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Union Calendar No. 356 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4263 

[Report No. 113–480] 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 14, 2014 

Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana (for herself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PALAZZO, and Mr. 

SWALWELL of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

JUNE 19, 2014 

Additional sponsor: Mr. MCCAUL

JUNE 19, 2014 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 14, 2014] 


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A BILL 

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. 


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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 ‘‘Social Media Working 

5 Group Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP. 

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

8 Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by adding 

9 at the end the following new section: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 318. SOCIAL MEDIA WORKING GROUP. 

11 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

12 within the Department a social media working group (in 

13 this section referred to as the ‘Group’). 

14 ‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—In order to enhance information 

15 sharing between the Department and appropriate stake16 holders, the Group shall provide guidance and best practices 

17 to the emergency preparedness and response community on 

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

19 a terrorist attack or other emergency. 

20 ‘‘(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

21 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary for 

22 Science and Technology shall serve as the permanent 

23 chairperson of the Group, and shall designate, on a 

24 rotating basis, a representative from a State or local 

25 government who is a member of the Group to serve as 


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1 co-chairperson. The Under Secretary shall establish 

2 term limits for individuals appointed to the Group 

3 pursuant to paragraph (2). Membership of the Group 

4 shall be composed of a cross section of subject matter 

5 experts from Federal, State, local, tribal, and non6 governmental organization practitioners, including 

7 representatives from the following entities: 

8 ‘‘(A) The Office of Public Affairs of the De9 partment. 

10 ‘‘(B) The Office of the Chief Information Of11 ficer of the Department. 

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

13 ‘‘(D) The Federal Emergency Management 

14 Agency. 

15 ‘‘(E) The Office of Disability Integration 

16 and Coordination of the Federal Emergency 

17 Management Agency. 

18 ‘‘(F) The American Red Cross. 

19 ‘‘(G) The Forest Service. 

20 ‘‘(H) The Centers for Disease Control and 

21 Prevention. 

22 ‘‘(I) The United States Geological Survey. 

23 ‘‘(J) The National Oceanic and Atmos24 pheric Administration. 


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1 ‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.—The Under Sec2 retary for Science and Technology shall appoint, on 

3 a rotating basis, qualified individuals to the Group. 

4 The total number of such additional members shall— 

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

6 number of regular members under paragraph 

7 (1); and 

8 ‘‘(B) include— 

9 ‘‘(i) not fewer than three representa10 tives from the private sector; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) representatives from— 

12 ‘‘(I) State, local, and tribal enti13 ties, including from— 

14 ‘‘(aa) law enforcement; 

15 ‘‘(bb) fire services; 

16 ‘‘(cc) emergency management 

17 services; and 

18 ‘‘(dd) public health entities; 

19 ‘‘(II) universities and academia; 

20 and 

21 ‘‘(III) non-profit disaster relief or22 ganizations. 

23 ‘‘(d) CONSULTATION WITH NON-MEMBERS.—To the ex24 tent practicable, the Group shall work with existing bodies 


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1 in the public and private sectors to carry out subsection 

2 (b). 

3 ‘‘(e) MEETINGS.— 

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

5 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 

6 Group shall hold its initial meeting. Such initial 

7 meeting may be held virtually. 

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

9 meeting under paragraph (1), the Group shall meet at 

10 least twice each year, or at the call of the Chair11 person. Such subsequent meetings may be held vir12 tually. 

13 ‘‘(f) NONAPPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Advi14 sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 

15 Group. 

16 ‘‘(g) REPORTS.—Not later than March 30 of each year, 

17 the Group shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

18 committees a report that includes the following: 

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

20 media technologies being used to support preparedness 

21 and response activities related to terrorist attacks and 

22 other emergencies. 

23 ‘‘(2) A review of best practices and lessons 

24 learned on the use of social media during the response 

25 to terrorist attacks and other emergencies that ocVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:13 Jun 19, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H4263.RH H4263

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1 curred during the period covered by the report at 

2 issue. 

3 ‘‘(3) Recommendations to improve the Depart4 ment’s use of social media for emergency management 

5 purposes. 

6 ‘‘(4) Recommendations to improve public aware7 ness of the type of information disseminated through 

8 social media, and how to access such information, 

9 during a terrorist attack or other emergency. 

10 ‘‘(5) Recommendations to improve information 

11 sharing among the Department and its components. 

12 ‘‘(6) Recommendations to improve information 

13 sharing among State and local governments. 

14 ‘‘(7) A review of available training for Federal, 

15 State, local, and tribal officials on the use of social 

16 media in response to a terrorist attack or other emer17 gency. 

18 ‘‘(8) A summary of coordination efforts with the 

19 private sector to discuss and resolve legal, operational, 

20 technical, privacy, and security concerns.’’. 

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

22 section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 

23 amended by inserting after the item relating to section 317 

24 the following new item: 

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


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Union Calendar No. 356 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4263 

[Report No. 113–480] 

A BILL 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 

for other purposes. to establish a social media working group, and authorize the Department of Homeland Security 

JUNE 19, 2014 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


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