[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2517 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2517

 To require a report on United States strategy to combat terrorist use 
                of social media, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 9, 2016

Mr. Johnson (for himself and Mrs. Ernst) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require a report on United States strategy to combat terrorist use 
                of social media, 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 ``Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media 
Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (B) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (C) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives;
                    (D) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (E) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
                of the House of Representatives;
                    (F) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (G) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
                    (H) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (I) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; 
                and
                    (J) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
                Senate.
            (2) Domestic terrorism; international terrorism.--The terms 
        ``domestic terrorism'' and ``international terrorism'' have the 
        meaning given such terms in section 2331 of title 18, United 
        States Code.
            (3) Radicalization.--The term ``radicalization'' means the 
        process by which an individual shifts from a nonviolent belief 
        system to a belief system that includes the willingness to 
        actively advocate, facilitate, or practice ideologically 
        motivated international terrorism or domestic terrorism as a 
        method to effect societal or political change.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON STRATEGY TO COMBAT TERRORIST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the President shall transmit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report on United States strategy to combat 
terrorists' and terrorist organizations' use of social media.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An evaluation of the role of social media in 
        radicalization domestically and abroad.
            (2) An analysis of how terrorists and terrorist 
        organizations are using social media, including trends.
            (3) A summary of the Federal Government's efforts to 
        monitor, review, disrupt, and counter the use of social media 
        by terrorists and terrorist organizations, an evaluation of the 
        success of such efforts, and recommendations for improvement.
            (4) An analysis of how the Federal Government is using 
        social media to counter terrorist propaganda and radicalization 
        domestically and abroad.
            (5) An assessment of the value to law enforcement officials 
        and the intelligence community of reviewing and analyzing 
        social media posts by terrorists and terrorist organizations.
            (6) An overview of available local, State, and Federal 
        social media training programs to understand and combat the use 
        of social media by terrorists and terrorist organizations, the 
        required qualifications for trainers in each program, the 
        intended students of each program, as well as recommendations 
        for improving or expanding existing training opportunities and 
        training participation.
    (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) should be 
submitted in unclassified form, and may include a classified annex in 
accordance with the protection of intelligence sources and methods.

SEC. 4. POLICY AND COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO COUNTER TERRORISTS' AND 
              TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS' USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the appropriate 
congressional committees a report that contains a comprehensive 
strategy to counter terrorists' and terrorist organizations' use of 
social media, as committed to in the President's 2011 ``Strategic 
Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent 
Extremism in the United States''.
    (b) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) should be 
submitted in unclassified form, and may include a classified annex in 
accordance with the protection of intelligence sources and methods.

SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON NEW REGULATORY AUTHORITY.

    Nothing in this Act shall be construed as granting the President or 
any department or agency of the Federal Government authority to 
promulgate regulations or set standards relating to non-Federal 
entities.
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