II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 913 

To conduct a study on the spread of COVID–19-related disinformation and 

misinformation on the internet and social media platforms, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 23, 2021 

Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, 

Mr. REED, and Ms. WARREN) introduced the following bill; which was 

read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 

and Pensions 

A BILL 

To conduct a study on the spread of COVID–19-related 

disinformation and misinformation on the internet and 

social media platforms, 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 ‘‘COVID–19 

5 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) The National Academies of Sciences, Engi2 neering, and Medicine and the National Science 

3 Foundation have provided scientific, evidence-based 

4 findings and foundational research, across all dis5 ciplines, that benefit the people of the United States. 

6 (2) Accurate and reliable information is impera7 tive for health and safety during a national emer8 gency like the COVID–19 pandemic. 

9 (3) Disinformation and misinformation have 

10 spread alarmingly during the COVID–19 pandemic, 

11 hindering the public response efforts of Federal, 

12 State, local, and indigenous leaders. 

13 (4) The internet and social media have made it 

14 easier to spread fake medical information, such as 

15 unproven treatments for COVID–19, or inaccurate 

16 information that undermines scientific experts. 

17 (5) The internet and social media have likewise 

18 made it easier to spread disinformation and misin19 formation about the safety and efficacy of COVID– 

20 19 vaccines, impacting public acceptance of the vac21 cines and threatening to prolong the pandemic. 

22 (6) COVID–19-related disinformation has been 

23 weaponized by foreign adversaries, including Russia, 

24 China, and Iran, through the use of fake social 

25 media accounts and bot networks to amplify content. 


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1 (7) Understanding the financial incentives for 

2 entities spreading and amplifying disinformation and 

3 misinformation can help to combat its distribution. 

4 SEC. 3. SCIENCE STUDY ON COVID–19-RELATED 

5 DISINFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION. 

6 (a) STUDY.—Not later than 30 days after the date 

7 of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National 

8 Science Foundation shall enter into an arrangement with 

9 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 

10 Medicine to conduct a study on the current understanding 

11 of the spread of COVID–19-related disinformation and 

12 misinformation on the internet and social media plat13 forms. The study shall address— 

14 (1) the roles disinformation and misinformation 

15 have played in the public response to COVID–19, in16 cluding public acceptance of and demand for 

17 COVID–19 vaccines; 

18 (2) the sources, both foreign and domestic, of 

19 COVID–19-related disinformation and misinforma20 tion, and the mechanisms by which that 

21 disinformation and misinformation influence the 

22 public debate; 

23 (3) the role social media plays in the dissemina24 tion and promotion of COVID–19-related 

25 disinformation and misinformation content and the 


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1 role social media platforms play in the organization 

2 of groups seeking to spread COVID–19-related 

3 disinformation and misinformation; 

4 (4) the potential financial returns for creators 

5 or distributors of COVID–19-related disinformation 

6 and misinformation and the role such financial in7 centives play in the propagation of COVID–19-re8 lated disinformation and misinformation; 

9 (5) potential strategies to mitigate the dissemi10 nation and negative impacts of COVID–19-related 

11 disinformation and misinformation (and specifically 

12 the dissemination of disinformation and misinforma13 tion on social media), including through improved 

14 disclosures and addressing information literacy; and 

15 (6) an analysis of— 

16 (A) the limitations of the mitigation strate17 gies described in paragraph (5); and 

18 (B) how the strategies can be implemented 

19 without infringing on the constitutional rights 

20 and civil liberties of the people of the United 

21 States. 

22 (b) REPORT.—In entering into an arrangement under 

23 this section, the Director of the National Science Founda24 tion shall request that the National Academies of Sciences, 

25 Engineering, and Medicine transmit to Congress a report 


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1 on the results of the study not later than 1 year after 

2 the date of enactment of this Act. 

3 (c) AUTHORIZATION.—There is authorized to be ap4 propriated, for the purposes of conducting the study under 

5 this section, $1,000,000. 

Æ 


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