[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 114-80
114th Congress

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, <>
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.

[[Page 647]]

``(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.

[[Page 648]]

``(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.''.

Approved November 5, 2015.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 623:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 114-145 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015):
Feb. 2, considered and passed House.
Oct. 7, considered and passed Senate, amended.
Oct. 28, House concurred in Senate amendment.