I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8542 
To prohibit the use of Federal funds by the Department of Health and 
Human Services, before November 3, 2020, on a public service announce-
ment and advertising campaign intended to positively influence public 
perception, misrepresent facts, or encourage risky behavior, regarding 
the COVID–19 pandemic. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 6, 2020 
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI (for himself, Ms. DELAURO, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALO-
NEY of New York, and Mr. CLYBURN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To prohibit the use of Federal funds by the Department 
of Health and Human Services, before November 3, 
2020, on a public service announcement and advertising 
campaign intended to positively influence public percep-
tion, misrepresent facts, or encourage risky behavior, 
regarding the COVID–19 pandemic. 
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 ‘‘Defeat Pandemic 
Propaganda Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) over 200,000 Americans have died of 
COVID–19; 
(2) there is no vaccine for COVID–19 approved 
by the Food and Drug Administration; 
(3) on August 31, 2020, the Department of 
Health and Human Services signed an approxi-
mately $250,000,000 contract for a public service 
announcement and advertising campaign to, in part, 
‘‘defeat despair and inspire hope, sharing best prac-
tices for businesses to operate in the new normal 
and instill confidence to return to work and restart 
the economy’’ amidst the COVID–19 pandemic; and 
(4) a presidential election is to be held on No-
vember 3, 2020, approximately 2 months from the 
date the contract was signed. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) a public service announcement and adver-
tising campaign to promote a return to previous ac-
tivities amidst the COVID–19 pandemic could en-
courage Americans to defy recommendations by Fed-
eral, State, and local public health authorities; and 
(2) a public service announcement and adver-
tising campaign promoting a positive outlook on a 
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pandemic that has resulted in the deaths of over 
200,000 Americans, to air in the weeks preceding a 
presidential election, would be an unethical use of 
Federal funds. 
SEC. 4. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AN-
NOUNCEMENT AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. 
No Federal funds may be obligated or expended by 
the Department of Health and Human Services, before 
November 3, 2020, on a public service announcement and 
advertising campaign intended— 
(1) to positively influence public perception re-
garding the COVID–19 pandemic; 
(2) 
to 
misrepresent 
facts 
regarding 
the 
COVID–19 pandemic; or 
(3) to encourage engagement in activities that 
carry an undue risk of contracting COVID–19. 
Æ 
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