Countering Online Recruitment of Violent Extremists Act of 2016

To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish university labs for student-developed technology-based solutions for countering online recruitment of violent extremists. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Countering Online Recruitment of Violent Extremists Act of 2015 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate Congressional committees The term appropriate Congressional committees (2) Center for homeland security The term center for homeland security 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2) (3) Countering violent extremism The terms countering violent extremism CVE (A) mean proactive and relevant actions to counter efforts by extremists to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize followers to violence and to address the conditions that allow for violent extremist recruitment and radicalization; and (B) do not include disruptive actions that focus on stopping acts of terrorism by individuals who have already subscribed to violence. (4) CVE Lab The term CVE Lab (5) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1001 (6) Participating student The term participating student (7) Technology-based CVE solution The term technology-based CVE solution (A) appeals to young consumers of online and social media; (B) counters online recruitment of violent extremists or builds resilience against online extremist recruitment amongst participating students’ peers; and (C) operates on a technological platform or is technological in nature, including social media campaigns and mobile software applications. (8) Violent extremism The term violent extremism 3. Findings Congress finds and declares the following: (1) The ability to rapidly disseminate graphic images and ideas to shape the public narrative makes social media a strategic messaging and recruitment mechanism for terrorists, insurgent groups, and governments engaged in conflict. (2) The United States Government and its partners around the world have not been effective in using social media to produce alternative narratives to stem terrorist recruitment through social media. (3) Due to the strategic role the Internet plays in recruitment to terrorist violence, online counter-narratives promoted by non-governmental peers are most likely to directly reach and resonate with individuals who aspire to become foreign fighters or carry out terrorist attacks. (4) There exists youth-led demand for action-oriented solutions to countering violent extremism, as evidenced by the Youth Action Agenda to Prevent Violent Extremism and Promote Peace, which was produced by young activists at the Global Youth Summit Against Violent Extremism on the margins of the 70th United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, on September 28, 2015. (5) The establishment of university-based labs for students to develop technology-based solutions will enable more innovative and effective alternative narratives to counter violent extremist recruitment online. 4. Establishment of CVE labs In carrying out clause (xv) of section 308(b)(2)(B) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)(B) (1) establish 1 or more CVE Labs; and (2) reprioritize grants to centers for homeland security to fund each CVE Lab. 5. Functions and requirements of CVE labs (a) Requirements The head of an institution of higher education at which a CVE Lab is established shall ensure that the faculty of the CVE Lab— (1) create a curriculum for participating students to develop and test technology-based CVE solutions that— (A) may be drawn from pre-existing curricula or courses at an institution of higher education; (B) incorporates a CVE orientation program for students participating in the Lab that is informed by cross-cultural communication issues experienced by CVE practitioners; (C) incorporates technology-based business development curricula; and (D) requires participating students develop a final business plan describing how the technology-based CVE solution would be scaled up for investment and possible deployment by private sector entities, philanthropic organizations, or Federal, State, local, or tribal agencies; (2) invite Federal Government officials to participate in the orientation required by paragraph (1)(B); (3) provide each participating student a CVE safety briefing by Federal Government officials during the program orientation that outlines precautions participating students can take to protect themselves from becoming a target of terrorists; and (4) supervise any deployment of a technology-based CVE solution by a participating student. (b) Additional functions of CVE labs The head of an institution of higher education at which a CVE Lab is established shall ensure that the faculty of the CVE Lab, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and other appropriate entities including each CVE Lab— (1) develop a framework for participation and support of other programs that encourage students to develop peer-to-peer solutions for CVE; (2) develop a common inventory of research, in conjunction with other university-based centers for homeland security that establish CVE Labs, on core CVE issues to inform CVE Lab curricula in subsequent years; (3) analyze social networks to identify individuals on social media who are susceptible to recruitment to violent extremism and at whom technology-based CVE solutions can be directed, and indicators of susceptibility recruitment to violent extremism; and (4) identify experts in CVE who can apply the technology-based CVE solutions to target individuals who are susceptible to recruitment to violent extremism. (c) Administration of CVE lab The head of an institution of higher education at which a CVE Lab is established— (1) may determine the department and faculty of the institution of higher education that will be responsible for administering the CVE Lab and have final approval of who will be participating students at the CVE Lab; and (2) shall ensure that the faculty administering the CVE Lab, additional CVE Lab instructors and advisors, and participating students represent an interdisciplinary cross-section of the institution of higher education, including disciplines not traditionally associated with counterterrorism. 6. Assessment and report (a) Report Not later than 1 year after the date on which a CVE Lab is first established, the head of the institution of higher education at which the CVE Lab is established shall submit to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the appropriate congressional committees a report regarding the impact of the CVE Lab. (b) Assessment The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and in coordination with the office within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for coordinating the CVE efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, shall— (1) commission an independent third-party assessment of the impact of each CVE Lab; and (2) not later than 180 days after the date on which the assessment required under paragraph (1) is completed, provide the assessment to the appropriate Congressional committees. 7. Functions of centers for homeland security Section 308(b)(2)(B) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)(B) (xv) Countering violent extremism. . 8. Sunset Sections 1 through 6 shall expire on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Countering Online Recruitment of Violent Extremists Act of 2016 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Appropriate Congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees (2) Center for homeland security The term center for homeland security 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2) (3) Countering violent extremism; CVE The terms countering violent extremism CVE (4) CVE Lab The term CVE Lab (5) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1001 (6) Participating student The term participating student (7) Technology-based CVE solution The term technology-based CVE solution (A) appeals to young consumers of online and social media; (B) counters online recruitment of violent extremists or builds resilience against online violent extremist recruitment amongst participating students’ peers; (C) operates on a technological platform or is technological in nature, including social media campaigns and mobile software applications; and (D) is supported by empirical evidence and incorporates metrics for future assessment. (8) Violent extremism The term violent extremism 3. Findings Congress finds and declares the following: (1) The ability to rapidly disseminate graphic images and ideas to shape the public narrative makes social media a strategic messaging and recruitment mechanism for terrorists, insurgent groups, and governments engaged in conflict. (2) The United States Government and its partners around the world have not been effective in using social media to produce alternative narratives to stem terrorist recruitment through social media. (3) Due to the strategic role the Internet plays in recruitment to terrorist violence, online counter-narratives promoted by non-governmental peers are most likely to directly reach and resonate with individuals who seek to become foreign fighters or carry out terrorist attacks. (4) There exists youth-led demand for action-oriented solutions to countering violent extremism, as evidenced by the Youth Action Agenda to Prevent Violent Extremism and Promote Peace, which was produced by young activists at the Global Youth Summit Against Violent Extremism on the margins of the 70th United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, on September 28, 2015. (5) The establishment of university-based labs for students to develop technology-based solutions will enable more innovative and effective alternative narratives to counter violent extremist recruitment online. 4. Establishment of CVE labs In carrying out clause (xv) of section 308(b)(2)(B) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)(B) (1) establish 1 or more CVE Labs; and (2) reprioritize grants to centers for homeland security to fund each CVE Lab. 5. Functions and requirements of CVE labs (a) Requirements The head of an institution of higher education at which a CVE Lab is established shall ensure that the faculty of the CVE Lab— (1) create a curriculum for participating students to develop and test technology-based CVE solutions that— (A) may be drawn from pre-existing curricula or courses at an institution of higher education; (B) incorporates a CVE orientation program for students participating in the Lab that is informed by cross-cultural communication issues; (C) incorporates technology-based business development curricula; and (D) requires participating students to develop a final business plan describing how the technology-based CVE solution would be scaled up for investment and possible deployment by private sector entities, philanthropic organizations, or Federal, State, local, or tribal agencies; (2) invite Federal Government officials to participate in the orientation required by paragraph (1)(B); (3) provide each participating student a CVE safety briefing by Federal Government officials during the program orientation that outlines precautions participating students can take to protect themselves from becoming a target of terrorists; and (4) supervise any deployment of a technology-based CVE solution by a participating student. (b) Additional functions of CVE labs The head of an institution of higher education at which a CVE Lab is established shall ensure that the faculty of the CVE Lab, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and other appropriate entities including each CVE Lab— (1) develop a framework for participation and support of other programs that encourage students to develop peer-to-peer solutions for CVE; (2) develop a common inventory of research, in conjunction with other university-based centers for homeland security that establish CVE Labs, on core CVE issues to inform CVE Lab curricula in subsequent years; and (3) identify experts in CVE who can apply the technology-based CVE solutions to target individuals who are susceptible to recruitment to violent extremism. (c) Administration of CVE lab The head of an institution of higher education at which a CVE Lab is established— (1) may determine the department and faculty of the institution of higher education that will be responsible for administering the CVE Lab and have final approval of who will be participating students at the CVE Lab; and (2) shall ensure that the faculty administering the CVE Lab, additional CVE Lab instructors and advisors, and participating students represent an interdisciplinary cross-section of the institution of higher education, including disciplines not traditionally associated with counterterrorism. 6. Assessment and report (a) Report Not later than 1 year after the date on which a CVE Lab is first established, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the appropriate congressional committees a report regarding the impact of the CVE Lab. (b) Assessment The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and in coordination with the office within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for coordinating the CVE efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, shall— (1) commission an independent third-party assessment of the impact of each CVE Lab; and (2) not later than 180 days after the date on which the assessment required under paragraph (1) is completed, provide the assessment to the appropriate Congressional committees. 7. Functions of centers for homeland security Section 308(b)(2)(B) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)(B) (xv) Countering violent extremism. . 8. Sunset Sections 1 through 6 shall expire on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act. October 27, 2016 Reported with an amendment

Summary: Countering Online Recruitment of Violent Extremists Act of 2016 This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require that the criteria for the designation of colleges or universities as a center for homeland security include demonstrated expertise in countering violent extremism (CVE). &quot;CVE&quot; is defined as proactive and relevant actions to deter efforts by extremists to radicalize, recruit, and mobilize followers to violence by providing positive countervailing alternatives to violent extremist recruitment and radicalization. (Sec. 4) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is authorized to: (1) establish one or more CVE labs where students will develop and test technology-based CVE solutions, and (2) reprioritize grants to centers for homeland security to fund each lab. A &quot;technology-based CVE solution&quot; is defined as an instrument developed by a participating student that: appeals to young consumers of online and social media; counters online recruitment of violent extremists or builds resilience against online violent extremist recruitment among participating students' peers; operates on a technological platform or is technological in nature, including social media campaigns and mobile software applications; and is supported by empirical evidence and incorporates metrics for future assessment. (Sec. 5) An institution of higher education at which a CVE lab is established shall ensure that the lab's faculty: creates a curriculum for participating students to develop and test CVE solutions, that shall include a CVE orientation program during which federal officials shall brief students on precautions to protect themselves from becoming a target of terrorists; supervises any deployment of a technology-based CVE solution by a student; develops a framework for participation and support of other programs that encourages peer-to-peer CVE solutions; develops a common inventory of research, in conjunction with other centers that establish CVE labs, on core CVE issues to inform CVE lab curricula; and identifies experts who can apply CVE solutions to target susceptible individuals. (Sec. 6) The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on, and DHS to commission an independent third-party assessment of, the impact of each lab. (Sec. 8) The bill sunsets seven years after enactment.