,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bhfj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #ba1 #bjai,mr4  
,de,saulnier introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to direct the ,chairman of the 
,federal ,trade ,commission to establish
 a task force for the purpose of        
studying the effects of automated       
accounts on social media1 public        
discourse1 and elections4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,bots ,research ,act4  #b4 ,task ,force 
7a7 ,establishment ,not later than #ij  
days after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,chairman of the ,federal    
,trade ,commission shall establish a    
task force to carry out the study and   
report required under section #b4  7b7  
,number and ,appointment ,the task force
 shall be comprised of the following3   
7#a7 ,at least #a expert representing   
the ,government4  7#b7 ,at least #a     
expert representing academia4  7#c7 ,at 

least #a expert representing non-profit 
organizations4  7#d7 ,at least #a expert
 representing industry4  7#e7 ,any other
 expert that the ,chairman determines   
appropriate4  7c7 ,qualifications ,the  
,chairman shall select task force       
members to serve by virtue of their     
expertise in automation technology4  7d7
 ,deadline for ,appointment ,not later  
than #ij days after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,chairman   
shall appoint the members of the task   
force4  7e7 ,compensation ,members of   
the task force shall serve without pay  
and shall not receive travel expenses4  
7f7 ,task ,force ,support ,the ,chairman
 shall ensure appropriate staff and     
officials of the ,federal ,trade        
,commission are available to support any
 task force-related work4  #c4 ,study   
and ,report  7a7 ,study ,the task force 
established in this ,act shall conduct a
 study of the impact of automated       
accounts on social media1 public        
discourse1 and elections4 ,such study   

shall include an assessment of--  7#a7  
what qualifies as a bot or automated    
account2  7#b7 the extent to which      
automated accounts are used2  7#c7 how  
the automated accounts are used2 and    
7#d7 how to most effectively combat any 
use of automated accounts that          
negatively effects social media1 public 
discourse1 and elections while          
continuing to promote the protection of 
the ,first ,amendment on the internet4  
7b7 ,task ,force ,considerations ,in    
carrying out the requirements of this   
section1 the task force shall consider1 
at a minimum-- 7#a7 the promotion of    
technological innovation2  7#b7 the     
protection of ,first ,amendment and     
other constitutional rights of social   
media users2  7#c7 the need to improve  
cybersecurity to ensure the integrity of
 elections2 and  7#d7 the importance of 
continuously reviewing relevant         
regulations to ensure that such         
regulations respond effectively to      
changes in technology4  7c7 ,report ,not

 later than #a year after the           
establishment of the task force1 the    
task force shall develop and submit to  
,congress and relevant ,federal agencies
 the results and conclusions of the     
study conducted under subsection 7a74