,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cbgd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ad1     
#bjaf ,mr4 ,portman 7for himself and    
,mr4 ,murphy7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations
  ,a ,,bill  ,to counter foreign        
disinformation and propaganda1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,countering   
,foreign ,propaganda and ,disinformation
 ,act4  #b4 ,center for information     
analysis and response  7a7              
,establishment ,not later than #ahj days
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,president shall establish a 
,center for ,information ,analysis and  
,response 7in this section referred to  
as the ,center74 ,the purposes of the   
,center are--  7#a7 to coordinate the   
sharing among government agencies of    
information on foreign government       
information warfare efforts1 including  
information provided by recipients of   

information access fund grants awarded  
using funds made available under        
subsection 7e7 and from other sources1  
subject to the appropriate              
classification guidelines2  7#b7 to     
establish a process for integrating     
information on foreign propaganda and   
disinformation efforts into national    
strategy2 and  7#c7 to develop1 plan1   
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      
interests4  7b7 ,functions ,the ,center 
shall carry out the following functions3
 7#a7 ,integrating interagency efforts  
to track and evaluate counterfactual    
narratives abroad that threaten the     
national security interests of the      
,united ,states and ,united ,states     
allies1 subject to appropriate          
regulations governing the dissemination 
of classified information and programs4 

7#b7 ,analyzing relevant information    
from ,united ,states ,government        
agencies1 allied nations1 think-tanks1  
academic institutions1 civil society    
groups1 and other nongovernmental       
organizations4  7#c7 ,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    
interests4  7#d7 ,identifying current   
and emerging trends in foreign          
propaganda and disinformation1 including
 the use of print1 broadcast1 online and
 social media1 support for third-party  
outlets such as think tanks1 political  
parties1 and nongovernmental            
organizations1 in order to coordinate   
and shape the development of tactics1   
techniques1 and procedures to expose and
 refute foreign misinformation and      
disinformation and proactively promote  
fact-based narratives and policies to   
audiences outside the ,united ,states4  

7#e7 ,facilitating the use of a wide    
range of information-related            
technologies and techniques to counter  
foreign disinformation by sharing       
expertise among agencies1 seeking       
expertise from external sources1 and    
implementing best practices4  7#f7      
,identifying gaps in ,united ,states    
capabilities in areas relevant to the   
,center's mission and recommending      
necessary enhancements or changes4  7#g7
 ,identifying the countries and         
populations most susceptible to foreign 
government propaganda and               
disinformation4  7#h7 ,administering and
 expending funds made available pursuant
 to subsection 7e74  7#i7 ,coordinating 
with allied and partner nations1        
particularly those frequently targeted  
by foreign disinformation operations1   
and international organizations and     
entities such as the ,,nato ,center of  
,excellence on ,strategic               
,communications1 the ,european          
,endowment for ,democracy1 and the      

,european ,external ,action ,service    
,task ,force on ,strategic              
,communications1 in order to amplify the
 ,center's efforts and avoid            
duplication4  7c7 ,interagency manager  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,president is     
authorized to designate an official of  
the ,united ,states ,government to lead 
an interagency team and to manage the   
,center4 ,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        
departments1 agencies1 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 mission4 ,the     
official so designated shall be serving 
in a position in the executive branch by
 appointment1 by and with the advice and
 consent of the ,senate4  7#b7          
,interagency steering committee  7,a7   

,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 ,center4
 ,the ,steering ,committee shall include
 one senior representative designated by
 each of the ,secretary of ,defense1 the
 ,secretary of ,state1 the ,chairman of 
the ,joint ,chiefs of ,staff1 the       
,administrator of the ,united ,states   
,agency for ,international ,development1
 and the ,chairman of the ,broadcasting 
,board of ,governors4  7,b7 ,meetings   
,the ,interagency ,steering ,committee  
shall meet not less than every #c       
months4  7,c7 ,participation and        
independence ,the ,chairman of the      
,broadcasting ,board of ,governors shall
 not compromise the journalistic freedom
 or integrity of relevant media         
organizations4 ,other ,federal agencies 

may be invited to participate in the    
,center and ,steering ,committee at the 
discretion of the ,interagency ,manager4
  7#c7 ,scope of responsibility and     
authority  7,a7 ,limitation on scope    
,the delegated responsibility and       
authority provided pursuant to paragraph
 7#a7 may not extend beyond the         
requirements for successful             
implementation of the mission and       
strategy described in that paragraph4   
7,b7 ,appeal of execution of activities 
,the head of any department1 agency1 or 
other element of the ,united ,states    
,government may appeal to the ,president
 a requirement or direction by the      
official designated pursuant to         
paragraph 7#a7 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     
,states4  7#d7 ,targeted foreign        

audiences  7,a7 ,in general ,the        
activities under this subsection of the 
,center described in paragraph 7#a7     
shall be done only with the intent to   
influence foreign audiences4 ,no funds  
for the activities of the team under    
this section may be used with the intent
 to influence public opinion in the     
,united ,states4  7,b7 ,rule of         
construction ,nothing in this subsection
 may be construed to prohibit the team  
described in paragraph 7#a7 from        
engaging in any form of communication or
 medium1 either directly or indirectly1 
or coordinating with any other          
department or agency of the ,united     
,states ,government1 a ,state           
government1 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 subsection1 or based on 
a presumption of such exposure4  7d7    
,staff  7#a7 ,compensation ,the         

,president may fix the compensation of  
the manager of the ,center and other    
personnel without regard to chapter #ea 
and subchapter ,,iii of chapter #ec of  
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1        
relating to classification of positions 
and ,general ,schedule pay rates1 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  
#ecaf of that title4  7#b7 ,detail of   
government employees ,any ,federal      
,government employee may be detailed to 
the ,center without reimbursement1 and  
such detail shall be without            
interruption or loss of civil service   
status or privilege4  7#c7 ,procurement 
of temporary and intermittent services  
,the ,president may procure temporary   
and intermittent services under section 
#caji7;b7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  
,code1 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 #ecaf of that title4  7e7 
,funds ,of amounts authorized to be     
appropriated for fiscal year #bjag for  
the ,department of ,defense and         
identified as undistributed fuel cost   
savings1 up to #bej1jjj1jjj may be      
available for purposes of carrying out  
this section and the grant program      
established under section #c4 ,once     
obligated1 such funds shall remain      
available for such purposes until       
expended4  #c4 ,information access funds
  7a7 ,grants and contracts of financial
 support ,the ,center may provide grants
 or contracts of financial support to   
civil society groups1 journalists1      
nongovernmental organizations1 federally
 funded research and development        
centers1 private companies1 or academic 
institutions for the following purposes3
  7#a7 ,to support local independent    
media who are best placed to refute     
foreign disinformation and manipulation 
in their own communities4  7#b7 ,to     

collect and store examples in print1    
online1 and social media of             
disinformation1 misinformation1 and     
propaganda directed at the ,united      
,states and its allies and partners4    
7#c7 ,to analyze tactics1 techniques1   
and procedures of foreign government    
information warfare with respect to     
disinformation1 misinformation1 and     
propaganda4  7#d7 ,to support efforts by
 the ,center to counter efforts by      
foreign governments to use              
disinformation1 misinformation1 and     
propaganda to influence the policies and
 social and political stability of the  
,united ,states and ,united ,states     
allies and partners4  7b7 ,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 fides1 capability1 and       
experience1 and their compatibility with
 ,united ,states interests and          

objectives4  #d4 ,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 programs1 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 campaigns4  #e4      
,reports  7a7 ,in general ,not later    
than one year after the establishment of
 the ,center1 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 deficiency4  7b7 ,appropriate       
congressional committees defined ,in    

this section1 the term appropriate      
congressional committees means-- 7#a7   
the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1  
the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 the 
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs1 the ,select     
,committee on ,intelligence1 and the    
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,senate2 and  7#b7 the ,committee on    
,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on    
,armed ,services1 the ,committee on     
,homeland ,security1 the ,permanent     
,select ,committee on ,intelligence1 and
 the ,committee on ,appropriations of   
the ,house of ,representatives4  #f4    
,termination of center and steering     
committee ,the ,center for ,information 
,analysis and ,response and the         
interagency team established under      
section #b7;c7 shall terminate #ae years
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act4  #g4 ,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 collection1   
sharing1 and implementation of          
intelligence programs and activities or 
existing regulations governing the      
sharing of classified information and   
programs4