Title: Countering Global White Supremacist Terrorism Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Countering Global White Supremacist Terrorism Act
This bill requires the Department of State to develop a strategy titled the Department of State Strategy for Countering White Identity Terrorism Globally, and it establishes related reporting requirements.
Such strategy shall include (1) an assessment of the global threat from white identity terrorism abroad, (2) detailed plans for using public diplomacy to degrade and delegitimize white identity terrorist ideologues and ideology globally, and (3) an outline of how the State Department plans to use designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist or foreign terrorist organization to support the strategy.
Annual country reports on terrorism must include all credible information about white identity terrorism, and the President must determine whether the foreign persons, organizations, and networks identified in such reports satisfy the criteria to be designated as (1) foreign terrorist organizations, or (2) Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organizations.
The State Department must also contract with a federally funded research and development center to facilitate a study that provides for a comprehensive social network analysis of the global white identity terrorism movement.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4080 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4080

 To counter White identity terrorism globally, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 25, 2020

 Mr. Menendez introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To counter White identity terrorism globally, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Countering Global White Supremacist 
Terrorism Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) ``White identity terrorism'' is the term used by the 
        Department of State to encompass White nationalist and White 
        supremacist terrorists. Individuals who adhere to White 
        nationalist and White supremacist ideologies share a common 
        belief that White people and ``White identity'' in western 
        countries are under siege and pursue the destruction of 
        pluralistic values intrinsic to the American way of life.
            (2) The Global Terrorism Database and corresponding Global 
        Terrorism Index have recorded a rise in the number and 
        lethality of White identity terrorist incidents during the past 
        decade, both domestically and internationally.
            (3) Various individuals, networks, and organizations fall 
        under the umbrella of the global White identity terrorist 
        movement, whose adherents are becoming increasingly 
        internationalized, with fighters and terrorist ideology moving 
        across borders.
            (4) Irresponsible social media sites are enabling the 
        internationalization of the White identity terrorist movement 
        in terms of organization and recruitment. State and nonstate 
        actors have helped to build a global, online White identity 
        terrorist echo chamber, including by translating terrorist 
        manifestos and promoting other violent extremist content. This 
        activity includes countries using ``troll farms'' to exacerbate 
        fears of immigrants, Muslims, Jews, and other minorities in 
        western countries among potentially sympathetic audiences.
            (5) There is evidence that adherents of the White identity 
        movement in the United States are increasingly traveling 
        overseas for training, further contributing to the 
        internationalization of White identity terrorism. Jihadist 
        experiences in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria highlight the 
        dangers that such individuals can pose because of the 
        connections and capabilities they bring with them when they 
        return home.
            (6) The global White identity terrorist movement has 
        manifested a decentralized organizational approach that 
        encourages individuals to operate independently from one 
        another and execute terrorist attacks on their own. This 
        approach poses challenges to law enforcement efforts to track, 
        monitor, and disrupt planned violence. In the same way that 
        Islamist terrorists have looked to figures in al-Qaeda and the 
        Islamic State, White identity terrorists draw on one another 
        for inspiration.
            (7) The growing global interconnectivity of the White 
        identity terrorist movement means that the United States must 
        confront this threat as part of an integrated, whole-of-
        government approach.

SEC. 3. COUNTERING WHITE IDENTITY TERRORISM GLOBALLY.

    (a) Strategy and Coordination.--Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall--
            (1) develop and submit to the Committee on Foreign 
        Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
        the House of Representatives a Department of State-wide 
        strategy entitled the ``Department of State Strategy for 
        Countering White Identity Terrorism Globally'' (in this section 
        referred to as the ``strategy'').
            (2) designate the Coordinator for Counterterrorism of the 
        Department of State to coordinate Department of State efforts 
        to counter White identity terrorism globally, including with 
        United States diplomatic and consular posts, the Director of 
        the National Counterterrorism Center, the Director of the 
        Central Intelligence Agency, the Attorney General, the Director 
        of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
        the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the 
        Secretary of the Treasury, and the heads of other relevant 
        Federal departments or agencies.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy shall, at a minimum, contain the 
following:
            (1) An assessment of the global threat from White identity 
        terrorism abroad, including geographic or country 
        prioritization based on the assessed threat to the United 
        States.
            (2) A description of the coordination mechanisms between 
        relevant bureaus and offices within the Department of State, 
        including United States diplomatic and consular posts, for 
        developing and implementing efforts to counter White identity 
        terrorism.
            (3) A description of how the Department of State plans to 
        build on any existing strategy developed by the Bureau of 
        Counterterrorism--
                    (A) to adapt or expand existing Department 
                programs, projects, activities, or policy instruments 
                based on existing authorities for the specific purpose 
                of degrading and delegitimizing the White identity 
                terrorist movement globally; and
                    (B) to identify the need for any new Department 
                programs, projects, activities, or policy instruments 
                for the specific purpose of degrading and 
                delegitimizing the White identity terrorist movement 
                globally, including a description of the steps and 
                resources necessary to establish any such programs, 
                projects, activities, or policy instruments, noting 
                whether such steps would require new authorities.
            (4) Detailed plans for using public diplomacy, including 
        the efforts of the Secretary of State and other senior 
        executive branch officials, including the President, to degrade 
        and delegitimize White identity terrorist ideologues and 
        ideology globally, including by--
                    (A) countering White identity terrorist messaging 
                and supporting efforts to redirect potential supporters 
                away from White identity terrorist content online;
                    (B) exposing foreign government support for White 
                identity terrorist ideologies, objectives, ideologues, 
                networks, organizations, and internet platforms;
                    (C) engaging with foreign governments and internet 
                service providers and other relevant technology 
                entities to prevent or limit White identity terrorists 
                from exploiting internet platforms in furtherance of or 
                in preparation for acts of terrorism or other targeted 
                violence, as well as the recruitment, radicalization, 
                and indoctrination of new adherents to White identity 
                terrorism; and
                    (D) identifying the roles and responsibilities for 
                the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Public 
                Diplomacy and Public Affairs and for the Global 
                Engagement Center in developing and implementing such 
                plans.
            (5) An outline of the steps the Department of State is 
        taking or will take in coordination, as appropriate, with the 
        Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, the Director 
        of the Central Intelligence Agency, the Attorney General, the 
        Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 
        the Secretary of the Treasury, and the heads of any other 
        relevant Federal departments or agencies to improve information 
        and intelligence sharing with other countries on White identity 
        terrorism based on existing authorities by--
                    (A) describing plans for adapting or expanding 
                existing mechanisms for sharing information, 
                intelligence, or counterterrorism best practices, 
                including facilitating the sharing of information, 
                intelligence, or counterterrorism best practices 
                gathered by Federal, State, and local law enforcement; 
                and
                    (B) proposing new mechanisms or forums that might 
                enable expanded sharing of information, intelligence, 
                or counterterrorism best practices.
            (6) An outline of how the Department of State plans to use 
        designation as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (under 
        Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note)) or foreign 
        terrorist organization (pursuant to section 219 of the 
        Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189) to support the 
        strategy, including--
                    (A) an assessment and explanation of the utility of 
                applying or not applying such designations when 
                individuals or entities satisfy the criteria for such 
                designations; and
                    (B) a description of possible remedies if such 
                criteria are insufficient to enable designation of any 
                individuals or entities the Secretary of State 
                considers a potential terrorist threat to the United 
                States.
            (7) A description of the Department of State's plans, in 
        consultation with the Department of the Treasury, to work with 
        foreign governments, financial institutions and other related 
        entities to counter the financing of White identity terrorists 
        within the parameters of current law, or if no such plans 
        exist, a description of why such plans were not developed.
            (8) A description of how the Department of State plans to 
        implement the strategy in conjunction with ongoing efforts to 
        counter the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and other terrorist 
        threats to the United States.
            (9) A description of how the Department of State will 
        integrate into the strategy lessons learned in the ongoing 
        efforts to counter the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and other 
        terrorist threats to the United States.
            (10) An identification of any additional resources or staff 
        needed to implement the strategy.
    (c) Interagency Coordination.--The Secretary of State shall develop 
the strategy in coordination with the Director of the National 
Counterterrorism Center and in consultation with the Director of the 
Central Intelligence Agency, the Attorney General, the Director of 
National Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director 
of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secretary of the Treasury, 
and the heads of any other relevant Federal departments or agencies.
    (d) Stakeholder Inclusion.--The strategy shall be developed in 
consultation with representatives of United States and international 
civil society and academic entities with experience researching or 
implementing programs to counter White identity terrorism.
    (e) Form.--The strategy shall be submitted in unclassified form 
that can be made available to the public, but may include a classified 
annex if the Secretary of State determines such is appropriate.
    (f) Implementation.--Not later than 3 months after the submission 
of the strategy, the Secretary of State shall begin implementing the 
strategy.
    (g) Consultation.--Not later than 3 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act and not less frequently than annually thereafter, 
the Secretary of State shall consult with the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
House of Representatives regarding the development and implementation 
of the strategy.

SEC. 4. ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM.

    Section 140(a) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) all credible information about White identity 
        terrorism, including--
                    ``(A) relevant attacks;
                    ``(B) the identity of perpetrators and victims of 
                such attacks;
                    ``(C) the size and identity of organizations and 
                networks; and
                    ``(D) the identity of notable ideologues.''.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON SANCTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the submission of 
each of the Annual Country Reports on Terrorism pursuant to section 140 
of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 
(22 U.S.C. 2656f), and 240 days thereafter, the President shall submit 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report that 
determines whether the foreign persons, organizations, and networks 
identified in such reports satisfy the criteria to be designated as--
            (1) foreign terrorist organizations under section 219 of 
        the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); or
            (2) Specially Designated Global Terrorist Organizations 
        under Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note).
    (b) Form.--Each determination required under subsection (a) shall 
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex, 
if appropriate.

SEC. 6. REQUIREMENT FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY TO MAP THE GLOBAL WHITE 
              IDENTITY TERRORISM MOVEMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall enter into a 
contract with a federally funded research and development center with 
appropriate expertise and analytical capability to carry out the study 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Study.--The study described in this subsection shall provide 
for a comprehensive social network analysis of the global White 
identity terrorism movement--
            (1) to identify key actors, organizations, and supporting 
        infrastructure; and
            (2) to map the relationships and interactions between such 
        actors, organizations, and supporting infrastructure.
    (c) Report.--
            (1) To the secretary.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        on which the Secretary of State enters into a contract pursuant 
        to subsection (a), the federally funded research and 
        development center referred to in such subsection shall submit 
        to the Secretary a report containing the results of the study 
        required under this section.
            (2) To congress.--Not later than 30 days after receipt of 
        the report under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall 
        submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
        the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives such report, together with any additional views 
        or recommendations of the Secretary.
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