.

(a) Coordinator.--The Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and 
Digital Policy (authorized under subsection (i) of section 1 of the 
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956; 22 U.S.C. 2651a(i)) 
shall coordinate and lead United States diplomatic efforts ahead of the 
Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications 
Union (ITU) in 2026 and the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027.
(b) Duties.--In carrying out the coordination required by 
subsection (a), the Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital 
Policy shall be responsible for--
(1) coordinating across the Department of State, the 
Department of Commerce, and other Federal departments and 
agencies, as appropriate, to promote candidates for election to 
the ITU's leadership bodies that support the United States 
economic and security objectives for increased 
telecommunications security, digital freedom, and information 
technology governance and standards;
(2) consulting with United States private sector entities 
to ensure that views and perspectives are understood, 
incorporated, and represented as the Department of State 
engages in the ITU elections process;
(3) consulting with Congress by providing quarterly 
briefings on developments leading up to the ITU elections and 
the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027;
(4) coordinating across the Department of State, the 
Department of Commerce, and other Federal departments and 
agencies, as appropriate, to advance United States interests 
ahead of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027;
(5) conducting diplomatic outreach to promote United States 
interests in the field of international telecommunications; and
(6) other such duties that the Secretary of State may 
prescribe.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop 
and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report 
on efforts by the People's Republic of China and by the Russian 
Federation to--
(A) leverage the ITU or other international forums 
to promote policies or standards that constrain digital 
freedom;
(B) expand the mandate of the ITU to cover internet 
governance policy, including by proposing internet 
governance standards at the ITU;
(C) leverage their private sector's influence over 
developing countries to compel such countries to 
deliver favorable decisions on standards proposals, 
election victories, candidate selection, and other 
decisions at the ITU; and
(D) use the influence of Chinese or Russian 
nationals serving in the ITU to advantage companies, 
standards decisions, and ITU leadership candidates that 
advance the interests of the People's Republic of China 
or the Russian Federation, respectively.
(2) Form.--The report required by this subsection shall be 
submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified 
annex.
(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this 
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate.
(d) Sunset.--The authorities and requirements under this section 
shall expire upon the conclusion of the World Radiocommunication 
Conference 2027.

SEC. 4. PROJECT ASSISTANCE.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination with the 
Chief Executive Officer of the International Development Finance 
Corporation and the Director of the United States Trade and Development 
Agency, should carry out projects that assert United States global 
leadership in telecommunications infrastructure.
(b) Priority Projects.--For assistance pursuant to subsection (a), 
the Secretary of State shall prioritize projects that--
(1) promote connectivity and use of trusted vendors in 
developing countries; and
(2) use technology produced by United States companies or 
entities if not specifically important that they are 
incorporated or by companies organized under the laws of United 
States allies if United States technology goods and services 
are not available.
(c) Forms of Support.--The projects carried under this section may 
receive support through the following methods:
(1) Early-stage project development including feasibility 
studies.
(2) Development loans.
(3) Direct investments in companies or projects that 
advance Unites States foreign policy interests.
(4) Other types of support as appropriate.
(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report 
that describes the projects undertaken pursuant to subsection (b).

SEC. 5. 6G TECHNOLOGY DOMINANCE STRATEGY.

(a) Strategy for 6G Technology Dominance.--Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report that details the United States 
strategy to promote and dominate 6G technology globally.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall also 
include a description and analysis of the activities of the Department 
of State regarding--
(1) actions to deepen cooperation with like-minded 
countries to promote United States and allied market leadership 
in 6G networks and technologies;
(2) efforts to coordinate and cooperate with relevant 
Federal departments and agencies as well as United States-based 
private sector entities to plan, strategize, and conduct 
diplomatic engagements at telecommunication standard-setting 
bodies and organizations; and
(3) the effects on and impact of competition in artificial 
intelligence and other critical or emerging technologies, 
including the role of low-earth orbit satellites, in ensuring 
that the United States remains the partner of choice in 6G 
infrastructure.
(c) Form.--The report required by this section shall be submitted 
in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
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