[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7282 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7282
To require the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the
Department of Homeland Security to assess, on an ongoing basis, the
potential terrorism implications of malign disinformation operations on
domestic preparedness for and collective response to terrorism or other
homeland security threats, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2020
Ms. Underwood (for herself, Mr. Payne, Mrs. Demings, and Mr. Thompson
of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the
Department of Homeland Security to assess, on an ongoing basis, the
potential terrorism implications of malign disinformation operations on
domestic preparedness for and collective response to terrorism or other
homeland security threats, 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 ``Protecting Against Public Safety
Disinformation Act''.
SEC. 2. TERRORISM THREAT ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH REGARDING MALIGN
DISINFORMATION OPERATIONS.
(a) Threat Assessment.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary for Intelligence and
Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security shall, on an
ongoing basis and in consultation with appropriate Federal
partners, develop and disseminate to State, local, Tribal, and
territorial officials, including officials from law
enforcement, public health, fire and emergency medical
services, and emergency management agencies, assessments of the
potential terrorism implications of malign disinformation
operations carried out by terrorist or foreign malicious actors
on domestic preparedness for and collective response to
terrorism or other homeland security threats.
(2) Contents.--The terrorism assessments of malign
disinformation operations required under paragraph (1) shall
consider the following:
(A) Empirical data on malign disinformation
operations, including the following:
(i) Topics subject to such operations.
(ii) Tactics used in such operations.
(iii) Characteristics and duration of such
operations.
(iv) Information on such terrorist or
foreign malicious actors carrying out such
operations.
(B) Details regarding the potential terrorism
implications of such operations on domestic
preparedness for and collective response to terrorism
or other homeland security threats.
(3) Documentation.--The Under Secretary for Intelligence
and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security shall
maintain documentation reflecting the basis for a determination
that certain information that was used in a certain manner for
a certain purpose that resulted in certain risks or threats
satisfies the definition of a malign disinformation operation.
(4) Form.--The Under Secretary for Intelligence and
Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees the terrorism
assessments of malign disinformation operations required under
paragraph (1). Such assessments may be submitted in classified
form, but--
(A) shall include unclassified summaries; and
(B) may include unclassified annexes, if
appropriate.
(b) Research.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary for Science and
Technology of the Department of Homeland Security, in
consultation with the Under Secretary for Intelligence and
Analysis, the Privacy Officer, and the Officer for Civil Rights
and Civil Liberties of the Department, shall conduct research
to aid in the identification of malign disinformation
operations carried out by terrorist or foreign malicious actors
by studying documented malign disinformation operations that
widely reached Americans that had implications for the
preparedness for and response to terrorism or other homeland
security threats. Such research shall--
(A) examine different patterns and tactics of
malign disinformation operations to identify unique
signatures; and
(B) identify the factors that contribute to
effective malign disinformation operations.
(2) Counter-approaches.--Together with the research
required under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary for Science
and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security shall
develop recommendations for approaches to counter malign
disinformation operations described in such paragraph.
(3) Availability.--The Secretary of Homeland Security is
authorized to share the research and recommendations for
counter approaches conducted and developed pursuant to
paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, with State, local,
Tribal, and territorial officials, including officials from law
enforcement, public health, fire and emergency medical
services, and emergency management agencies, as well as with
appropriate Federal partners.
(4) Submission.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary
for Science and Technology of the Department of
Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate the results of the research and
recommendations for counter approaches conducted and
developed pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2),
respectively.
(B) Form.--Results of the research conducted
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in
unclassified form, but may include classified annexes,
as appropriate. Recommendations developed pursuant to
paragraph (2) shall be submitted in unclassified form.
(c) Malign Disinformation Operation Defined.--In this section, the
term ``malign disinformation operation'' means false information
deliberately disseminated by terrorists or foreign malicious actors to
misinform the American public in a way that risks undermining domestic
preparedness for and collective response to terrorism or other homeland
security threats.
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