Bill Summary
This bill, known as the "Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act," aims to promote digital citizenship and media literacy among citizens in the United States. It recognizes the influence of media and technology on people's decisions and daily lives and acknowledges the need for citizens to possess the skills to make informed choices and think critically about their digital activities. The bill highlights the use of information warfare and disinformation campaigns by foreign adversaries, and recommends investing in media literacy education as a way to combat these influences and protect democracy. It also emphasizes the importance of media literacy in improving the health and wellness of young people and preventing cyberbullying. The bill proposes the establishment of a grant program to support media literacy education in schools, libraries, and nonprofit organizations, with a focus on developing the skills of students from kindergarten through postsecondary education. The bill also requires reporting on the effectiveness of these activities and authorizes $20 million each year for the next four years to fund this program.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could potentially affect students and young people by requiring media literacy education to be incorporated into their curriculum. This could improve their ability to discern disinformation and misinformation and think critically about their digital activities.
2. The bill could also impact educators by providing funding for professional development in media literacy. This could improve their ability to teach media literacy skills to their students.
3. The legislation may also affect public libraries and qualified nonprofit organizations by providing grant funds for activities that enhance digital citizenship and media literacy skills in children. This could lead to increased resources and programs for children and families to learn about safe and responsible use of technology.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8216 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8216
To promote digital citizenship and media literacy.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 23, 2022
Ms. Slotkin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To promote digital citizenship and media literacy.
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 ``Digital Citizenship and Media
Literacy Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) People in the United States rely on information from
mass media, social media, and digital media to make decisions
about all aspects of social, economic, and political life,
including products and services consumption, employment, career
and professional development, family and leisure choices,
health and wellness, and democratic engagement. Ensuring that
people in the United States possess the skills to make these
informed decisions based on media begins early in life.
(2) Adversaries from Russia, China, and Iran are using
information warfare to influence democracies across the world,
and terrorist organizations often use digital communications to
recruit members. The United 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 activities.
(3) Media literacy education has proven critical to allies
of the United States in building national resilience to foreign
disinformation campaigns. Countries like Estonia, Finland, and
Ukraine have developed and implemented successful media
literacy education programs in schools that have helped counter
Russian disinformation campaigns. The United States has also
invested in and promoted media literacy education abroad,
including in the Baltics.
(4) Following Russia's increased aggression towards Ukraine
and the West this year, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, media
literacy skills have been important in ensuring Ukrainians and
citizens of Western allied countries are not influenced by
Russian disinformation.
(5) In order to build similar national resilience against
foreign disinformation in the United States, Congress has
recommended investing in media literacy education.
(6) The bipartisan and bicameral Cyberspace Solarium
Commission's 2020 report recommended that the United States
invest in media literacy, writing that ``[b]y promoting modern
civics education and digital literacy programs, the U.S.
government can assist in enhancing the average American's
ability to discern the trustworthiness of online content, and
thereby reduce the impact of malicious foreign cyber-enabled
information campaigns'', and concluded that Congress should
authorize a grant program ``to improve digital citizenship and
to incorporate effective digital literacy curricula in American
classrooms at the K-12 level and beyond''.
(7) Similarly, the Select Committee on Intelligence of the
Senate stated, in a bipartisan report released during the 116th
Congress, ``Addressing the challenge of disinformation in the
long-term will ultimately need to be tackled by an informed and
discerning population of citizens who are both alert to the
threat and armed with the critical thinking skills necessary to
protect against malicious influence.'' The Committee then
recommended that a ``public initiative--propelled by Federal
funding but led in large part by state and local education
institutions--focused on building media literacy from an early
age would help build long-term resilience to foreign
manipulation of our democracy''.
(8) Media literacy and digital citizenship education also
empowers young people and is critical to improving the health
and wellness of young people, preventing cyberbullying, and
enabling young people to make informed decisions about products
and services, including advertisements and controlled
substances.
(9) Social media and other online activities have been
shown to have serious negative impacts on the mental and
physical health of young people. Many studies have found that
media literacy education is one of the most successful
strategies for countering body image issues and eating
disorders in children. The National Eating Disorders
Association, in partnership with California State University,
Northridge, published a Digital Media Literacy toolkit to help
students, including high school students, learn skills to think
critically about body images and the online content they see.
(10) Education and childhood development experts, as well
as academic and medical researchers, have recommended that a
key method for preventing and countering the negative impacts
described in paragraph (9) is to teach media literacy skills to
young people beginning early in their education.
(11) A successful and inclusive media literacy program must
be directed at students beginning in kindergarten and should
continue throughout the completion of postsecondary education.
Media literacy education must be inclusive and accessible for
all students, including multilingual students, students with
limited proficiency in English, and students with disabilities.
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
disciplines.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.
(2) Digital citizenship.--The term ``digital citizenship''
means the ability to--
(A) safely, responsibly, and ethically use
communication technologies and digital information
technology tools and platforms;
(B) create and share media content using principles
of social and civic responsibility and with awareness
of the legal and ethical issues involved; and
(C) participate in the political, economic, social,
and cultural aspects of life related to technology,
communications, and the digital world by consuming and
creating digital content, including media.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State educational agency;
(B) a local educational agency;
(C) a public library; or
(D) a qualified nonprofit organization.
(4) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``child with a
disability'', ``local educational agency'', ``State educational
agency'', ``specialized instructional support personnel'', and
``universal design for learning'' have the meanings given those
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(5) Media literacy.--The term ``media literacy'' means the
ability to--
(A) access relevant and accurate information
through media in a variety of forms;
(B) critically analyze media content and the
influences of different forms of media;
(C) evaluate the comprehensiveness, relevance,
credibility, authority, and accuracy of information;
(D) make educated decisions based on information
obtained from media and digital sources;
(E) operate various forms of technology and digital
tools; and
(F) reflect on how the use of media and technology
may affect private and public life.
(6) Qualified nonprofit organization.--The term ``qualified
nonprofit organization'' means an organization that--
(A) is described in paragraph (3) or (4) of section
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code;
and
(B) has a mission to improve childhood education,
childhood development, or media literacy.
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.
(a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary shall establish a program
to promote media literacy, through which the Assistant Secretary shall
award grants to eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to
carry out the activities described in subsection (c).
(b) Application.--An eligible entity that desires a grant under
this section shall submit an application to the Assistant Secretary at
such time and in such manner as the Assistant Secretary may require,
including, at a minimum--
(1) a description of the activities the eligible entity
intends to carry out with the grant funds;
(2) an estimate of the costs associated with such
activities; and
(3) such other information and assurances as the Assistant
Secretary may require.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) State educational agencies.--
(A) In general.--An eligible entity that is a State
educational agency receiving a grant under this section
shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the
following activities:
(i) Creating and supporting a media
literacy advisory council to--
(I) provide recommendations about
digital citizenship and media literacy
guidelines;
(II) identify barriers and
opportunities for implementing media
literacy in kindergarten through grade
12 in public schools in the State for
all students, including students who
are children with disabilities;
(III) identify best practices and
effective models for media literacy
education, including incorporating
universal design for learning and
providing additional accommodations for
students who are children with
disabilities when needed;
(IV) identify existing models of
curriculum and existing policies in
different States that are aimed at
overcoming the barriers identified in
subclause (II);
(V) gather data or conduct research
to assess the media literacy and
digital citizenship competencies of
students, teachers, or specialized
instructional support personnel;
(VI) submit a report to the State
educational agency containing findings
and recommendations regarding the items
identified under this clause; and
(VII) annually update those
findings and recommendations.
(ii) Assisting local educational agencies
in the development of units of instruction on
media literacy, either as a new subject or as a
part of the existing curriculum.
(iii) Assisting local educational agencies
in developing means of evaluating student
learning in media literacy.
(iv) Assisting local educational agencies
in developing or providing professional
development for teachers that relates to media
literacy.
(B) Media literacy advisory council.--
(i) Members.--The media literacy advisory
council described in subparagraph (A)(i) shall
include experts in media literacy, including
academic experts, individuals from nonprofit
organizations, individuals with expertise in
education for students who are children with
disabilities, teachers, librarians,
representatives from parent organizations,
educators, administrators, students, and other
stakeholders.
(ii) Diversity of representation.--Such
membership shall include representation from
rural and urban local educational agencies,
small and large schools, high- and low-resource
schools, teachers of students with
disabilities, and schools in communities from
diverse linguistic, racial, and ethnic
backgrounds.
(C) Guidelines.--
(i) In general.--A State educational agency
that creates a media literacy advisory council
under subparagraph (A)(i) shall, only after
consideration of the findings and
recommendations described in subclauses (I) and
(VI) of that subparagraph, develop and publish
on the State educational agency website
inclusive digital citizenship and media
literacy guidelines for students in
kindergarten through grade 12 in public schools
in the State.
(ii) Requirements.--The guidelines
described in clause (i) shall be designed to
develop media literacy and digital citizenship
competencies by promoting students'--
(I) research and information
fluency;
(II) critical thinking and problem-
solving skills;
(III) technology operations and
concepts;
(IV) information and technological
literacy;
(V) concepts of media
representation and stereotyping;
(VI) understanding of explicit and
implicit media messages;
(VII) understanding of values and
points of view that are included and
excluded in media content;
(VIII) understanding of how media
may influence ideas and behaviors;
(IX) understanding of the
importance of obtaining information
from multiple media sources and
evaluating sources for quality;
(X) understanding how information
on digital platforms can be altered
through algorithms, editing, and
augmented reality; and
(XI) ability to create media in
civically and socially responsible
ways.
(2) Local educational agencies.--An eligible entity that is
a local educational agency receiving a grant under this section
shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following
activities:
(A) Incorporating digital citizenship and media
literacy into the existing curriculum (across content
and disciplinary areas) or establishing new educational
opportunities to learn about media literacy.
(B) Employing specialized instructional support
personnel, such as a librarian or other personnel who
can provide instructional services in media literacy.
(C) Providing funding to educators who are carrying
out activities described in subparagraph (A) to further
their professional development in relation to media
literacy, including funding for traveling to media
literacy conferences to share knowledge with regional
and national stakeholders.
(D) Other activities, including student led
efforts, to support, develop, or promote the
implementation of media literacy education programs,
policies, teacher preparation, curriculum, or
standards.
(3) Public libraries.--An eligible entity that is a public
library receiving a grant under this section shall use grant
funds to carry out activities that enhance digital citizenship
and media literacy skills in children.
(4) Qualified nonprofit organizations.--
(A) In general.--An eligible entity that is a
qualified nonprofit organization receiving a grant
under this section shall use grant funds to carry out
activities in schools or public settings for children
in kindergarten through grade 12 that enhance digital
citizenship and media literacy skills.
(B) Restriction.--If a qualified nonprofit
organization charges a school or other entity for
carrying out activities described in subparagraph (A),
the organization may not charge more than the cost to
the organization of carrying out the activities.
(d) Reporting.--
(1) Reports by eligible entities.--Not later than 1 year
after the date on which an eligible entity receives grant funds
under this section, the eligible entity shall prepare and
submit to the Assistant Secretary a report describing the
activities the eligible entity carried out using grant funds
and the effectiveness of those activities.
(2) Report by the assistant secretary.--Not later than 90
days after the Assistant Secretary receives the report
described in paragraph (1) from the last eligible entity to
submit such a report, the Assistant Secretary shall prepare and
submit a report to Congress describing the activities carried
out under this section and the effectiveness of those
activities.
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that the Assistant Secretary should--
(1) establish and maintain a list of--
(A) eligible entities that receive a grant under
section 4; and
(B) individuals designated by those eligible
entities as participating individuals, such as
individuals serving on a media literacy advisory
council described in section 4(c)(1)(A)(i) or
individuals carrying out activities authorized under
section 4(c) on behalf of those eligible entities; and
(2) make the list described in paragraph (1) 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 section 4.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029.
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