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 con-
cerned 
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. 
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 ‘‘Global Engagement 
Center Authorities Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT CENTER. 
Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2656 note) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by amending paragraph (2) of subsection 
(a) to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Center 
shall be to direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and 
coordinate efforts of the Federal Government to rec-
ognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign 
state and non-state propaganda and disinformation 
efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the poli-
cies, security, or stability of the United States and 
United States allies and partner nations.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(1) Direct, lead, synchronize, integrate, and 
coordinate interagency and international efforts to 
track and evaluate counterfactual narratives abroad 
that threaten the policies, security, or stability of the 
United States and United States allies and partner 
nations.’’; 
(B) by amending paragraph (4) to read as 
follows: 
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‘‘(4) Identify current and emerging trends in 
foreign propaganda and disinformation in order to 
coordinate and shape the development of tactics, 
techniques, and procedures to expose and refute for-
eign propaganda and disinformation, and pro-ac-
tively support the promotion of credible, fact-based 
narratives and policies to audiences outside the 
United States.’’; 
(C) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(6) 
through (10) as paragraphs (7) through (11), 
respectively; 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (5) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) Measure and evaluate the activities of the 
Center, including the outcomes of such activities, 
and implement mechanisms to ensure activities of 
the Center are updated to reflect the results of such 
measurement and evaluation.’’; and 
(E) by amending paragraph (8), as so re-
designated, to read as follows: 
‘‘(8) Utilize information from appropriate inter-
agency entities to identify the countries, geographic 
areas, and populations most susceptible to propa-
ganda and disinformation, as well as the countries, 
geographic areas, and populations in which such 
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propaganda and disinformation is likely to cause the 
most harm.’’; 
(3) in subsection (d), by amending paragraphs 
(1) and (2) to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) DETAILEES AND ASSIGNEES.—Any Fed-
eral Government employee may be detailed or as-
signed to the Center with or without reimbursement, 
consistent with applicable laws and regulations re-
garding such employee, and such detail or assign-
ment shall be without interruption or loss of status 
or privilege. 
‘‘(2) OTHER
PERSONNEL.—The Secretary of 
State should, when hiring additional United States 
citizen personnel, preference use of Foreign Service 
limited appointments in accordance with section 309 
of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 
3949). The Secretary may hire United States citi-
zens or aliens, as appropriate, including as personal 
services contractors, for purposes of personnel re-
sources of the Center, if— 
‘‘(A) the Secretary determines that exist-
ing personnel resources or expertise are insuffi-
cient; 
‘‘(B) the period in which services are pro-
vided by a personal services contractor, includ-
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ing options, does not exceed 3 years, unless the 
Secretary determines that exceptional cir-
cumstances justify an extension of up to one 
additional year; 
‘‘(C) not more than 50 United States citi-
zens or aliens are employed as personal services 
contractors under the authority of this para-
graph at any time; and 
‘‘(D) the authority of this paragraph is 
only used to obtain specialized skills or experi-
ence or to respond to urgent needs.’’; 
(4) in subsection (e), by amending paragraph 
(2) to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) NOTICE REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary of 
Defense shall notify the Committee on Armed Serv-
ices, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on Armed Services, 
the Committee on Appropriations, and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate of a pro-
posed transfer under paragraph (1) not less than 15 
days prior to making such transfer.’’; 
(5) in subsection (f), by amending paragraphs 
(1) and (2) to read as follows: 
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‘‘(1) AUTHORITY FOR GRANTS.—The Center is 
authorized to provide grants or contracts of financial 
support to civil society groups, media content pro-
viders, nongovernmental organizations, federally 
funded research and development centers, private 
companies, or academic institutions for the following 
purposes: 
‘‘(A) To support local entities and linkages 
among such entities, including independent 
media entities, that are best positioned to refute 
foreign propaganda and disinformation in af-
fected communities. 
‘‘(B) To collect and store in print, online, 
and social media examples of disinformation 
and propaganda directed at the United States 
and United States allies and partner nations. 
‘‘(C) To analyze and report on tactics, 
techniques, and procedures of foreign informa-
tion warfare and other efforts with respect to 
disinformation and propaganda. 
‘‘(D) To support efforts by the Center to 
counter efforts by foreign entities to use 
disinformation and propaganda to undermine or 
influence the policies, security, and social and 
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political stability of the United States and 
United States allies and partner nations. 
‘‘(2) FUNDING
AVAILABILITY
AND
LIMITA-
TIONS.—The Secretary of State shall provide that 
each entity that receives funds under this subsection 
is selected in accordance with the relevant existing 
regulations through a process that ensures such en-
tity has the credibility and capability to carry out ef-
fectively and in accordance with United States inter-
ests and objectives the purposes specified in para-
graph (1) for which such entity received such fund-
ing.’’; 
(6) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as 
subsections (i) and (j), respectively; and 
(7) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(h) CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS.—The Secretary of 
State, together with the heads of other relevant Federal 
departments and agencies, shall provide a briefing to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
Armed Services of the Senate not less often than annually 
regarding the activities of the Global Engagement Center. 
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The briefings required under this subsection shall termi-
nate on the date specified in subsection (j).’’. 
Æ 
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