,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bbdj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #bc1 #bjai ,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,ms4 ,smith1 and ,mr4 ,peters7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to promote digital citizenship and media literacy4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,digital ,citizenship and ,media ,literacy ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,people in the ,united ,states rely on information from mass media1 social media1 and digital media to make decisions about all aspects of social1 economic1 and political life1 including products and services consumption1 employment1 career and professional development1 family and leisure choices1 health and wellness1 and democratic engagement4 ,ensuring that people in the ,united ,states possess the skills to make these informed decisions based on media begins early in life4 7#b7 ,adversaries from ,russia1 ,china1 and ,iran are using information warfare to influence democracies across the world1 and terrorist organizations often use digital communications to recruit members4 ,the ,unites ,states can fight these influences by ensuring that citizens of the ,united ,states possess the necessary skills to discern disinformation and misinformation and think critically about their digital activities4 7#c7 ,influence campaigns by foreign and domestic groups reached tens of millions of voters during the #bjaf and #bjah elections with racially and divisively targeted messages4 ,the preservation of elections free of foreign influence is of utmost importance1 and therefore ,congress must take steps to counter influence campaigns with media literacy4 7#d7 ,media literacy education is critical to allow young people to make informed decisions about products and services1 education1 health and wellness1 and democratic decisions associated with public policy4 ,media literacy education must be inclusive and accessible for all students1 including students with disabilities4 ,media literacy empowers young people and gives them the agency to make informed decisions about their future1 advertisements1 the use of controlled substances1 nutrition1 and physical health4 ,equipping students with the skills to make informed decisions in these areas contributes to the betterment of mental health and public health4 7#e7 ,a successful and inclusive media literacy program must be directed at students beginning in kindergarten and should continue throughout the completion of postsecondary education4 ,learning to critically analyze and create media is a lifelong process that can be developed by integrating media literacy competencies into academic curriculum across content areas and disciplines4 7#f7 ,media literacy also allows young people to develop the critical thinking skills that will help them become informed voters4 ,the right to vote is a fundamental right afforded to ,united ,states citizens by the ,constitution4 ,the unimpeded free exercise of this right is essential to the functioning of our democracy4 ,the process to protect our democracy begins with educating young people in the ,united ,states to ensure that the young people possess the skills to engage in civic activities1 engage with communities1 and eventually become informed voters4 #c4 ,grant program established 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,esea definitions ,the terms child with a disability1 local educational agency1 ,state educational agency1 specialized instructional support personnel1 and universal design for learning have the meanings given those terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state educational agency2 or 7,b7 a local educational agency4 7#c7 ,digital citizenship ,the term digital citizenship means the ability to-- 7,a7 safely1 responsibly1 and ethically use communication technologies and digital information technology tools and platforms2 7,b7 create and share media content using principles of social and civic responsibility and with awareness of the legal and ethical issues involved2 and 7,c7 participate in the political1 economic1 social1 and cultural aspects of life related to technology1 communications1 and the digital world by consuming and creating digital content1 including media4 7#d7 ,media literacy ,the term media literacy means the ability to-- 7,a7 access relevant and accurate information through media in a variety of forms2 7,b7 critically analyze media content and the influences of different forms of media2 7,c7 evaluate the comprehensiveness1 relevance1 credibility1 authority1 and accuracy of information2 7,d7 make educated decisions based on information obtained from media and digital sources2 7,e7 operate various forms of technology and digital tools2 and 7,f7 reflect on how the use of media and technology may affect private and public life4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7b7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish a program to promote media literacy1 through which the ,secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to carry out the activities described in this subsection 7d74 7c7 ,application ,an eligible entity that desires a grant under this section shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time and in such manner as the ,secretary may require1 including1 at a minimum-- 7#a7 a description of the activities the eligible entity intends to carry out with the grant funds2 7#b7 an estimate of the costs associated with such activities2 and 7#c7 such other information and assurances as the ,secretary may require4 7d7 ,use of funds 7#a7 ,state educational agencies 7,a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity that is a ,state educational agency receiving a grant under this ,act shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities3 7i7 ,creating and supporting a media literacy advisory council to-- 7,i7 provide recommendations about digital citizenship and media literacy guidelines2 7,,ii7 identify barriers and opportunities for implementing media literacy in kindergarten through grade #ab in public schools in the ,state for all students1 including students who are children with disabilities2 7,,iii7 identify best practices and effective models for media literacy education1 including incorporating universal design for learning and providing additional accommodations for students who are children with disabilities when needed2 7,,iv7 identify existing models of curriculum and existing policies in different ,states that are aimed at overcoming the barriers identified in subclause 7,,ii72 7,v7 gather data or conduct research to assess the media literacy and digital citizenship competencies of students1 teachers1 or specialized instructional support personnel2 7,,vi7 submit a report to the ,state educational agency containing findings and recommendations regarding the items identified under this clause2 and 7,,vii7 annually update those findings and recommendations4 7ii7 ,assisting local educational agencies in the development of units of instruction on media literacy1 either as a new subject or as a part of the existing curriculum4 7iii7 ,assisting local agencies in developing means of evaluating student learning in media literacy4 7iv7 ,assisting local agencies in developing or providing professional development for teachers that relates to media literacy4 7,b7 ,media literacy advisory council 7i7 ,members ,the media literacy advisory council described in subparagraph 7,a77i7 shall include experts in media literacy1 including academic experts1 individuals from nonprofit organizations1 individuals with expertise in education for students who are children with disabilities1 teachers1 librarians1 representatives from parent organizations1 educators1 administrators1 students1 and other stakeholders4 7ii7 ,diversity of representation ,such membership shall include representation from rural and urban local educational agencies1 small and large schools1 high- and low-resource schools1 teachers of students with disabilities1 and schools in communities from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds4 7,c7 ,guidelines 7i7 ,in general ,a ,state educational agency that creates a media literacy advisory council under subparagraph 7,a77i7 shall1 only after consideration of the findings and recommendations described in subparagraph 7,a77i77,i7 and 7,,vi71 develop and publish on the ,state educational agency website inclusive digital citizenship and media literacy guidelines for students in kindergarten through grade #ab in public schools in the ,state4 7ii7 ,requirements ,the guidelines described in clause 7i7 shall be designed to develop media literacy and digital citizenship competencies by promoting students'-- 7,i7 research and information fluency2 7,,ii7 critical thinking and problem solving skills2 7,,iii7 technology operations and concepts2 7,,iv7 information and technological literacy2 7,v7 concepts of media representation and stereotyping2 7,,vi7 understanding of explicit and implicit media messages2 7,,vii7 understanding of values and points of view that are included and excluded in media content2 7,,viii7 understanding of how media may influence ideas and behaviors2 7,,ix7 understanding of the importance of obtaining information from multiple media sources and evaluating sources for quality2 7,x7 understanding how information on digital platforms can be altered through algorithms1 editing1 and augmented reality2 and 7,,xi7 ability to create media in civically and socially responsible ways4 7#b7 ,local educational agencies ,an eligible entity that is a local educational agency receiving a grant under this ,act shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities3 7,a7 ,incorporating digital citizenship and media literacy into the existing curriculum 7across content and disciplinary areas7 or establishing new educational opportunities to learn about media literacy4 7,b7 ,employing specialized instructional support personnel1 such as a librarian or other personnel who can provide instructional services in media literacy4 7,c7 ,providing funding to educators who are carrying out activities described in subparagraph 7,a7 to further their professional development in relation to media literacy1 including funding for traveling to media literacy conferences to share knowledge with regional and national stakeholders4 7,d7 ,other activities1 including student led efforts1 to support1 develop1 or promote the implementation of media literacy education programs1 policies1 teacher preparation1 curriculum1 or standards4 7e7 ,reporting 7#a7 ,reports by eligible entities ,not later than #a year after the date the eligible entity receives grant funds under this ,act1 each eligible entity shall prepare and submit to the ,secretary a report describing the activities the eligible entity carried out using grant funds and the effectiveness of those activities4 7#b7 ,report by the ,secretary ,not later than #ij days after the ,secretary receives the report described in paragraph 7#a7 from the last eligible entity to submit such a report1 the ,secretary shall prepare and submit a report to ,congress describing the activities carried out under this ,act and the effectiveness of those activities4 #d4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that the ,secretary should establish and maintain a list of eligible entities that receive a grant under this ,act1 and individuals designated by those eligible entities as participating individuals4 ,the ,secretary should make that list available to those eligible entities and participating individuals in order to promote communication and further exchange of information regarding sound digital citizenship and media literacy practices among recipients of a grant under this ,act4 #e4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act #bj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbj1 #bjbb1 and #bjbd4