Bill Summary
The Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act is a proposed bill in the United States that aims to promote the development of digital citizenship and media literacy skills among citizens. This bill would be enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives and would require the allocation of $20 million for each fiscal year to support its implementation. The bill states that people in the U.S. rely heavily on media and digital technologies for making decisions, and therefore, it is important to ensure that citizens possess the necessary skills to critically analyze and evaluate information. The bill also highlights the influence of foreign adversaries and terrorists on digital platforms and the need to counter their influence through media literacy education. The bill proposes the establishment of a grant program for state and local educational agencies to carry out activities such as creating media literacy advisory councils, incorporating media literacy into the curriculum, providing professional development for teachers, and other related activities. The bill also requires reporting and evaluation of the effectiveness of these activities. Finally, the bill recommends the establishment of a list of eligible entities and participating individuals to promote communication and exchange of information on media literacy practices.
Possible Impacts
1. People may be required to take media literacy classes in order to make informed decisions about products and services, health and wellness, and democratic decisions associated with public policy.
2. Students with disabilities may be provided with accommodations in media literacy education in order to ensure inclusivity and accessibility.
3. Educators and schools may receive grant funding to support the implementation of media literacy education programs and activities, which could lead to improved critical thinking skills and informed decision making among young people.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2240 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2240
To promote digital citizenship and media literacy.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 23, 2019
Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Smith, and Mr. Peters)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
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 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 activities.
(3) Influence campaigns by foreign and domestic groups
reached tens of millions of voters during the 2016 and 2018
elections with racially and divisively targeted messages. The
preservation of elections free of foreign influence is of
utmost importance, and therefore Congress must take steps to
counter influence campaigns with media literacy.
(4) Media literacy education is critical to allow young
people to make informed decisions about products and services,
education, health and wellness, and democratic decisions
associated with public policy. Media literacy education must be
inclusive and accessible for all students, including students
with disabilities. Media literacy empowers young people and
gives them the agency to make informed decisions about their
future, advertisements, the use of controlled substances,
nutrition, and physical health. Equipping students with the
skills to make informed decisions in these areas contributes to
the betterment of mental health and public health.
(5) A successful and inclusive media literacy program must
be directed at students beginning in kindergarten and should
continue throughout the completion of postsecondary education.
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.
(6) Media literacy also allows young people to develop the
critical thinking skills that will help them become informed
voters. The right to vote is a fundamental right afforded to
United States citizens by the Constitution. The unimpeded free
exercise of this right is essential to the functioning of our
democracy. 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 activities,
engage with communities, and eventually become informed voters.
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) 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).
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State educational agency; or
(B) a local educational agency.
(3) 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.
(4) 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.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(b) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program to promote
media literacy, through which the Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to carry out the
activities described in this subsection (d).
(c) 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 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 Secretary
may require.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) State educational agencies.--
(A) 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 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 agencies in
developing means of evaluating student learning
in media literacy.
(iv) Assisting local 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 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 subparagraph
(A)(i)(I) and (VI), 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 Act
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.
(e) Reporting.--
(1) Reports by eligible entities.--Not later than 1 year
after the date the eligible entity receives grant funds under
this Act, 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 activities.
(2) Report by the secretary.--Not later than 90 days after
the Secretary receives the report described in paragraph (1)
from the last eligible entity to submit such a report, the
Secretary shall prepare and submit a report to Congress
describing the activities carried out under this Act and the
effectiveness of those activities.
SEC. 4. 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
Act, and individuals designated by those eligible entities as
participating individuals. 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 Act.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020, 2022, and 2024.
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