I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5681 

To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 

to clarify certain responsibilities of the Global Engagement Center of 

the Department of State, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 7, 2018 

Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself and Mr. TED LIEU of California) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 

Year 2017 to clarify certain responsibilities of the Global 

Engagement Center of the Department of State, 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 ‘‘Global Engagement 

5 Center Authorities Act of 2018’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT CENTER. 

2 Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization 

3 Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2656 note) is amend4 ed— 

5 (1) by amending paragraph (2) of subsection 

6 (a) to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Center 

8 shall be to direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and 

9 coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to rec10 ognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign 

11 state and non-state propaganda and disinformation 

12 efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the poli13 cies, security, or stability of the United States and 

14 United States allies and partner nations.’’; 

15 (2) in subsection (b)— 

16 (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 

17 follows: 

18 ‘‘(1) Direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and 

19 coordinate interagency and international efforts to 

20 track and evaluate counterfactual narratives abroad 

21 that threaten the policies, security, or stability of the 

22 United States and United States allies and partner 

23 nations.’’; 

24 (B) by amending paragraph (4) to read as 

25 follows: 


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1 ‘‘(4) Identify current and emerging trends in 

2 foreign propaganda and disinformation in order to 

3 coordinate and shape the development of tactics, 

4 techniques, and procedures to expose and refute for5 eign propaganda and disinformation, and pro-ac6 tively support the promotion of credible, fact-based 

7 narratives and policies to audiences outside the 

8 United States.’’; 

9 (C) by redesignating paragraphs (6) 

10 through (10) as paragraphs (7) through (11), 

11 respectively; 

12 (D) by inserting after paragraph (5) the 

13 following new paragraph: 

14 ‘‘(6) Measure and evaluate the activities of the 

15 Center, including the outcomes of such activities, 

16 and implement mechanisms to ensure activities of 

17 the Center are updated to reflect the results of such 

18 measurement and evaluation.’’; and 

19 (E) by amending paragraph (8), as so re20 designated, to read as follows: 

21 ‘‘(8) Utilize information from appropriate inter22 agency entities to identify the countries, geographic 

23 areas, and populations most susceptible to propa24 ganda and disinformation, as well as the countries, 

25 geographic areas, and populations in which such 


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1 propaganda and disinformation is likely to cause the 

2 most harm.’’; 

3 (3) in subsection (d), by amending paragraphs 

4 (1) and (2) to read as follows: 

5 ‘‘(1) DETAILEES AND ASSIGNEES.—Any Fed6 eral Government employee may be detailed or as7 signed to the Center with or without reimbursement, 

8 consistent with applicable laws and regulations re9 garding such employee, and such detail or assign10 ment shall be without interruption or loss of status 

11 or privilege. 

12 ‘‘(2) OTHER PERSONNEL.—The Secretary of 

13 State should, when hiring additional United States 

14 citizen personnel, preference use of Foreign Service 

15 limited appointments in accordance with section 309 

16 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 

17 3949). The Secretary may hire United States citi18 zens or aliens, as appropriate, including as personal 

19 services contractors, for purposes of personnel re20 sources of the Center, if— 

21 ‘‘(A) the Secretary determines that exist22 ing personnel resources or expertise are insuffi23 cient; 

24 ‘‘(B) the period in which services are pro25 vided by a personal services contractor, includVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 May 09, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5681.IH H5681

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1 ing options, does not exceed 3 years, unless the 

2 Secretary determines that exceptional cir3 cumstances justify an extension of up to one 

4 additional year; 

5 ‘‘(C) not more than 50 United States citi6 zens or aliens are employed as personal services 

7 contractors under the authority of this para8 graph at any time; and 

9 ‘‘(D) the authority of this paragraph is 

10 only used to obtain specialized skills or experi11 ence or to respond to urgent needs.’’; 

12 (4) in subsection (e), by amending paragraph 

13 (2) to read as follows: 

14 ‘‘(2) NOTICE REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of 

15 Defense shall notify the Committee on Armed Serv16 ices, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 

17 Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep18 resentatives, and the Committee on Armed Services, 

19 the Committee on Appropriations, and the Com20 mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate of a pro21 posed transfer under paragraph (1) not less than 15 

22 days prior to making such transfer.’’; 

23 (5) in subsection (f), by amending paragraphs 

24 (1) and (2) to read as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(1) AUTHORITY FOR GRANTS.—The Center is 

2 authorized to provide grants or contracts of financial 

3 support to civil society groups, media content pro4 viders, nongovernmental organizations, federally 

5 funded research and development centers, private 

6 companies, or academic institutions for the following 

7 purposes: 

8 ‘‘(A) To support local entities and linkages 

9 among such entities, including independent 

10 media entities, that are best positioned to refute 

11 foreign propaganda and disinformation in af12 fected communities. 

13 ‘‘(B) To collect and store in print, online, 

14 and social media examples of disinformation 

15 and propaganda directed at the United States 

16 and United States allies and partner nations. 

17 ‘‘(C) To analyze and report on tactics, 

18 techniques, and procedures of foreign informa19 tion warfare and other efforts with respect to 

20 disinformation and propaganda. 

21 ‘‘(D) To support efforts by the Center to 

22 counter efforts by foreign entities to use 

23 disinformation and propaganda to undermine or 

24 influence the policies, security, and social and 


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1 political stability of the United States and 

2 United States allies and partner nations. 

3 ‘‘(2) FUNDING AVAILABILITY AND LIMITA4 TIONS.—The Secretary of State shall provide that 

5 each entity that receives funds under this subsection 

6 is selected in accordance with the relevant existing 

7 regulations through a process that ensures such en8 tity has the credibility and capability to carry out ef9 fectively and in accordance with United States inter10 ests and objectives the purposes specified in para11 graph (1) for which such entity received such fund12 ing.’’; 

13 (6) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as 

14 subsections (i) and (j), respectively; and 

15 (7) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol16 lowing new subsection: 

17 ‘‘(h) CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS.—The Secretary of 

18 State, together with the heads of other relevant Federal 

19 departments and agencies, shall provide a briefing to the 

20 Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 

21 Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the 

22 Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 

23 Armed Services of the Senate not less often than annually 

24 regarding the activities of the Global Engagement Center. 


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1 The briefings required under this subsection shall termi2 nate on the date specified in subsection (j).’’. 

Æ 


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