,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhei  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #cj1     
#bjbd,mr4 ,paul introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,homeland         
,security and ,governmental ,affairs  ,a
 ,,bill  ,to prohibit ,federal employees
 and contractors from directing online  
platforms to censor any speech that is  
protected by the ,first ,amendment to   
the ,constitution of the ,united        
,states1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,standing to ,challenge ,government 
,censorship ,act4  #b4 ,employee        
prohibitions  7a7 ,definitions ,in this 
section3 7#a7 ,covered information ,the 
term covered information means          
information relating to-- 7,a7 a phone  
call2  7,b7 any type of digital         
communication1 including a post on a    
covered platform1 an e-mail1 a text1 and
 a direct message2  7,c7 a photo2  7,d7 
shopping and commerce history2  7,e7    

location data1 including a driving route
 and ride hailing information2  7,f7 an 
,,ip address2  7,g7 metadata2  7,h7     
search history2  7,i7 the name1 age1 or 
demographic information of a user of a  
covered platform2 and  7,j7 a calendar  
item4  7#b7 ,covered platform ,the term 
covered platform means-- 7,a7 an        
interactive computer service1 as that   
term is defined in section #bcj7;f7 of  
the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg  
,u4,s4,c4 #bcj7;f772 and  7,b7 any      
platform through which a media          
organization disseminates information1  
without regard to whether the           
organization disseminates that          
information-- 7i7 through broadcast or  
print2  7ii7 online2 or  7iii7 through  
any other channel4  7#c7 ,employee  7,a7
 ,in general ,the term employee-- 7i7   
means an employee of an ,executive      
agency2 and  7ii7 includes-- 7,i7 an    
individual1 other than an employee of an
 ,executive agency1 working under a     
contract with an ,executive agency2 and 

7,,ii7 the ,president and the ,vice     
,president4  7,b7 ,rule of construction 
,with respect to an individual described
 in subparagraph 7,a77ii77,i71 solely   
for the purposes of this ,act1 the      
,executive agency that has entered into 
the contract under which the employee is
 working shall be construed to be the   
,executive agency employing the         
employee4  7#d7 ,executive agency ,the  
term ,executive agency-- 7,a7 has the   
meaning given the term in section #aje  
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code2 and 
7,b7 includes the ,executive ,office of 
the ,president4  7#e7 ,provider ,the    
term provider means a provider of a     
covered platform4  7b7 ,prohibitions    
7#a7 ,in general ,an employee acting    
under official authority or influence   
may not-- 7,a7 use any form of          
communication 7without regard to whether
 the communication is visible to members
 of the public7 to direct1 coerce1      
compel1 or encourage a provider to take1
 suggest or imply that a provider should

 take1 or request that a provider take  
any action to censor speech that is     
protected by the ,constitution of the   
,united ,states1 including by-- 7i7     
removing that speech from the applicable
 covered platform2  7ii7 suppressing    
that speech on the applicable covered   
platform2  7iii7 removing or suspending 
a particular user 7or a class of users7 
from the applicable covered platform or 
otherwise limiting the access of a      
particular user 7or a class of users7 to
 the covered platform2  7iv7 labeling   
that speech as disinformation1          
misinformation1 or false1 or by making  
any similar characterization with       
respect to the speech2 or  7v7 otherwise
 blocking1 banning1 deleting1           
deprioritizing1 demonetizing1           
deboosting1 limiting the reach of1 or   
restricting access to the speech2  7,b7 
direct or encourage a provider to share 
with an ,executive agency covered       
information containing data or          
information regarding a particular      

topic1 or a user or group of users on   
the applicable covered platform1        
including any covered information shared
 or stored by users on the covered      
platform2  7,c7 work1 directly or       
indirectly1 with any private or public  
entity or person to take an action that 
is prohibited under subparagraph 7,a7 or
 7,b72 or  7,d7 on behalf of the        
,executive agency employing the         
employee-- 7i7 enter into a partnership 
with a provider to monitor any content  
disseminated on the applicable covered  
platform2 or  7ii7 solicit1 accept1 or  
enter into a contract or other agreement
 7including a no-cost agreement7 for    
free advertising or another promotion on
 a covered platform4  7#b7 ,exception   
,notwithstanding subparagraph 7,b7 of   
paragraph 7#a71 the prohibition under   
that subparagraph shall not apply with  
respect to an action by an ,executive   
agency or employee pursuant to a warrant
 that is issued by any court of         
competent jurisdiction1 including a     

court of the ,united ,states of         
competent jurisdiction in accordance    
with the procedures described in rule   
#da of the ,federal ,rules of ,criminal 
,procedure4  7c7 ,private right of      
action  7#a7 ,in general ,a person1 the 
account1 content1 speech1 or other      
information of which has been affected  
in violation of this section1 may bring 
a civil action in an appropriate        
district court of the ,united ,states   
7and a ,state government1 the           
,government of the ,district of         
,columbia1 or the government of a       
territory of the ,united ,states may    
bring a civil action in an appropriate  
district court of the ,united ,states on
 behalf of such a person1 if that person
 is subject to the jurisdiction of the  
applicable government7 for reasonable   
attorneys' fees1 injunctive relief1 and 
actual damages against-- 7,a7 the       
applicable ,executive agency2 and  7,b7 
the employee of the applicable          
,executive agency who committed the     

violation4  7#b7 ,presumption of        
liability ,in a civil action brought    
under paragraph 7#a71 there shall be a  
rebuttable presumption against the      
applicable ,executive agency or employee
 if the person bringing the action1 or  
the government bringing the action on   
behalf of a person1 demonstrates that   
the applicable employee communicated    
with a provider on a matter relating    
to-- 7,a7 covered information with      
respect to that person2 or  7,b7 a      
statement made by that person on the    
applicable covered platform4  7#c7      
,applicability ,a person or government  
described in paragraph 7#a7 may bring a 
civil action under this subsection with 
respect to any violation of this section
 committed before1 on1 or after the date
 of enactment of this ,act4