[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5181 Introduced in House (IH)]
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114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5181
To counter foreign disinformation and propaganda, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 10, 2016
Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois (for himself, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr.
Fitzpatrick, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Takai, Mr. Young of
Indiana, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Guthrie, and Mr.
Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To counter foreign disinformation and propaganda, 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 ``Countering Foreign Propaganda and
Disinformation Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) foreign governments, including the Governments of the
Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, use
disinformation and other propaganda tools to undermine the
national security objectives of the United States and key
allies and partners;
(2) the Russian Federation, in particular, has conducted
sophisticated and large-scale disinformation campaigns that
have sought to have a destabilizing effect on United States
allies and interests;
(3) in the last decade disinformation has increasingly
become a key feature of the Government of the Russian
Federation's pursuit of political, economic, and military
objectives in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, the Balkans, and
throughout Central and Eastern Europe;
(4) the challenge of countering disinformation extends
beyond effective strategic communications and public diplomacy,
requiring a whole-of-government approach leveraging all
elements of national power;
(5) the United States Government should develop a
comprehensive strategy to counter foreign disinformation and
propaganda and assert leadership in developing a fact-based
strategic narrative; and
(6) an important element of this strategy should be to
protect and promote a free, healthy, and independent press in
countries vulnerable to foreign disinformation.
SEC. 3. CENTER FOR INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in coordination
with the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National Intelligence,
the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and other relevant departments and
agencies, establish a Center for Information Analysis and Response (in
this section referred to as the ``Center''). The purposes of the Center
are--
(1) to lead and coordinate the collection and analysis of
information on foreign government information warfare efforts,
including information provided by recipients of information
access fund grants awarded under subsection (e) and other
sources;
(2) to establish a framework for the integration of
critical data and analysis on foreign propaganda and
disinformation efforts into the development of national
strategy; and
(3) to develop, plan, and synchronize, in coordination with
the Secretary of Defense, the Director of National
Intelligence, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and other
relevant departments and agencies, whole-of-government
initiatives to expose and counter foreign information
operations directed against United States national security
interests and proactively advance fact-based narratives that
support United States allies and interests.
(b) Functions.--The Center shall carry out the following functions:
(1) Integrating interagency efforts to track and evaluate
counterfactual narratives abroad that threaten the national
security interests of the United States and United States
allies.
(2) Collecting, integrating, and analyzing relevant
information, including intelligence reporting, data, analysis,
and analytics from United States Government agencies, allied
nations, think-tanks, academic institutions, civil society
groups, and other nongovernmental organizations.
(3) Developing and disseminating fact-based narratives and
analysis to counter propaganda and disinformation directed at
United States allies and partners.
(4) Identifying current and emerging trends in foreign
propaganda and disinformation, including the use of print,
broadcast, online and social media, support for third-party
outlets such as think tanks, political parties, and
nongovernmental organizations, and the use of covert or
clandestine special operators and agents to influence targeted
populations and governments in order to coordinate and shape
the development of tactics, techniques, and procedures to
expose and refute foreign misinformation and disinformation and
proactively promote fact-based narratives and policies to
audiences outside the United States.
(5) Facilitating the use of a wide range of technologies
and techniques by sharing expertise among agencies, seeking
expertise from external sources, and implementing best
practices.
(6) Identifying gaps in United States capabilities in areas
relevant to the Center's mission and recommending necessary
enhancements or changes.
(7) Identifying the countries and populations most
susceptible to foreign government propaganda and
disinformation.
(8) Administering the information access fund established
pursuant to subsection (e).
(9) Coordinating with allied and partner nations,
particularly those frequently targeted by foreign
disinformation operations, and international organizations and
entities such as the NATO Center of Excellence on Strategic
Communications, the European Endowment for Democracy, and the
European External Action Service Task Force on Strategic
Communications, in order to amplify the Center's efforts and
avoid duplication.
(c) Composition.--
(1) Coordinator.--The Secretary of State shall appoint a
full-time Coordinator to lead the Center.
(2) Steering committee.--
(A) Composition.--The Secretary of State shall
establish a Steering Committee composed of senior
representatives of agencies relevant to the Center's
mission to provide advice to the Secretary on the
operations and strategic orientation of the Center and
to ensure adequate support for the Center. The Steering
Committee shall include the officials set forth in
subparagraph (C), one senior representative designated
by the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, the Director of National Intelligence,
the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, and the Chairman of the
Broadcasting Board of Governors.
(B) Meetings.--The Steering Committee shall meet
not less than every 3 months.
(C) Chairman and vice chairmen.--The Steering
Committee shall be chaired by the Under Secretary of
State for Political Affairs. A senior, Secretary of
State-designated official responsible for digital media
programming for foreign audiences and a senior,
Secretary of Defense-designated official responsible
for information operations shall serve as co-Vice
Chairmen.
(D) Executive secretary.--The Coordinator of the
Center shall serve as Executive Secretary of the
Steering Committee.
(E) Participation and independence.--The Chairman
of the Broadcasting Board of Governors shall not
compromise the journalistic freedom or integrity of
relevant media organizations. Other Federal agencies
may be invited to participate in the Steering Committee
at the discretion of the Chairman of the Steering
Committee and with the consent of the Secretary of
State.
(d) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Chairman may, with the consent of the
Secretary and without regard to the civil service laws and
regulations, appoint and terminate a Director and such other
additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the Center
to carry out its functions. The employment of the Director
shall be subject to confirmation by the Steering Committee.
(2) Compensation.--The Chairman may fix the compensation of
the Director and other personnel without regard to chapter 51
and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States
Code, relating to classification of positions and General
Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the
executive director and other personnel may not exceed the rate
payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section
5316 of that title.
(3) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed to the Center without reimbursement,
and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil
service status or privilege.
(4) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The Chairman may procure temporary and intermittent services
under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates
for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the
annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the
Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title.
(e) Information Access Fund.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary of State for fiscal years
2017 and 2018 $20,000,000 to support the Center and provide
grants or contracts of financial support to civil society
groups, journalists, nongovernmental organizations, federally
funded research and development centers, private companies, or
academic institutions for the following purposes:
(A) To support local independent media who are best
placed to refute foreign disinformation and
manipulation in their own communities.
(B) To collect and store examples in print, online,
and social media, disinformation, misinformation, and
propaganda directed at the United States and its allies
and partners.
(C) To analyze tactics, techniques, and procedures
of foreign government information warfare with respect
to disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda.
(D) To support efforts by the Center to counter
efforts by foreign governments to use disinformation,
misinformation, and propaganda to influence the
policies and social and political stability of the
United States and United States allies and partners.
(2) Funding availability and limitations.--All
organizations that apply to receive funds under this subsection
must undergo a vetting process in accordance with the relevant
existing regulations to ensure their bona fides, capability,
and experience, and their compatibility with United States
interests and objectives.
SEC. 4. INCLUSION IN DEPARTMENT OF STATE EDUCATION AND CULTURAL
EXCHANGE PROGRAMS OF FOREIGN STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY
LEADERS FROM COUNTRIES AND POPULATIONS SUSCEPTIBLE TO
FOREIGN MANIPULATION.
When selecting participants for United States educational and
cultural exchange programs, the Secretary of State shall give special
consideration to students and community leaders from populations and
countries the Secretary deems vulnerable to foreign propaganda and
disinformation campaigns.
SEC. 5. REPORTS.
Not more than one year after the establishment of the Center, the
Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report evaluating the
success of the Center in fulfilling the purposes for which it was
authorized and outlining steps to improve any areas of deficiency.
SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF CENTER AND STEERING COMMITTEE.
The Center for Information Analysis and Response and the Steering
Committee shall terminate ten years after the date of the enactment of
this Act.
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