Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012
2/29/2024 1:53 AM UTC by Jack
On January 27, 1948, the Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (or the Smith-Mundt Act) came into effect. The stated purpose of this act was, "To promote the better understanding of the United States among the peoples of the world and to strengthen cooperative international relations." 1 This act did not limit distribution of domestic propaganda, it only allowed for the dissemination of foreign propaganda.
The SMMA started out as H. R. 5736 on May 10, 2012 for the declared purpose “To amend the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to authorize the domestic dissemination of information and material about the United States intended primarily for foreign audiences, and for other purposes.” The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, was eventually buried within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (section 1078 (a)), passed into public law, effective on January 2, 2013, and the SMMA portion amended the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1987, allowing for materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to be available within the United States. 2
The SMMA started out as H. R. 5736 on May 10, 2012 for the declared purpose “To amend the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 to authorize the domestic dissemination of information and material about the United States intended primarily for foreign audiences, and for other purposes.” The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, was eventually buried within the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (section 1078 (a)), passed into public law, effective on January 2, 2013, and the SMMA portion amended the United States Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act of 1987, allowing for materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) to be available within the United States. 2