I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8746 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to develop 
a training program that teaches members of the Armed Forces to interact 
with digital information in a safe and responsible manner, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 13, 2024 
Ms. STEVENS (for herself and Ms. SLOTKIN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot pro-
gram to develop a training program that teaches mem-
bers of the Armed Forces to interact with digital infor-
mation in a safe and responsible manner, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Strategic Home-
land Information Education and Learning Defense Act of 
2024’’ or the ‘‘SHIELD Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR DIGITAL INFORMATION 
TRAINING FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense shall establish a pilot program (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘pilot program’’) to develop a training 
program that teaches members of the Armed Forces to 
interact with digital information in a safe and responsible 
manner. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—In carrying out the pilot program, 
the Secretary shall— 
(1) develop and carry out a curriculum that in-
cludes instruction on— 
(A) how to identify— 
(i) fact-based journalism; 
(ii) opinion-based journalism; 
(iii) disinformation; 
(iv) conspiracy theories; and 
(v) hate-based ideologies, including 
antisemitism and white supremacy; 
(B) how to assess the credibility of digital 
news and other digital sources of information; 
(C) the effects of online actions on the 
actor and others, including the effects of post-
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ing or sharing personal, incorrect, or bias-based 
information; 
(D) the importance of protecting personal 
information and how to protect personal infor-
mation with respect to online activities; 
(E) how to recognize and avoid common 
information-based threats that could harm— 
(i) an individual targeted by such 
threats; 
(ii) the property of the individual; or 
(iii) the security, property, or goals of 
the Department of Defense when the indi-
vidual is a member of the Armed Forces; 
and 
(F) in the case that the individual is a 
member of the Armed Forces, methodologies— 
(i) that the individual can use when 
locating, evaluating, and using digital in-
formation; and 
(ii) which are designed reduce insider 
threats to, and vulnerabilities of, the 
Armed Forces with respect to conspiracy 
theories and hate-based ideology; 
(2) select as participants a geographically and 
demographically diverse sample of members of the 
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Armed Forces in such number as is necessary to col-
lect meaningful feedback about the training pro-
gram; and 
(3) use in-person, virtual, and hybrid training 
delivery methods in equal amounts. 
(c) TERMINATION.—The authority of Secretary to 
carry out the pilot program shall terminate on the date 
that is one year after the date on which the pilot program 
begins. 
(d) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary may consult with organizations that 
specialize in teaching or providing information to individ-
uals about interacting with digital information in a safe 
and responsible manner. 
(e) SURVEY.—After the date on which the pilot pro-
gram terminates pursuant to subsection (c), the Secretary 
shall survey participants and instructors to identify— 
(1) ways to improve the training program and 
curriculum; 
(2) ways to improve participant engagement 
during the training program; and 
(3) the extent to which participants retained, 
over time, the information taught during the train-
ing program. 
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(f) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the ter-
mination of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives a report summarizing the 
results of the pilot program, including— 
(1) a comparison of the in-person, virtual, and 
hybrid training delivery methods, considering— 
(A) the engagement of participants during 
the training program; 
(B) the extent to which participants re-
tained, over time, the information taught dur-
ing the training program; and 
(C) other notable differences, as deter-
mined by the Secretary; 
(2) a determination, based on such comparison, 
about which training delivery method is most effec-
tive for teaching the curriculum developed under 
subsection (b)(1); 
(3) a recommendation about how often a mem-
ber of the Armed Forces should be required to at-
tend a permanent training program about inter-
acting with digital information in a safe and respon-
sible manner, if established, considering the extent 
to which participants of the pilot program retained 
information taught during the training program; and 
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(4) a recommendation about how often the cur-
riculum of any such permanent training program 
should be updated. 
Æ 
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