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- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defeat Pandemic 4 Propaganda Act of 2020’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:35 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8542.IH H8542 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8542 IH SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 1 Congress finds that— 2 (1) over 200,000 Americans have died of 3 COVID–19; 4 (2) there is no vaccine for COVID–19 approved 5 by the Food and Drug Administration; 6 (3) on August 31, 2020, the Department of 7 Health and Human Services signed an approxi- 8 mately $250,000,000 contract for a public service 9 announcement and advertising campaign to, in part, 10 ‘‘defeat despair and inspire hope, sharing best prac- 11 tices for businesses to operate in the new normal 12 and instill confidence to return to work and restart 13 the economy’’ amidst the COVID–19 pandemic; and 14 (4) a presidential election is to be held on No- 15 vember 3, 2020, approximately 2 months from the 16 date the contract was signed. 17 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 18 It is the sense of the Congress that— 19 (1) a public service announcement and adver- 20 tising campaign to promote a return to previous ac- 21 tivities amidst the COVID–19 pandemic could en- 22 courage Americans to defy recommendations by Fed- 23 eral, State, and local public health authorities; and 24 (2) a public service announcement and adver- 25 tising campaign promoting a positive outlook on a 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:35 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8542.IH H8542 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8542 IH pandemic that has resulted in the deaths of over 1 200,000 Americans, to air in the weeks preceding a 2 presidential election, would be an unethical use of 3 Federal funds. 4 SEC. 4. NO FEDERAL FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AN- 5 NOUNCEMENT AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. 6 No Federal funds may be obligated or expended by 7 the Department of Health and Human Services, before 8 November 3, 2020, on a public service announcement and 9 advertising campaign intended— 10 (1) to positively influence public perception re- 11 garding the COVID–19 pandemic; 12 (2) to misrepresent facts regarding the 13 COVID–19 pandemic; or 14 (3) to encourage engagement in activities that 15 carry an undue risk of contracting COVID–19. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:35 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8542.IH H8542 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS