[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7938 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7938
To improve and coordinate United States information statecraft strategy
and capabilities for an era of strategic competition, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 4, 2020
Mr. McCaul introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve and coordinate United States information statecraft strategy
and capabilities for an era of strategic competition, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States Information Abroad for
Strategic Competition Act'' or the ``USIA for Strategic Competition
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Beginning in 1983, the Soviet Union waged a
disinformation campaign against the United States which came to
be known as ``Operation INFEKTION'', falsely accusing the
Department of Defense of engineering and spreading the AIDS
virus.
(2) In 1987, the Soviet Union publicly disavowed its AIDS
disinformation following the efforts of the United States
Active Measures Working Group to refute these lies and
discredit the Soviet Union.
(3) Shortly thereafter, the Working Group entered a period
of institutional decline because its work was perceived to
contravene Department of State efforts to engage with the
Soviet Union, and effectively ceased to exist following the
fall of the Soviet Union.
(4) The final report issued by members of the Working
Group, published by the United States Information Agency in
1992 at the request of the House of Representatives, warned
that ``[a]s long as states and groups interested in
manipulating world opinion, limiting U.S. Government actions,
or generating opposition to U.S. policies and interests
continue to use these techniques, there will be a need for the
United States Information Agency to systematically monitor,
analyze, and counter them.''.
(5) In 2020, the Communist Party of China (CCP) began a
disinformation campaign against the United States, falsely
accusing the United States of being the source of the SARS-CoV-
2 novel coronavirus and the United States Army of bringing the
virus to China.
SEC. 3. INFORMATION STATECRAFT.
(a) Finding.--The 2017 National Security Strategy establishes that
it is a priority of United States Information Statecraft to ``improve
our understanding of how adversaries gain informational and
psychological advantages across all policies'' and ``empower a true
public diplomacy capability to compete effectively in this arena''.
(b) Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to advance
United States foreign policy and national security interests through a
holistic approach to public diplomacy, which shall include the
following:
(1) Championing and promoting United States values,
including democratic governance, individual liberty, and
internationally recognized human rights.
(2) Supporting the international dissemination of unbiased
and fact-based information, and protecting the free flow of
information globally.
(3) Refuting and countering foreign state and nonstate
propaganda, disinformation, and narratives that undermine
United States values, such as the promotion of authoritarian
governance, the denigration of individual liberty, and the
disregard of internationally recognized human rights.
(4) Discrediting foreign state and nonstate actors
responsible for such propaganda, disinformation, and
narratives, and seeking to reduce the ability of such actors to
influence global discourse.
(5) Coordinating and integrating such efforts with the
efforts of United States allies and partners that share United
States values.
(6) Providing for robust exchange, analytic, and
coordination mechanisms to accomplish such objectives.
(c) Global Engagement Center.--Paragraph (3) of section 1287(b) of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (22 U.S.C.
2656 note; Public Law 114-328) is amended to read as follows:
``(3) As needed, support the development and dissemination
of fact-based narratives and analysis to--
``(A) refute and counter propaganda and
disinformation directed at the United States and United
States allies and partner nations;
``(B) discredit the actors responsible for such
propaganda and disinformation; and
``(C) reduce the ability of such actors to
influence global discourse.''.
SEC. 4. ACTIVE MEASURES WORKING GROUP FOR THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The ``Communique on the Current State of the
Ideological Sphere'', an April 22, 2013, notice from the
Communist Party of China's (CCP) Central Committee more
commonly known as ``Document 9'', establishes that under the
leadership of General Secretary Xi Jinping, the CCP considers
constitutional democracy, internationally recognized human
rights, liberal economics, independent journalism, and internal
dissent to be security threats.
(2) In his remarks before the 19th Communist Party Congress
in 2017, which were titled in part ``Strive for the Great
Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New
Era'', General Secretary Xi Jinping said, ``the banner of
socialism with Chinese characteristics is now flying high and
proud for all to see. It means that the path, the theory, the
system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese
characteristics have kept developing, blazing a new trail for
other developing countries to achieve modernization. It offers
a new option for other countries and nations.''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the CCP is
hostile to United States values and seeks to advance an alternate set
of authoritarian values, and therefore that the CCP and its ability to
influence global discourse is a national security threat to the United
States.
(c) Reconstitution.--The Secretary of State shall reconstitute the
Active Measures Working Group (in this section referred to as the
``Working Group'') for a period of five years.
(d) Purpose.--The purpose of the Working Group shall be to create a
regularly updated information statecraft strategy for the whole of the
United States Government to reduce the ability of the CCP to influence
global discourse.
(e) Membership.--The Working Group shall include the following
officials:
(1) The Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy of the
Department of State.
(2) The Assistant Secretary of East Asian and Pacific
Affairs and the Assistant Secretary of South and Central Asian
Affairs of the Department of State.
(3) The Special Envoy and Coordinator of the Global
Engagement Center.
(4) The Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia of
the United States Agency for International Development.
(5) The Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security
Affairs of the Department of Defense.
(6) The Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific
Command.
(7) Other officials the Secretary of State and the
President determine appropriate.
(f) Chair.--The Secretary of State shall designate a member of the
Working Group as the Chairperson.
(g) Cooperation.--The President shall ensure that the various
agencies and departments of the United States cooperate with the
Working Group, adopt and effectuate the information statecraft strategy
required under subsection (h), and share information appropriately to
advance the strategy.
(h) Information Statecraft Strategy.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Working Group shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees and distribute to each
Federal department and agency an information statecraft
strategy.
(2) Contents.--The information statecraft strategy and
biannual updates thereto required under this subsection shall
include the following:
(A) An identification of the specific CCP
narratives that most contribute to the CCP's ability to
influence global discourse, and the entities primarily
responsible for advancing these narratives and
contributing to the CCP's ability to influence global
discourse.
(B) An identification of counternarratives most
effective and most likely to reduce the ability of the
CCP to influence global discourse and discredit the
entities that contribute to the CCP's ability to
influence global discourse.
(C) A detailed plan, including instructions for
public diplomacy officers at each United States
diplomatic or consular post, to implement such
counternarratives.
(D) An identification of specific quantitative
objectives for advancing such counternarratives, and an
identification of the United States officials
responsible for accomplishing such objectives.
(E) A quantitative analysis of United States
efforts to accomplish such objectives in the preceding
six months, informed by the data and analytical
capabilities of the Under Secretary for Public
Diplomacy of the Department of State and the Global
Engagement Center.
(3) Biannual updates.--Not later than 180 days after the
submission of the information statecraft strategy under
paragraph (1) and every 180 days thereafter for a period of
five years, the Working Group shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees an updated information statecraft
strategy.
(4) Form.--The information statecraft strategy and biannual
updates thereto required under this subsection may be in
classified form.
(5) Chief of mission responsibilities.--The Secretary of
State should ensure that each United States chief of mission--
(A) advances through both programming and
communications the objectives of the information
statecraft strategy and biannual updates thereto;
(B) assigns at least one Foreign Service officer to
be primarily responsible for coordinating such efforts
at the United States diplomatic or consular post at
which such chief of mission is assigned; and
(C) provides quantitative data to the Working Group
about the efforts of such chief of mission to
accomplish the objectives of the strategy, including
updates thereto.
SEC. 5. SPECIAL FAST-TRACK PROCEDURES.
The Secretary of State shall establish procedures for use in
special circumstances, as determined by the Secretary, to provide for
rapid, synchronized releases of information content globally,
regionally, or across subsets of United States diplomatic and consular
posts.
SEC. 6. RESEARCH AND EVALUATION.
(a) Research and Evaluation Activities.--The Secretary of State,
acting through the Director of Research and Evaluation appointed
pursuant to subsection (b), shall--
(1) conduct regular research and evaluation of public
diplomacy programs and activities of the Department of State,
including through the routine use of audience research, digital
analytics, and impact evaluations, to plan and execute such
programs and activities; and
(2) make available to Congress the findings of such
research and evaluations.
(b) Director of Research and Evaluation.--
(1) Appointment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall appoint
a Director of Research and Evaluation (referred to in this
subsection as the ``Director'') in the Office of Policy,
Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
of the Department of State.
(2) Limitation on appointment.--The appointment of the
Director pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not result in an
increase in the overall full-time equivalent positions within
the Department of State.
(3) Responsibilities.--The Director shall--
(A) report to the Director of Policy Planning of
the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of the Department
of State;
(B) coordinate and oversee the research and
evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities
of the Department to--
(i) improve public diplomacy strategies and
tactics; and
(ii) ensure that such programs and
activities are increasing the knowledge,
understanding, and trust of the United States
by relevant target audiences;
(C) routinely organize and oversee audience
research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations
across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the
Department;
(D) support the public affairs sections of United
States diplomatic and consular posts;
(E) share appropriate public diplomacy research and
evaluation information within the Department and with
other appropriate Federal departments and agencies;
(F) regularly design and coordinate standardized
research questions, methodologies, and procedures to
ensure that public diplomacy programs and activities
across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the
Department are designed to meet appropriate foreign
policy objectives; and
(G) report biannually to the United States Advisory
Commission on Public Diplomacy of the Department of
State, through the Subcommittee on Research and
Evaluation established pursuant to subsection (f),
regarding the research and evaluation of all public
diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department.
(4) Guidance and training.--Not later than one year after
the appointment of the Director pursuant to paragraph (1), the
Director shall develop guidance and training, including
curriculum for use by the Foreign Service Institute, for all
public diplomacy officers of the Department of State regarding
the reading and interpretation of public diplomacy program and
activity evaluation findings to ensure that such findings and
related lessons learned are implemented in the planning and
evaluation of all public diplomacy programs and activities of
the Department.
(c) Prioritizing Research and Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--The Director of Policy Planning of the
Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy
and Public Affairs of the Department of State shall ensure that
research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and
activities of the Department, as coordinated and overseen by
the Director pursuant to subsection (b), support strategic
planning and resource allocation across all public diplomacy
bureaus and offices of the Department.
(2) Allocation of resources.--Amounts allocated for the
purpose of research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs
and activities of the Department of State pursuant to
subsection (b) shall be made available to be disbursed at the
direction of the Director referred to in paragraph (1) among
the research and evaluation staff across all public diplomacy
bureaus and offices of the Department.
(3) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Department of State should gradually increase to a
percentage of program funds that is commensurate with Federal
Government best practices its allocation of funds made
available under the headings ``Educational and Cultural
Exchange Programs'' and ``Diplomatic Programs'' for research
and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of
the Department pursuant to subsection (b).
(d) Limited Exemption Relating to the Paperwork Reduction Act.--
Subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly
known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'') shall not apply to the
collection of information directed at any individuals conducted by, or
on behalf of, the Department of State for the purpose of audience
research, monitoring, and evaluations, and in connection with the
Department's activities, including interagency activities, conducted
pursuant to this Act or to any of the following:
(1) The United States Information and Educational Exchange
Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1431 et seq.).
(2) The Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of
1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).
(3) Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
(4) The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et
seq.).
(e) Limited Exemption Relating to the Privacy Act.--
(1) In general.--The Department of State shall maintain,
collect, use, and disseminate records (as such term is defined
in section 552a(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code) for
audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations of
communications related to public diplomacy programs and
activities of the Department, including interagency efforts,
intended for foreign audiences.
(2) Conditions.--Audience research, digital analytics, and
impact evaluations under paragraph (1) shall be--
(A) reasonably tailored to meet the purposes of the
public diplomacy programs and activities of the
Department of State, including related interagency
activities; and
(B) carried out with due regard for privacy and
civil liberties guidance and oversight.
(f) United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.--
(1) In general.--Section 1334 of the Foreign Affairs Reform
and Restructuring Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6553) is amended--
(A) in the section heading, by striking ``sunset''
and inserting ``continuation''; and
(B) by striking ``until October 1, 2020''.
(2) Effectiveness assessment.--Subparagraph (B) of section
604(d)(1) of the United States Information and Educational
Exchange Act of 1948 (22 U.S.C. 1469(d)(1)) is amended to read
as follows:
``(B) Effectiveness assessment.--In evaluating the
public diplomacy and international broadcasting
activities described in subparagraph (A), the
Commission shall conduct an assessment that considers
the relation to the United States national interest,
the public diplomacy target impact, the achieved
impact, and the cost of public diplomacy activities and
international broadcasting. The assessment shall
include, if practicable, an appropriate metric such as
`cost-per-audience' or `cost-per-student' for each such
activity. Upon the completion of the assessment, the
Commission shall assign a rating of--
``(i) `effective' for activities that--
``(I) set appropriate goals and
achieve all or most of the desired
results;
``(II) are well-managed;
``(III) are cost efficient; and
``(IV) quantifiably advance the
priorities of the most recent National
Security Strategy and related national
strategies for defense and foreign
policy;
``(ii) `moderately effective' for
activities that--
``(I) set appropriate goals and
achieve some desired results;
``(II) are generally well-managed;
``(III) may need to improve their
cost efficiency, including reducing
overhead; and
``(IV) have a substantive rationale
for advancing the priorities of the
most recent National Security Strategy
and related national strategies for
defense and foreign policy, but have
not demonstrated quantifiable results;
``(iii) `ineffective' for activities that--
``(I) lack appropriate goals or
fail to achieve stated goals or desired
results;
``(II) are not well-managed;
``(III) are not cost efficient,
such as through insufficient use of
available resources to achieve stated
goals or desired results, or have
excessive overhead; or
``(IV) do not have a substantive
rationale for advancing the priorities
of the most recent National Security
Strategy and related national
strategies for defense and foreign
policy; or
``(iv) `results not demonstrated' for
activities that--
``(I) do not have acceptable
performance public diplomacy metrics
for measuring results; or
``(II) are unable or failed to
collect data to determine if such
activities are effective.''.
(3) Subcommittee for research and evaluation.--The United
States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy shall establish
a Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation to monitor and advise
regarding audience research, digital analytics, and impact
evaluations carried out by the Department of State and the
United States Agency for Global Media.
(4) Annual report.--The Subcommittee on Research and
Evaluation established pursuant to paragraph (3) shall submit
to the appropriate congressional committees an annual report,
in conjunction with the United States Advisory Commission on
Public Diplomacy's Comprehensive Annual Report on the
performance of the Department of State and the United States
Agency for Global Media, describing all actions taken by the
Subcommittee pursuant to such paragraph and any findings made
as a result of such actions.
SEC. 7. FOREIGN MISSION LANGUAGE SUPPORT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that each
United States chief of mission has available appropriate personnel and
resources to provide translation services for such chief of mission and
the ability to translate content into local languages.
(b) Notification.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for a period of five
years, the Secretary of State shall notify the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate of any United States diplomatic or consular
posts that do not have permanent capabilities to provide translation
services to the chief of mission of such a post or translate content
into local languages.
SEC. 8. LATERAL ENTRY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PERSONNEL.
The Secretary of State shall make full use of available
authorities, including section 404 of the Department of State
Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-323), to recruit not
fewer than ten individuals with extensive experience in strategic
communications, including in foreign languages, graphic design, market
research, social media engagement, audio and video content creation,
and related capabilities for lateral entry into the Foreign Service at
a grade level higher than FS-4. Such individuals shall be assigned to
United States diplomatic or consular posts which the Secretary
determines are in need of personnel to engage in public diplomacy
efforts consistent with this Act.
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USIA for Strategic Competition Act
#7938 | HR Congress #116
Policy Area: International Affairs
Subjects: Advisory bodiesAlliancesAsiaChinaCongressional oversightCultural exchanges and relationsDepartment of StateDiplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroadExecutive agency funding and structureFederal officialsForeign aid and international reliefForeign language and bilingual programsGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsHuman rightsInternational exchange and broadcastingInternational organizations and cooperationPolitical parties and affiliation
Last Action: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. (8/4/2020)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text