I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8542 

To prohibit the use of Federal funds by the Department of Health and 

Human Services, before November 3, 2020, on a public service announcement and advertising campaign intended to positively influence public 

perception, misrepresent facts, or encourage risky behavior, regarding 

the COVID–19 pandemic. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 6, 2020 

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI (for himself, Ms. DELAURO, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, and Mr. CLYBURN) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To prohibit the use of Federal funds by the Department 

of Health and Human Services, before November 3, 

2020, on a public service announcement and advertising 

campaign intended to positively influence public perception, misrepresent facts, or encourage risky behavior, 

regarding the COVID–19 pandemic. 

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 ‘‘Defeat Pandemic 

5 Propaganda Act of 2020’’. 


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•HR 8542 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds that— 

3 (1) over 200,000 Americans have died of 

4 COVID–19; 

5 (2) there is no vaccine for COVID–19 approved 

6 by the Food and Drug Administration; 

7 (3) on August 31, 2020, the Department of 

8 Health and Human Services signed an approxi9 mately $250,000,000 contract for a public service 

10 announcement and advertising campaign to, in part, 

11 ‘‘defeat despair and inspire hope, sharing best prac12 tices for businesses to operate in the new normal 

13 and instill confidence to return to work and restart 

14 the economy’’ amidst the COVID–19 pandemic; and 

15 (4) a presidential election is to be held on No16 vember 3, 2020, approximately 2 months from the 

17 date the contract was signed. 

18 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

19 It is the sense of the Congress that— 

20 (1) a public service announcement and adver21 tising campaign to promote a return to previous ac22 tivities amidst the COVID–19 pandemic could en23 courage Americans to defy recommendations by Fed24 eral, State, and local public health authorities; and 

25 (2) a public service announcement and adver26 tising campaign promoting a positive outlook on a 


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•HR 8542 IH

1 pandemic that has resulted in the deaths of over 

2 200,000 Americans, to air in the weeks preceding a 

3 presidential election, would be an unethical use of 

4 Federal funds. 

5 SEC. 4. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AN6 NOUNCEMENT AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. 

7 No Federal funds may be obligated or expended by 

8 the Department of Health and Human Services, before 

9 November 3, 2020, on a public service announcement and 

10 advertising campaign intended— 

11 (1) to positively influence public perception re12 garding the COVID–19 pandemic; 

13 (2) to misrepresent facts regarding the 

14 COVID–19 pandemic; or 

15 (3) to encourage engagement in activities that 

16 carry an undue risk of contracting COVID–19. 

Æ 


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