,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ddii ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #f1 #bjbj,mr4 ,peters 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 and ,mr4 ,reed7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to establish an interagency ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation task force1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,covid-#ai ,misinformation and ,disinformation ,task ,force ,act of #bjbj4 #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 social and economic life4 7#b7 ,ensuring that people in the ,united ,states are provided accurate information to make informed decisions during a public health crisis is of the utmost importance4 7#c7 ,in the midst of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 people in the ,united ,states are spending more time online than ever before and this increase has been coupled with a rise of misinformation that impacts the daily lives of people in the ,united ,states1 including misinformation about the virus1 public health1 our democracy1 and the government's response4 7#d7 ,globally1 the proliferation of inaccurate health information surrounding the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has led the ,world ,health ,organization to label this problem an infodemic4 7#e7 ,in addition to health-related misinformation1 intelligence officials and diplomats of the ,united ,states have warned that ,china and ,russia are exploiting this global crisis to wage disinformation campaigns that seek to sow doubts about the ,united ,states response to the crisis1 undermine faith and trust in ,united ,states ,government institutions1 and deflect attention from ,china and ,russia's inability to adequately and transparently respond to issues associated with the pandemic4 7#f7 ,in ,february #bjbj1 ,assistant ,secretary of ,state ,philip ,reeker warned1 ,russia's intent is to sow discord and undermine ,u4,s4 institutions and alliances from within1 including through covert and coercive malign influence campaigns4 ,by spreading disinformation about the coronavirus1 ,russian malign actors are once again choosing to threaten public safety by distracting from the global health response44 7#g7 ,one prominent incident occurred in ,march when text messages sent to people in the ,united ,states and amplified on social media posts falsely claimed the ,federal ,government would lock down the entire country due to the pandemic4 ,intelligence officials of the ,united ,states reportedly assessed that ,chinese operatives helped amplify the false messages4 ,the prolific nature of this disinformation campaign required the ,national ,security ,council to issue a denial4 7#h7 ,in ,may #bjbj1 the ,global ,engagement ,center of the ,department of ,state assessed that ,china was coordinating with ,russia to manipulate social media platforms to spread disinformation about the pandemic4 7#i7 ,in ,july #bjbj1 a newly declassified ,united ,states intelligence assessment concluded that ,russian intelligence agencies and actors are spreading disinformation related to the pandemic and ,united ,states officials reported that from late ,may to early ,july1 approximately #aej articles on the pandemic were published as a result of such efforts4 7#aj7 ,since the beginning of the pandemic1 ,american social media companies have banned hundreds of user accounts linked to coordinated influence operations by ,russia1 ,china1 and ,iran1 which were engaged in coordinated political issues related to the coronavirus4 7#aa7 ,european ,union officials have also warned about disinformation from ,china and ,russia aimed at dividing ,european society1 undermining the public perception about the ,european ,union's response to the pandemic1 all while misleading and bolstering the public perception regarding ,china and ,russia's response to the pandemic4 7#ab7 ,the bipartisan report of the ,cyberspace ,solarium ,commission concluded that-- 7,a7 the ,united ,states ,government should promote digital literacy1 civics education1 and public awareness to build societal resilience to foreign malign cyber-enabled information operations2 and 7,b7 a sustainable solution to fighting misinformation and disinformation will require equipping people in the ,united ,states with the media and digital literacy necessary to recognize untrustworthy online content4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 in the face of this threat1 it is vital that the ,united ,states has a coordinated understanding and response to fighting misinformation and disinformation surrounding ,,covid-#ai2 7#b7 in order to protect the health and well-being of people in the ,united ,states and protect the democracy and government of the ,united ,states from foreign interference1 it is essential that the ,united ,states have a whole-of-government approach to responding and combating the spread of misinformation and the sowing of disinformation related to ,,covid-#ai2 7#c7 information literacy1 including media and digital literacy1 are essential to protecting the national security of the ,united ,states from a new form of warfare1 disinformation campaigns2 and 7#d7 only by improving information literacy1 including media and digital literacy1 among people in the ,united ,states can ,congress work to strengthen the resilience of the people of the ,united ,states against these attacks and by extension improve our national security and protect the integrity of our democratic institutions4 #d4 ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation coordination task force 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,agency ,the term ,agency means the ,cybersecurity and ,infrastructure ,security ,agency of the ,department of ,homeland ,security4 7#b7 ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation ,the term ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation means publicly available ,,covid-#ai related information1 independent of the origin of the information1 that is inconsistent with-- 7,a7 information regarding official government actions related to ,,covid-#ai2 7,b7 official government information regarding how to acquire ,,covid-#ai testing2 or 7,c7 other official government health guidelines related to ,,covid-#ai4 7#c7 ,director ,the term ,director means the ,director of the ,cybersecurity and ,infrastructure ,security ,agency4 7#d7 ,information literacy ,the term information literacy1 which includes digital literacy and media literacy1 means having skills in-- 7,a7 research and information fluency1 which includes the ability to find1 retrieve1 and interpret information and evaluate the comprehensiveness1 relevance1 credibility1 authority1 and accuracy of information2 7,b7 critical thinking and problem solving2 7,c7 technology and digital tool operations and concepts2 7,d7 concepts of representation and stereotyping2 7,e7 understanding explicit and implicit messages2 7,f7 understanding values and points of view that are included and excluded in content2 7,g7 understanding how content may influence ideas and behaviors2 7,h7 understanding the importance of obtaining information from multiple sources and evaluating sources for quality2 7,i7 understanding how information on digital platforms can be altered through algorithms1 editing1 and augmented reality2 7,j7 using and creating media in civically and socially responsible ways2 7,k7 reflecting on how the use of media and technology may affect private and public life2 7,l7 making educated decisions based on information obtained from sources and content2 and 7,m7 applying subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,l7 across various content1 including to spoken and broadcast words and videos1 printed materials1 media1 digital content1 data1 and images4 7#e7 ,intelligence community ,the term intelligence community means an element of the intelligence community specified or designated under section #c7d7 of the ,national ,security ,act of #aidg 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #cjjc7d774 7#f7 ,relevant congressional committees ,the term relevant congressional committees means any ,committee of ,congress with jurisdiction over the agencies represented on the task force4 7#g7 ,task force ,the term task force means the interagency ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation coordination task force established under subsection 7b74 7b7 ,establishment ,there is established a ,federal interagency ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation coordination task force1 which shall be led by the ,director1 or by the designee of the ,director4 7c7 ,representatives 7#a7 ,in general ,the task force shall be comprised of not less than #a representative from each of the following3 7,a7 ,the ,agency4 7,b7 ,the ,global ,engagement ,center of the ,department of ,state4 7,c7 ,the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation4 7,d7 ,the intelligence community4 7,e7 ,the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention4 7,f7 ,the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7,g7 ,the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services4 7,h7 ,the ,national ,institutes of ,health4 7,i7 ,the ,food and ,drug ,administration4 7,j7 ,the ,department of the ,treasury4 7,k7 ,the ,small ,business ,administration4 7,l7 ,the ,federal ,trade ,commission4 7,m7 ,the ,department of ,education4 7,n7 ,the ,federal ,communications ,commission4 7,o7 ,not less than #a agency1 such as the ,office of ,minority ,health or the ,office of ,rural ,health ,policy of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services or the ,office of ,equal ,rights of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency1 that regularly engages with-- 7i7 racial or ethnic minority communities2 7ii7 rural communities2 and 7iii7 other underserved populations1 including communities without widespread access to the internet4 7,p7 ,any other department or agency as determined necessary by the ,director4 7#b7 ,representation of underserved communities ,the task force membership requirement described in paragraph 7#a77,o7 shall be satisfied by multiple agencies if there is not #a agency that regularly engages all #c communities described in clauses 7i7 through 7iii7 of such paragraph4 7d7 ,roles and responsibilities ,the functions of the task force shall be-- 7#a7 coordinating the analysis of ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation by agencies across the ,federal ,government2 7#b7 developing integrated analyses of ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation in a manner that protects individual privacy and civil liberties1 using information from agency representatives described in subsection 7c7 in accordance with subsections 7e7 and 7f72 7#c7 coordinating the dissemination to ,federal agencies and the ,white ,house ,coronavirus ,task ,force1 or any successor thereto1 of-- 7,a7 analyses developed by individual agencies in accordance with paragraph 7#a72 and 7,b7 integrated analyses developed in accordance with paragraph 7#b72 and 7#d7 developing1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 the ,secretary of ,education1 the ,director of the ,institute of ,museum and ,library ,services1 and any non-governmental civil society1 privacy1 media-literacy1 or other public interest entity determined appropriate by the ,director1 or a designee1 and disseminating information literacy1 including digital literacy and media literacy1 and information resilience public awareness campaigns relating to pandemics4 7e7 ,authorities 7#a7 ,in general 7,a7 ,limitation on additional authority ,the task force shall have no additional authority to scan1 collect1 or otherwise use social media or other publicly available information in excess of any authority of each participating agency in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this ,act4 7,b7 ,requirement ,the task force shall ensure that any actions taken pursuant to this section are consistent with other applicable limitations1 including applicable limitations on the collection1 retention1 dissemination1 and processing of intelligence1 under ,federal law1 including court orders and ,executive orders1 and any relevant agency guidelines or procedures4 7,c7 ,activities ,the task force shall ensure that activities undertaken pursuant to this section are conducted consistent with protections under the ,constitution of the ,united ,states4 7,d7 ,prohibition ,the task force may not directly collect information or maintain information about a ,united ,states person solely for the purpose of monitoring activities protected by the ,first ,amendment of the ,constitution or the lawful exercise of other rights secured by the ,constitution or laws of the ,united ,states4 7#b7 ,specific agency authority ,the authority of a specific agency represented on the task force shall supersede the authority of the task force4 7f7 ,narrow ,tailoring2 ,documentation of ,purpose ,the task force shall-- 7#a7 ensure that the activities of the task force advance a compelling ,government interest related to ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation2 7#b7 ensure that the activities of the task force are narrowly tailored to advance that interest while minimizing impacts on speech and expression that is not ,,covid-#ai misinformation and disinformation2 and 7#c7 create procedures and internal policies that document the implications of this subsection4 7g7 ,participation 7#a7 ,in general ,the head of each agency represented on the task force and each representative participating in the task force under subsection 7c7 shall assist and provide information and analysis to the task force1 consistent with applicable law and the respective authority of the agency1 as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the task force4 7#b7 ,expenses ,each agency represented on the task force shall be responsible for the expenses of the agency in participating on the task force4 7h7 ,privacy and civil liberties oversight ,the ,privacy ,officer of the ,department of ,homeland ,security and the ,officer for ,civil ,rights and ,civil ,liberties of the ,department of ,homeland ,security1 in consultation with the ,privacy ,officer of the ,agency1 shall ensure the activities of the task force protect individual privacy and civil liberties and are conducted consistent with fair information practice principles and civil liberties protection guidance4 7i7 ,congressional briefings ,not later than #cj days after the date on which the task force first convenes1 and every #cj days thereafter until the date described in subsection 7l71 the ,director shall provide to the relevant congressional committees-- 7#a7 a briefing on the privacy and civil liberties oversight performed under subsection 7h72 7#b7 a copy of the procedures and internal processes created under subsection 7f77#c72 and 7#c7 a briefing1 to the greatest extent practicable in an unclassified form1 on the analyses developed by the task force under subsection 7d77#b74 7j7 ,public report ,not less than #fj days after the date on which the task force first convenes1 and every #cj days after until the date described in subsection 7l71 the ,director shall publish on a publicly accessible website a report summarizing the analyses developed by the task force under subsection 7d77#b71 including-- 7#a7 analysis methodologies2 7#b7 data utilized in the analysis1 including any specific examples that can be made public2 7#c7 analysis results2 7#d7 analysis conclusions2 and 7#e7 any other information determined necessary by the ,director4 7k7 ,requirement ,not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall establish and convene the task force4 7l7 ,sunset ,this section shall cease to have effect on the later of-- 7#a7 the date that is #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act2 or 7#b7 the date that is #fj days after the date on which the national emergency declared by the ,president under the ,national ,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq47 with respect to ,,covid-#ai terminates4 #e4 ,coordinated messaging 7a7 ,public communications requirement ,any public communications by an agency participating in the task force established under section #d7;b7 related to the analysis coordinated or performed by the task force shall be disseminated directly to the public1 including through the use of-- 7#a7 coronavirus4gov1 or any successor thereto2 and 7#b7 mechanisms to be determined by the ,agency that specifically focus on ethnic and racial minority1 rural1 and other underserved populations1 including communities without widespread internet access1 including local news organizations1 local radio organizations1 and other non-digital media organizations4 7b7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authorities for communication and open exchange of data1 findings1 and information resulting from scientific research1 analysis1 or other types of scientific and technical activities conducted by ,federal employees or contractors that are in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this ,act4