PUBLIC LAW 114–80—NOV. 5, 2015 

DHS SOCIAL MEDIA IMPROVEMENT ACT 

OF 2015 


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129 STAT. 646 PUBLIC LAW 114–80—NOV. 5, 2015 

Public Law 114–80 

114th Congress 

An Act 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Department of 

Homeland Security to establish a social media working group, 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 ‘‘DHS Social Media Improvement 

Act of 2015’’. 

SEC. 2. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Homeland Security Act of 

2002 (6 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘SEC. 318. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP. 

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish within the 

Department a social media working group (in this section referred 

to as the ‘Group’). 

‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—In order to enhance the dissemination of 

information through social media technologies between the Department and appropriate stakeholders and to improve use of social 

media technologies in support of preparedness, response, and 

recovery, the Group shall identify, and provide guidance and best 

practices to the emergency preparedness and response community 

on, the use of social media technologies before, during, and after 

a natural disaster or an act of terrorism or other man-made disaster. 

‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Membership of the Group shall be composed of a cross section of subject matter experts from Federal, 

State, local, tribal, territorial, and nongovernmental organization practitioners, including representatives from the following 

entities: 

‘‘(A) The Office of Public Affairs of the Department. 

‘‘(B) The Office of the Chief Information Officer of 

the Department. 

‘‘(C) The Privacy Office of the Department. 

‘‘(D) The Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

‘‘(E) The Office of Disability Integration and Coordination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

‘‘(F) The American Red Cross. 

‘‘(G) The Forest Service. 

‘‘(H) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

‘‘(I) The United States Geological Survey. 

6 USC 195d. 

6 USC 101 note. 

DHS Social 

Media 

Improvement Act 

of 2015. 

Nov. 5, 2015 

[H.R. 623] 


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PUBLIC LAW 114–80—NOV. 5, 2015 129 STAT. 647 

‘‘(J) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

‘‘(2) CHAIRPERSON; CO-CHAIRPERSON.— 

‘‘(A) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary, or a designee of 

the Secretary, shall serve as the chairperson of the Group. 

‘‘(B) CO-CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson shall designate, on a rotating basis, a representative from a State 

or local government who is a member of the Group to 

serve as the co-chairperson of the Group. 

‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—The chairperson shall appoint, 

on a rotating basis, qualified individuals to the Group. The 

total number of such additional members shall— 

‘‘(A) be equal to or greater than the total number 

of regular members under paragraph (1); and 

‘‘(B) include— 

‘‘(i) not fewer than 3 representatives from the private sector; and 

‘‘(ii) representatives from— 

‘‘(I) State, local, tribal, and territorial entities, 

including from— 

‘‘(aa) law enforcement; 

‘‘(bb) fire services; 

‘‘(cc) emergency management; and 

‘‘(dd) public health entities; 

‘‘(II) universities and academia; and 

‘‘(III) nonprofit disaster relief organizations. 

‘‘(4) TERM LIMITS.—The chairperson shall establish term 

limits for individuals appointed to the Group under paragraph 

(3). 

‘‘(d) CONSULTATION WITH NON-MEMBERS.—To the extent practicable, the Group shall work with entities in the public and private 

sectors to carry out subsection (b). 

‘‘(e) MEETINGS.— 

‘‘(1) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 90 days after the 

date of enactment of this section, the Group shall hold its 

initial meeting. 

‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.—After the initial meeting 

under paragraph (1), the Group shall meet— 

‘‘(A) at the call of the chairperson; and 

‘‘(B) not less frequently than twice each year. 

‘‘(3) VIRTUAL MEETINGS.—Each meeting of the Group may 

be held virtually. 

‘‘(f) REPORTS.—During each year in which the Group meets, 

the Group shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 

a report that includes the following: 

‘‘(1) A review and analysis of current and emerging social 

media technologies being used to support preparedness and 

response activities related to natural disasters and acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters. 

‘‘(2) A review of best practices and lessons learned on 

the use of social media technologies during the response to 

natural disasters and acts of terrorism and other man-made 

disasters that occurred during the period covered by the report 

at issue. 

‘‘(3) Recommendations to improve the Department’s use 

of social media technologies for emergency management purposes. 

Deadline. 


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129 STAT. 648 PUBLIC LAW 114–80—NOV. 5, 2015 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 623: 

SENATE REPORTS: No. 114–145 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 

Affairs). 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015): 

Feb. 2, considered and passed House. 

Oct. 7, considered and passed Senate, amended. 

Oct. 28, House concurred in Senate amendment. 

Æ 

‘‘(4) Recommendations to improve public awareness of the 

type of information disseminated through social media technologies, and how to access such information, during a natural 

disaster or an act of terrorism or other man-made disaster. 

‘‘(5) A review of available training for Federal, State, local, 

tribal, and territorial officials on the use of social media technologies in response to a natural disaster or an act of terrorism 

or other man-made disaster. 

‘‘(6) A review of coordination efforts with the private sector 

to discuss and resolve legal, operational, technical, privacy, 

and security concerns. 

‘‘(g) DURATION OF GROUP.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Group shall terminate on the date 

that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this section 

unless the chairperson renews the Group for a successive 5- 

year period, prior to the date on which the Group would otherwise terminate, by submitting to the Committee on Homeland 

Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 

a certification that the continued existence of the Group is 

necessary to fulfill the purpose described in subsection (b). 

‘‘(2) CONTINUED RENEWAL.—The chairperson may continue 

to renew the Group for successive 5-year periods by submitting 

a certification in accordance with paragraph (1) prior to the 

date on which the Group would otherwise terminate.’’. 

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in section 

1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting 

after the item relating to section 317 the following: 

‘‘Sec. 318. Social media working group.’’. 

Approved November 5, 2015. 

Certification. 


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