[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 17 (Monday, February 2, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H680-H683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP ACT OF 2015

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 623) 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 623

       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 ``Social Media Working Group 
     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 new section:

     ``SEC. 318. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish within 
     the Department a social

[[Page H681]]

     media working group (in this section referred to as the 
     `Group').
       ``(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.
       ``(c) Membership.--
       ``(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:
       ``(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) 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--
       ``(A) be equal to or greater than the total number of 
     regular members under paragraph (1); and
       ``(B) include--
       ``(i) not fewer than three representatives from the private 
     sector; and
       ``(ii) representatives from--

       ``(I) State, local, and tribal entities, including from--

       ``(aa) law enforcement;
       ``(bb) fire services;
       ``(cc) emergency management; and
       ``(dd) public health entities;

       ``(II) universities and academia; and
       ``(III) non-profit disaster relief organizations.

       ``(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).
       ``(e) Meetings.--
       ``(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.
       ``(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.
       ``(f) Nonapplicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory 
     Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Group.
       ``(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:
       ``(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.
       ``(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.
       ``(3) Recommendations to improve the Department's use of 
     social media for emergency management purposes.
       ``(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.
       ``(5) Recommendations to improve information sharing among 
     the Department and its components.
       ``(6) Recommendations to improve information sharing among 
     State and local governments.
       ``(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.
       ``(8) A summary of coordination efforts with the private 
     sector to discuss and resolve legal, operational, technical, 
     privacy, and security concerns.''.
       (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:

``Sec. 318. Social media working group.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia 
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Indiana.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 623.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Indiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 623, the Social Media 
Working Group Act of 2015.
  Social media is transforming the way the Nation is communicating 
before, during, and after terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and 
other emergencies. There are countless examples from recent events of 
how citizens are turning to Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram for 
public safety information, to comfort survivors, and to request 
assistance.
  For example, during the height of the most recent winter storm Juno 
in the Northeast, there were over 20,000 posts using the hashtag 
#blizzardof2015.
  A quarter of Americans--let me repeat that--a quarter of Americans 
got information about the devastating terrorist attack at the 2013 
Boston Marathon from Facebook and Twitter.
  Immediately following that attack and during the manhunt, the Boston 
Police Department utilized social media as a way to communicate with 
and solicit information from citizens and visitors.
  In fact, the first official announcement that Boston Marathon bomber 
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev had been captured was not through a traditional press 
conference, but it was through the Boston Police Department's Twitter 
account. That post was retweeted more than 135,000 times.
  These examples prove that social media has become one of the primary 
ways we share information.
  In the 113th Congress, I served as the chair of the Committee on 
Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, 
and Communications with the gentleman from New Jersey as my ranking 
member. Our subcommittee held two hearings that focused on this new 
phenomenon, and we learned that while the Nation is making great 
strides in this area, gaps and challenges remain.
  One of the key takeaways from these hearings was that during and 
after a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other emergency, there 
is still a need for better communication between the public sector and 
the private sector, specifically with how we utilize social media as a 
communication tool.
  Last year, I introduced this bill, along with Ranking Member Payne, 
Chairman McCaul, Representative Palazzo, and Representative Swalwell, 
to address this issue; and I am pleased now to reintroduce the bill 
this Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 623 addresses the issues we heard in our hearings 
by authorizing and enhancing the Department of Homeland Security's 
Virtual Social Media Working Group to ensure information sharing 
between the Department and appropriate stakeholders and the leveraging 
of best practices.
  Currently, the Virtual Social Media Working Group, which is made up 
mostly of State and local officials, is doing great work in developing 
guidance documents on how to utilize social media during disasters. In 
fact, it produced a lessons learned paper on social media usage during 
Hurricane Sandy.
  This bill will increase the working group's stakeholder 
participation, particularly among the private sector and Federal 
response agencies, thereby creating a Whole Community dialogue on this 
issue.
  The bill will require this group to submit an annual report to 
Congress highlighting best practices, lessons learned, and any 
recommendations. Finally, this bill will require the group to meet in 
person or virtually at least twice a year, and it will not be a 
financial burden on the Department.
  In today's day and age, when new social media platforms and 
technologies can change the game almost instantly, we must ensure our 
critical first responders are nimble enough to adapt to an ever-
changing landscape. This group is one way to help facilitate this.

[[Page H682]]

  The House passed this bill last Congress with strong bipartisan 
support. I now want to thank Chairman Shuster and Chairman Barletta of 
the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for working with the 
Committee on Homeland Security and me to get this bill to the floor 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to join me in supporting this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate and commend Mrs. Brooks of Indiana and 
Mr. Payne of New Jersey for sponsoring the Social Media Working Group 
Act of 2013 which addresses an emerging and important topic in 
emergency management.
  More and more, we are seeing social media, especially Twitter, 
Facebook, and YouTube, playing a critical role in the preparedness, 
response, and recovery operations in emergency situations.
  In the past few years, social media has become a valuable tool that 
has been used by emergency managers at all levels to warn those in 
harm's way of impending natural disasters. I might add that the same 
could occur in terrorist disasters.
  Moreover, it has been used to inform survivors of how to access 
disaster assistance and tips for speedier recovery. Equally important, 
social media has been used to coordinate and manage assistance from 
nonprofits and volunteers who want to help in recovery efforts.
  It is not just emergency managers who use social media regarding 
emergencies. Individuals have used social media to help identify 
locations where assistance may still be needed and to raise awareness 
of impending hazards. They have used it to communicate with loved ones 
who may be impacted by an event, as well as to reconnect pets with 
their owners.
  It was no different here in the District of Columbia, Mr. Speaker, 
after 
9/11, and I refer to the earthquake centered in Mineral, Virginia, but 
certainly felt in every part of the Nation's Capital.
  Because cellphone service was jammed, residents turned to social 
media to communicate. Within minutes of that earthquake, Twitter noted 
that over 40,000 earthquake-related tweets were sent about the 
occurrence.

                              {time}  1745

  Facebook noted 3 million mentions related to the earthquake.
  In 2010, the Department of Homeland Security established the Virtual 
Social Media Working Group to provide recommendations on how to use 
social media before, during, and after emergencies. The existing 
working group consists of emergency responders, nonprofit 
organizations, and Federal agencies.
  H.R. 623 would codify the working group to make certain that their 
good work continues. To allow for broader representation, the bill 
expands the working group membership to include the private sectors and 
requires consultation with nonmembers. To ensure accountability, the 
bill requires an annual report to Congress on important issues such as 
best practices and lessons learned. It would also provide 
recommendations on various issues, including how to improve the use of 
social media for emergency management purposes.
  This is a very timely bill, Mr. Speaker. It will assist in informing 
the public of critical emergency information which may well save lives 
and reduce injuries. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this 
bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and 
I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as I was coming to the floor, I tweeted and Facebooked 
that I would be on the floor managing this bill. We are used to 
Tweeting and Facebooking our every movement, usually for fun--and yes, 
even to come on the floor.
  I will be very interested to know whether, after we had the tragic 
accident last month in our Metro system when we lost one life--and we 
know for sure communication between the District of Columbia fire, 
emergency, and Metro was informed--I will be very interested to know 
whether Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media were 
helpful. I cannot believe they were not.
  We all think of social media for social fun. What is important about 
the bill that my two colleagues, Representative Brooks and 
Representative Payne, have brought to us is, of course, that it shows a 
very essential use.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Payne), a cosponsor of the bill.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the 
District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for yielding me this time.
  Last Congress, the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, 
and Communications held a series of hearings examining how the Internet 
can positively impact disaster response at all levels.
  Over the course of these hearings, industry stakeholders, who 
included Google.org, Palantir, and the Internet Association, provided 
testimony about how the Internet helped galvanize citizens affected by 
disasters--from the Boston Marathon bombings to Hurricane Sandy.
  We also heard from an energy services company headquartered in my 
district, PSE&G, that was recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for 
its innovative use of social media in the days leading up to and 
following Hurricane Sandy. PSE&G used social media to communicate with 
its customers about how to prepare for the storm and to mitigate damage 
and about power restoration efforts afterward.
  Additionally, PSE&G testified about lessons learned about using 
social media during disaster response--ranging from using the right 
tone in messages to preparing social media companies to handle the 
increased volume of messages.
  In those hearings, we also took testimony from Federal, State, and 
local governments about how to use social media more effectively to 
provide disaster-related information to be better integrated into 
disaster response applications.
  We also heard from FEMA and local officials on efforts to improve the 
use of social media following a terrorist attack or natural disaster.
  I was pleased to work with then-Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Brooks 
on this oversight effort and ultimately on the bill to ensure that the 
important conversation about how to best use social media following a 
disaster can continue.
  Last July, I was pleased to manage an identical version of this bill 
on the House floor on behalf of the Committee on Homeland Security. 
That measure, H.R. 4263, passed the House on suspension, as I hope will 
occur with H.R. 623.
  This Congress, I am pleased that my committee was able to work with 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to ensure that H.R. 
623 gets considered early this Congress. That said, I am disappointed 
that this time around, under the rules of the House, the committee that 
developed the legislation, in response to extensive oversight findings, 
was not given the opportunity to present it in the full House on its 
own.
  That said, I congratulate Subcommittee Chairwoman Brooks on the 
success of her efforts to ensure that Federal, State, and local 
governments continue to work with the private sector and nonprofit 
disaster response providers to develop innovative uses of social media. 
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 623.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the 
gentlelady from the District of Columbia and the gentleman from New 
Jersey for continuing this important work that we began last year.
  It was a visit to the American Red Cross shortly after Hurricane 
Sandy where we learned about the important role that social media had 
played and the growing role that it played and the fact that they have 
digital volunteers now who continue to work on behalf of saving lives.
  I just want to thank all of those who have been supportive of this 
bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in once again supporting this 
important legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the sponsor and cosponsor

[[Page H683]]

once again on this vital and valuable bill.
  As we see the kinds of, really, unheard of events we are 
experiencing, it seems to us often that phones and cell phones are so 
20th century. Twitter and Facebook are the functional equivalent for 
many Americans of 911. So today on this floor, I think we are resolved 
that social media are, to be sure, often about fun and games, but they 
may also be about life and death.
  I am pleased to support this bill and ask Members for its support 
here in the House.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again thank the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia and the gentleman from New 
Jersey in supporting this important legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland 
Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 423, ``The Social Media 
Working Group Act of 2014,'' which would establish within the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a social media working group.
  The Social Media Working Group would 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.
  Today, people are relying more on Internet enabled communications to 
engage and be engaged in personal, professional and commercial 
communications.
  Since September 11, 2001, our nation has committed resources toward 
the preparation of our first responders and citizens in preventing, 
mitigating and responding to terrorist events.
  As these efforts continue, we must keep pace with the rapid changing 
nature of the Internet. Part of this requires that Congress ensure that 
the Department of Homeland Security and especially the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency can reach citizens in new ways so that 
critical information is received in a timely manner.
  In 2012, smartphones, most particularly phones running Apple 
Computer's iOS and the open source Android operating system, accounted 
for at least 40 percent of the mobile devices used in the United 
States.
  In the first quarter of 2012, mobile phone consumers spent over $109 
billion, while consumers of landline-telephone service spent $64.4 
billion.
  The Federal Communication Commission reports that this trend is 
expected accelerate as United States consumers participate in a 
worldwide trend towards mobile communication devices and away from 
traditional means of receiving and sending information.
  Electronic tablet computers and e-readers, the other fully enabled 
portable Internet devices, smartphones are increasingly a resource for 
people to access information, share content, and communicate their 
views.
  Social media is quickly emerging as a major source of information 
that citizens rely upon to receive news and engage government.
  The number of people using social networking sites has nearly doubled 
since 2008.
  In a 2011, a Pew Internet Center Research Project reported that 79 
percent of American adults said they used the Internet and 59 percent 
of all Internet users say they use at least one of social networking 
service, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.
  The reasons for supporting this bill are obvious and I ask my 
colleagues in the House to vote for its passage.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 623, the 
Social Media Working Group Act of 2015, which was introduced by 
Congresswoman Brooks, Congressman Payne, and myself.
  Social media is becoming an important tool before, during and after 
disasters. This becomes more and more obvious after every incident and 
was especially prevalent both after Hurricane Sandy and the Boston 
bombings. Almost two years ago, when two pressure cooker bombs exploded 
at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, local emergency managers and 
law enforcement turned to social media to alert the public, solicit 
assistance, and offer comfort to the city. Incidents like these point 
to the fact that authorities must embrace the use of social media as a 
way to both collect and disseminate information in the management of a 
disaster.
  Last year, I visited the headquarters of the American Red Cross with 
the author of this legislation, Congresswoman Brooks. One of the 
highlights of our visit was the Red Cross Digital Disaster Operations 
Center, where, in partnership with Dell, the Red Cross built the first-
ever social media operations center for humanitarian relief. I was 
impressed to see how the Red Cross is communicating with disaster 
survivors through social media and how social media is changing the way 
we are able to prepare for and respond to disasters.
  In the last Congress, the Committee on Homeland Security's 
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications 
held two hearings on the impact of social media before, during and 
after disasters. These hearings informed the writing of this 
legislation which authorizes and enhances the Department's Virtual 
Social Media Working Group to ensure best practices and lessons learned 
are shared with appropriate stakeholders, including the private sector, 
and ensure our first responders understand the ever changing dynamic of 
using social media.
  This measure passed the House floor with almost 400 votes in the 
113th Congress, demonstrating its importance and bipartisan support. I 
urge Members to join me in supporting this bill today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 623.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________