II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4493 

To improve cybersecurity practices and improve digital literacy among 

veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 23, 2022 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. BENNET) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve cybersecurity practices and improve digital 

literacy among veterans, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Online Infor5 mation and Cybersecurity Empowerment Act of 2022’’ or 

6 the ‘‘VOICE Act of 2022’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

9 (1) Researchers have documented persistent, 

10 pervasive, and coordinated online targeting of memVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:40 Jun 30, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4493.IS S4493

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1 bers of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their fami2 lies by foreign adversaries seeking to undermine 

3 United States democracy in part because of public 

4 trust placed in these communities. Government 

5 agencies and researchers have also documented the 

6 targeting of veterans by fraudsters, especially online 

7 scammers, seeking to steal their government bene8 fits. 

9 (2) According to the Federal Trade Commis10 sion, fraud costs veterans, members of the Armed 

11 Forces, and their families $267,000,000 in 2021. 

12 This was a 162-percent increase from 2020 and the 

13 median loss for these scam victims was $600, 20 

14 percent higher than for the median loss for the gen15 eral public. According to a 2017 survey conducted 

16 by the American Association of Retired Persons 

17 (AARP) veterans are twice as likely to unknowingly 

18 participate in a scam compared to the general popu19 lation and an estimated 16 percent of veterans re20 port having losing some money to fraud, while 78 

21 percent report encountering scams that have explic22 itly designed to exploit their military service. 

23 (3) At the same time, adversaries from Russia, 

24 China, and Iran are using information warfare to in25 fluence democracies across the world, and extremist 


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1 organizations often use digital communications to re2 cruit members. Influence campaigns from foreign 

3 adversaries reached tens of millions of voters during 

4 the 2016 and 2018 elections with racially and divi5 sively targeted messages. The United States can 

6 fight these influences by ensuring that citizens of 

7 the United States possess the necessary skills to dis8 cern disinformation and misinformation and protect 

9 themselves from foreign influence campaigns. 

10 (4) The Select Committee on Intelligence of the 

11 Senate found in its investigation of the interference 

12 in the 2016 election that social media posts by the 

13 Internet Research Agency (IRA) of Russia reached 

14 tens of millions of voters in 2016 and were meant 

15 to pit the people of the United States against one 

16 another and sow discord. Volume II of the Commit17 tee’s investigation found that the Internet Research 

18 Agency’s Instagram account with the second largest 

19 reach used the handle ‘‘@american.veterans’’ and 

20 was ‘‘aimed at patriotic, conservative audiences, col21 lected 215,680 followers, and generated nearly 18.5 

22 million engagements.’’. 

23 (5) A 2019 investigative report by the Vietnam 

24 Veterans of America (VVA) titled ‘‘An Investigation 

25 into Foreign Entities who are Targeting Troops and 


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1 Veterans Online’’, found that the Internet Research 

2 Agency targeted veterans and the followers of sev3 eral congressionally chartered veterans service orga4 nizations with at least 113 advertisements during 

5 and following the 2016 election and that ‘‘this rep6 resents a fraction of the Russian activity that tar7 geted this community with divisive propaganda.’’. 

8 The report also found that foreign actors have been 

9 impersonating veterans through social-media ac10 counts and interacting with veterans and veterans 

11 groups on social media to spread propaganda and 

12 disinformation. To counter these acts, Vietnam Vet13 erans of America recommended that the Department 

14 of Veterans Affairs ‘‘immediately develop plans to 

15 make the cyber-hygiene of veterans an urgent pri16 ority within the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

17 The VA must educate and train veterans on per18 sonal cybersecurity: how to mitigate vulnerabilities, 

19 vigilantly maintain safe practices, and recognize 

20 threats, including how to identify instances of online 

21 manipulation.’’. 

22 (6) The Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a bi23 cameral and bipartisan commission, established by 

24 section 1652 of the John S. McCain National De25 fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (PubVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:40 Jun 30, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4493.IS S4493

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1 lic Law 115–232), concluded in its finished report 

2 that the ‘‘U.S. government should promote digital 

3 literacy, civics education, and public awareness to 

4 build societal resilience to foreign, malign cyber-en5 abled information operations and that the U.S. gov6 ernment must ensure that individual Americans have 

7 both the digital literacy tools and the civics edu8 cation they need to secure their networks and their 

9 democracy from cyber-enabled information oper10 ations.’’. The report recommended that Congress au11 thorize grant programs to do this. 

12 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

13 It is the sense of Congress that, given the threat for14 eign influence campaigns pose for United States democ15 racy, the effect of online scams on veterans and their fami16 lies, and the findings and recommendations of Congress, 

17 Federal agencies, and experts, Congress should imme18 diately act to pass legislative measures to increase digital 

19 and media literacy, as well as cybersecurity best practices 

20 among veterans of the United States. 

21 SEC. 4. VETERANS CYBERSECURITY AND DIGITAL LIT22 ERACY GRANT PROGRAM. 

23 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary shall es24 tablish a program to promote digital citizenship and media 

25 literacy, through which the Secretary shall award grants 


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1 to eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to carry 

2 out the activities described in subsection (c). 

3 (b) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a grant 

4 under the program required by subsection (a) shall submit 

5 to the Secretary an application therefor at such time, in 

6 such manner, and containing such information as the Sec7 retary may require, including, at a minimum the following: 

8 (1) A description of the activities the eligible 

9 entity intends to carry out with the grant funds. 

10 (2) An estimate of the costs associated with 

11 such activities. 

12 (3) Such other information and assurances as 

13 the Secretary may require. 

14 (c) ACTIVITIES.—An eligible entity shall use the 

15 amount of a grant awarded under the program required 

16 by subsection (a) to carry out one or more of the following 

17 activities to promote cybersecurity best practices and in18 crease digital and media literacy among veterans: 

19 (1) Develop competencies in cybersecurity best 

20 practices. 

21 (2) Develop media literacy and digital citizen22 ship competencies by promoting veterans’— 

23 (A) research and information fluency; 

24 (B) critical thinking and problem solving 

25 skills; 


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1 (C) technology operations and concepts; 

2 (D) information and technological literacy; 

3 (E) concepts of media and digital represen4 tation and stereotyping; 

5 (F) understanding of explicit and implicit 

6 media and digital messages; 

7 (G) understanding of values and points of 

8 view that are included and excluded in media 

9 and digital content; 

10 (H) understanding of how media and dig11 ital content may influence ideas and behaviors; 

12 (I) understanding of the importance of ob13 taining information from multiple media 

14 sources and evaluating sources for quality; 

15 (J) understanding how information on dig16 ital platforms can be altered through algo17 rithms, editing, and augmented reality; 

18 (K) ability to create media and digital con19 tent in civically and socially responsible ways; 

20 and 

21 (L) understanding of influence campaigns 

22 conducted by foreign adversaries and the tactics 

23 employed by foreign adversaries for conducting 

24 influence campaigns. 

25 (d) REPORTING.— 


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1 (1) REPORTS BY GRANT RECIPIENTS.—Each re2 cipient of a grant under the program required by 

3 subsection (a) shall, not later than one year after 

4 the date on which the recipient first receives funds 

5 pursuant to the grant, submit to the Secretary a re6 port describing the activities the recipient carried 

7 out using grant funds and the effectiveness of those 

8 activities. 

9 (2) REPORT BY THE SECRETARY.—Not later 

10 than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary 

11 receives the last report the Secretary expects to re12 ceive under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall sub13 mit to Congress a report describing the activities 

14 carried out under this section and the effectiveness 

15 of those activities. 

16 (e) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con17 gress that the Secretary should— 

18 (1) establish and maintain a list of eligible enti19 ties that receive a grant under the program required 

20 by subsection (a), and individuals designated by 

21 those eligible entities as participating individuals; 

22 and 

23 (2) make that list available to those eligible en24 tities and participating individuals in order to pro25 mote communication and further exchange of inforVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:40 Jun 30, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4493.IS S4493

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1 mation regarding sound digital citizenship and 

2 media literacy practices among recipients of grants 

3 under the program required by subsection (a). 

4 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

5 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

6 $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023, 2025, and 

7 2027. 

8 (g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) CYBERSECURITY BEST PRACTICES.—The 

10 term ‘‘cybersecurity best practices’’ means practices 

11 and steps that users of computers and other inter12 net-connected devices take to maintain and improve 

13 online security, maintain the proper functioning of 

14 computers devices, and protect computers and de15 vices from cyberattacks and unauthorized use. 

16 (2) DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP.—The term ‘‘digital 

17 citizenship’’ means the ability to— 

18 (A) safely, responsibly, and ethically use 

19 communication technologies and digital infor20 mation technology tools and platforms; 

21 (B) create and share media content using 

22 principles of social and civic responsibility and 

23 with awareness of the legal and ethical issues 

24 involved; and 


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1 (C) participate in the political, economic, 

2 social, and cultural aspects of life related to 

3 technology, communications, and the digital 

4 world by consuming and creating digital con5 tent, including media. 

6 (3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti7 ty’’ means— 

8 (A) a civil society organization, including 

9 community groups, nongovernmental organiza10 tions, nonprofit organization, labor organiza11 tions, indigenous groups, charitable organiza12 tions, professional associations, and founda13 tions; and 

14 (B) congressionally chartered veterans 

15 service organizations. 

16 (4) MEDIA LITERACY.—The term ‘‘media lit17 eracy’’ means the ability to— 

18 (A) access relevant and accurate informa19 tion through media in a variety of forms; 

20 (B) critically analyze media content and 

21 the influences of different forms of media; 

22 (C) evaluate the comprehensiveness, rel23 evance, credibility, authority, and accuracy of 

24 information; 


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1 (D) make educated decisions based on in2 formation obtained from media and digital 

3 sources; 

4 (E) operate various forms of technology 

5 and digital tools; and 

6 (F) reflect on how the use of media and 

7 technology may affect private and public life. 

8 (5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

Æ 


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