DHS Social Media Improvement Act of 2015
Public Law 114-80 · H.R. 623 · 114th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Nov 5, 2015 · Emergency Management
Sponsor: Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN-5)
Cosponsors (4): Rep. Michael McCaul, Rep. Donald Payne,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
DHS Social Media Improvement Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a social media working group (the Group) to identify, and provide guidance and best practices to the emergency preparedness and response community on, the use of social media technologies before, during, and after a natural disaster or an act of terrorism or other man-made disaster.
Requires the Group to submit an annual report that includes:
• a review and analysis of social media technologies used to support preparedness and response activities;
• a review of best practices and lessons learned;
• recommendations to improve DHS's use of social media technologies for emergency management purposes, recommendations to improve public awareness of the type of information disseminated through such technologies, and recommendations on how to access such information during a disaster;
• a review of available training for government officials on the use of social media technologies in response to a disaster; and
• a review of coordination efforts with the private sector to discuss and resolve legal, operational, technical, privacy, and security concerns.
Terminates the Group five years after the enactment of this Act unless the chairperson renews it for a successive five-year period by submitting a certification that the continued existence of the Group is necessary. Provides for successive five-year renewal periods.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Homeland Security Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee- Transportation and Infrastructure Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 3583Related bill
Promoting Resilience and Efficiency in Preparing for Attacks and Responding to Emergencies Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 25 actions.
- Nov 5, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-80.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 2, 2015FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Oct 28, 2015Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Costello (PA) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 623.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Oct 8, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Oct 7, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 21, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 234.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-145.
- May 6, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Feb 3, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Feb 2, 2015FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 328 - 51 (Roll no. 53).House roll call 53
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 623.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Brooks (IN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications.
- Jan 30, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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 co…
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.