Public Diplomacy Resource Centers Act of 2009
Latest action. Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Public Diplomacy Resource Centers Act of 2009 - Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to direct the Secretary of State to ensure that diplomatic and consular mission libraries and resource centers: (1) are open to the general public to the greatest extent practicable, subject to security considerations; and (2) schedule public showings of American films that showcase American culture, society, values, and history.
Directs the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy to report to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations respecting the functions and effectiveness of such libraries and resource centers.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on February 4, 2009. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on February 4, 2009: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 111th Congress (2009-10), 383 of the 10,778 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.6 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
Diane Watson (D-CA) introduced it on February 4, 2009, and 25 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 24 Democrats, 1 Republican.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 4, 2009, 6427 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 6427 days ago, on February 4, 2009.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 111th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2011 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers