[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 623 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 234
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 623
[Report No. 114-145]
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 3, 2015
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
September 21, 2015
Reported by Mr. Johnson, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Department
of Homeland Security to establish a social media working group, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Social Media Working Group
Act of 2015''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--Title III of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``SEC. 318. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within
the Department a social media working group (in this section referred
to as the `Group').</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(b) Purpose.--In order to enhance information sharing
between the Department and appropriate stakeholders, the Group shall
provide guidance and best practices to the emergency preparedness and
response community on the use of social media technologies before,
during, and after a terrorist attack or other emergency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) Membership.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) In general.--The Under Secretary for Science
and Technology shall serve as the permanent chairperson of the
Group, and shall designate, on a rotating basis, a
representative from a State or local government who is a member
of the Group to serve as co-chairperson. The Under Secretary
shall establish term limits for individuals appointed to the
Group pursuant to paragraph (2). Membership of the Group shall
be composed of a cross section of subject matter experts from
Federal, State, local, tribal, and nongovernmental organization
practitioners, including representatives from the following
entities:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) The Office of Public Affairs of the
Department.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) The Office of the Chief Information
Officer of the Department.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) The Privacy Office of the
Department.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(D) The Federal Emergency Management
Agency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(E) The Office of Disability Integration
and Coordination of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(F) The American Red Cross.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(G) The Forest Service.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(H) The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(I) The United States Geological
Survey.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(J) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Additional members.--The Under Secretary for
Science and Technology shall appoint, on a rotating basis,
qualified individuals to the Group. The total number of such
additional members shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) be equal to or greater than the
total number of regular members under paragraph (1);
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) not fewer than three
representatives from the private sector;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) representatives from--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(I) State, local, and
tribal entities, including from--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(aa) law
enforcement;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(bb) fire
services;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(cc) emergency
management; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(dd) public
health entities;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(II) universities and
academia; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(III) nonprofit disaster
relief organizations.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(d) Consultation With Non-Members.--To the extent
practicable, the Group shall work with existing bodies in the public
and private sectors to carry out subsection (b).</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(e) Meetings.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this section, the Group
shall hold its initial meeting. Such initial meeting may be
held virtually.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Subsequent meetings.--After the initial
meeting under paragraph (1), the Group shall meet at least
twice each year, or at the call of the Chairperson. Such
subsequent meetings may be held virtually.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(f) Nonapplicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Group.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(g) Reports.--Not later than March 30 of each year, the
Group shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
that includes the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) A review of current and emerging social
media technologies being used to support preparedness and
response activities related to terrorist attacks and other
emergencies.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) A review of best practices and lessons
learned on the use of social media during the response to
terrorist attacks and other emergencies that occurred during
the period covered by the report at issue.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) Recommendations to improve the Department's
use of social media for emergency management
purposes.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) Recommendations to improve public awareness
of the type of information disseminated through social media,
and how to access such information, during a terrorist attack
or other emergency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(5) Recommendations to improve information
sharing among the Department and its components.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(6) Recommendations to improve information
sharing among State and local governments.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(7) A review of available training for Federal,
State, local, and tribal officials on the use of social media
in response to a terrorist attack or other emergency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(8) A summary of coordination efforts with the
private sector to discuss and resolve legal, operational,
technical, privacy, and security concerns.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after
the item relating to section 317 the following new item:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Sec. 318. Social media working group.''.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Social Media Improvement Act of
2015''.
SEC. 2. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP.
(a) In General.--Title III of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 318. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within the
Department a social media working group (in this section referred to as
the `Group').
``(b) Purpose.--In order to enhance the dissemination of
information through social media technologies between the Department
and appropriate stakeholders and to improve use of social media
technologies in support of preparedness, response, and recovery, the
Group shall identify, and provide guidance and best practices to the
emergency preparedness and response community on, the use of social
media technologies before, during, and after a natural disaster or an
act of terrorism or other man-made disaster.
``(c) Membership.--
``(1) In general.--Membership of the Group shall be
composed of a cross section of subject matter experts from
Federal, State, local, tribal, territorial, and nongovernmental
organization practitioners, including representatives from the
following entities:
``(A) The Office of Public Affairs of the
Department.
``(B) The Office of the Chief Information Officer
of the Department.
``(C) The Privacy Office of the Department.
``(D) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
``(E) The Office of Disability Integration and
Coordination of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.
``(F) The American Red Cross.
``(G) The Forest Service.
``(H) The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
``(I) The United States Geological Survey.
``(J) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
``(2) Chairperson; co-chairperson.--
``(A) Chairperson.--The Secretary, or a designee of
the Secretary, shall serve as the chairperson of the
Group.
``(B) Co-chairperson.--The chairperson shall
designate, on a rotating basis, a representative from a
State or local government who is a member of the Group
to serve as the co-chairperson of the Group.
``(3) Additional members.--The chairperson shall appoint,
on a rotating basis, qualified individuals to the Group. The
total number of such additional members shall--
``(A) be equal to or greater than the total number
of regular members under paragraph (1); and
``(B) include--
``(i) not fewer than 3 representatives from
the private sector; and
``(ii) representatives from--
``(I) State, local, tribal, and
territorial entities, including from--
``(aa) law enforcement;
``(bb) fire services;
``(cc) emergency
management; and
``(dd) public health
entities;
``(II) universities and academia;
and
``(III) nonprofit disaster relief
organizations.
``(4) Term limits.--The chairperson shall establish term
limits for individuals appointed to the Group under paragraph
(3).
``(d) Consultation With Non-members.--To the extent practicable,
the Group shall work with entities in the public and private sectors to
carry out subsection (b).
``(e) Meetings.--
``(1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of enactment of this section, the Group shall hold its
initial meeting.
``(2) Subsequent meetings.--After the initial meeting under
paragraph (1), the Group shall meet--
``(A) at the call of the chairperson; and
``(B) not less frequently than twice each year.
``(3) Virtual meetings.--Each meeting of the Group may be
held virtually.
``(f) Reports.--During each year in which the Group meets, the
Group shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report
that includes the following:
``(1) A review and analysis of current and emerging social
media technologies being used to support preparedness and
response activities related to natural disasters and acts of
terrorism and other man-made disasters.
``(2) A review of best practices and lessons learned on the
use of social media technologies during the response to natural
disasters and acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters
that occurred during the period covered by the report at issue.
``(3) Recommendations to improve the Department's use of
social media technologies for emergency management purposes.
``(4) Recommendations to improve public awareness of the
type of information disseminated through social media
technologies, and how to access such information, during a
natural disaster or an act of terrorism or other man-made
disaster.
``(5) A review of available training for Federal, State,
local, tribal, and territorial officials on the use of social
media technologies in response to a natural disaster or an act
of terrorism or other man-made disaster.
``(6) A review of coordination efforts with the private
sector to discuss and resolve legal, operational, technical,
privacy, and security concerns.
``(g) Duration of Group.--
``(1) In general.--The Group shall terminate on the date
that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this section
unless the chairperson renews the Group for a successive 5-year
period, prior to the date on which the Group would otherwise
terminate, by submitting to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a
certification that the continued existence of the Group is
necessary to fulfill the purpose described in subsection (b).
``(2) Continued renewal.--The chairperson may continue to
renew the Group for successive 5-year periods by submitting a
certification in accordance with paragraph (1) prior to the
date on which the Group would otherwise terminate.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 317 the following:
``Sec. 318. Social media working group.''.
Calendar No. 234
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 623
[Report No. 114-145]
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Department
of Homeland Security to establish a social media working group, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 21, 2015
Reported with an amendment