[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3274 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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114th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3274
To counter foreign disinformation and propaganda, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 14, 2016
Mr. Portman (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
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''.
SEC. 2. CENTER FOR INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President shall establish a Center for
Information Analysis and Response (in this section referred to as the
``Center''). The purposes of the Center are--
(1) to coordinate the sharing among government agencies of
information on foreign government information warfare efforts,
including information provided by recipients of information
access fund grants awarded using funds made available under
subsection (e) and from other sources, subject to the
appropriate classification guidelines;
(2) to establish a process for integrating information on
foreign propaganda and disinformation efforts into national
strategy; and
(3) to develop, plan, and synchronize interagency
activities to expose and counter foreign information operations
directed against United States national security interests and
advance 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, subject to appropriate regulations governing the
dissemination of classified information and programs.
(2) Analyzing relevant information from United States
Government agencies, allied nations, think-tanks, academic
institutions, civil society groups, and other nongovernmental
organizations.
(3) Developing and disseminating thematic narratives and
analysis to counter propaganda and disinformation directed at
United States allies and partners in order to safeguard United
States allies and interests.
(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, 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 information-
related technologies and techniques to counter foreign
disinformation 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 and expending funds made available
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) Interagency Manager.--
(1) In general.--The President is authorized to designate
an official of the United States Government to lead an
interagency team and to manage the Center. The President shall
delegate to the manager of the Center responsibility for and
presumptive authority to direct and coordinate the activities
and operations of all departments, agencies, and elements of
the United States Government in so far as their support is
required to ensure the successful implementation of a strategy
approved by the President for accomplishing the mission. The
official so designated shall be serving in a position in the
executive branch by appointment, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate.
(2) Interagency steering committee.--
(A) Composition.--The Interagency Manager shall
establish a Steering Committee composed of senior
representatives of agencies relevant to the Center's
mission to provide advice to the Manager on the
operations and strategic orientation of the Center and
to ensure adequate support for the Center. The Steering
Committee shall include one senior representative
designated by each of the Secretary of Defense, the
Secretary of State, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, the Administrator of the United States Agency
for International Development, and the Chairman of the
Broadcasting Board of Governors.
(B) Meetings.--The Interagency Steering Committee
shall meet not less than every 3 months.
(C) 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 Center and
Steering Committee at the discretion of the Interagency
Manager.
(3) Scope of responsibility and authority.--
(A) Limitation on scope.--The delegated
responsibility and authority provided pursuant to
paragraph (1) may not extend beyond the requirements
for successful implementation of the mission and
strategy described in that paragraph.
(B) Appeal of execution of activities.--The head of
any department, agency, or other element of the United
States Government may appeal to the President a
requirement or direction by the official designated
pursuant to paragraph (1) for activities otherwise in
support of the mission and strategy described in that
paragraph if such head determines that there is a
compelling case that executing such activities would do
undue harm to other missions of national importance to
the United States.
(4) Targeted foreign audiences.--
(A) In general.--The activities under this
subsection of the Center described in paragraph (1)
shall be done only with the intent to influence foreign
audiences. No funds for the activities of the team
under this section may be used with the intent to
influence public opinion in the United States.
(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this
subsection may be construed to prohibit the team
described in paragraph (1) from engaging in any form of
communication or medium, either directly or indirectly,
or coordinating with any other department or agency of
the United States Government, a State government, or
any other public or private organization or institution
because a United States domestic audience is or may be
thereby exposed to activities or communications of the
team under this subsection, or based on a presumption
of such exposure.
(d) Staff.--
(1) Compensation.--The President may fix the compensation
of the manager of the Center 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.
(2) 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.
(3) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.--
The President 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) Funds.--Of amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal
year 2017 for the Department of Defense and identified as undistributed
fuel cost savings, up to $250,000,000 may be available for purposes of
carrying out this section and the grant program established under
section 3. Once obligated, such funds shall remain available for such
purposes until expended.
SEC. 3. INFORMATION ACCESS FUNDS.
(a) Grants and Contracts of Financial Support.--The Center may
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:
(1) To support local independent media who are best placed
to refute foreign disinformation and manipulation in their own
communities.
(2) To collect and store examples in print, online, and
social media of disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda
directed at the United States and its allies and partners.
(3) To analyze tactics, techniques, and procedures of
foreign government information warfare with respect to
disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda.
(4) 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.
(b) Funding Availability and Limitations.--All organizations that
apply to receive funds under this section 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.
The President shall ensure that when the Secretary of State is
selecting participants for United States educational and cultural
exchange programs, the Secretary of State gives special consideration
to students and community leaders from populations and countries the
Secretary deems vulnerable to foreign propaganda and disinformation
campaigns.
SEC. 5. REPORTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the establishment of
the Center, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees 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.
(b) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, the Committee on Homeland Security, the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
SEC. 6. TERMINATION OF CENTER AND STEERING COMMITTEE.
The Center for Information Analysis and Response and the
interagency team established under section 2(c) shall terminate 15
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING RELATIONSHIP TO INTELLIGENCE
AUTHORITIES AND ACTIVITIES.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as superseding or modifying
any existing authorities governing the collection, sharing, and
implementation of intelligence programs and activities or existing
regulations governing the sharing of classified information and
programs.
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