[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6398 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6398

To impose a permanent prohibition on the use of funds by the Department 
    of Defense for propaganda purposes within the United States not 
      otherwise specifically authorized by law and to require an 
  investigation into possible violations of the annual Department of 
       Defense Appropriations Act prohibition on such propaganda.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 26, 2008

  Mr. Hodes (for himself, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. DeLauro, and Mr. Hinchey) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To impose a permanent prohibition on the use of funds by the Department 
    of Defense for propaganda purposes within the United States not 
      otherwise specifically authorized by law and to require an 
  investigation into possible violations of the annual Department of 
       Defense Appropriations Act prohibition on such propaganda.

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

SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR 
              PROPAGANDA PURPOSES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Section 8001 of the Department of Defense 
        Appropriations Act, 2008 (division A of Public Law 110-116; 121 
        Stat. 1313) states that ``No part of any appropriation 
        contained in this Act shall be used for publicity or propaganda 
        purposes not authorized by the Congress.''.
            (2) This same prohibition on Department of Defense 
        propaganda activities has appeared as section 8001 of Public 
        Laws 107-117, 107-248, 108-87, 108-287, 109-148, and 109-289, 
        the annual Department of Defense Appropriations Acts for fiscal 
        years 2002 through 2007.
            (3) Recent media accounts have revealed a Department of 
        Defense program that was designed to indirectly influence media 
        coverage of the war in Iraq and the Global War on Terrorism by 
        providing retired members of the Armed Forces, who were 
        frequently featured in the media, with talking points, special 
        tours, access to high-level meetings, and even classified 
        materials.
            (4) In reaction to these media accounts, the Department of 
        Defense has suspended the program pending an internal review, 
        but, in the interest of full disclosure and in light of section 
        8001, an external review of the program is warranted.
    (b) Prohibition.--None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
available to the Department of Defense may be used by the Department of 
Defense for propaganda purposes within the United States not otherwise 
specifically authorized by law.
    (c) Investigations and Reports.--Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the 
Department of Defense and the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall each conduct a study of, and submit to Congress a report on, the 
extent to which the Department of Defense has violated the annual 
prohibition on Department of Defense propaganda activities referred to 
subsection (a).
    (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``propaganda'' means any 
form of communication in support of national objectives designed to 
influence the opinions, emotions, attitudes, or behavior of the people 
of the United States in order to benefit the sponsor, either directly 
or indirectly.
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