To prohibit Federal employees and contractors from directing online platforms to censor any speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 21, 2023
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
The Free Speech Protection Act would prohibit federal employees and contractors from pressuring social media platforms and news outlets to remove, suppress, or label content as false or misleading if that speech is protected by the First Amendment. The bill applies to all executive branch agencies and includes the President and Vice President. Violators would face serious consequences including removal from office, civil penalties of at least ten thousand dollars, loss of retirement benefits, revocation of security clearances, and for contractors, permanent barring from federal work. The legislation would also create a private right of action allowing individuals whose content was censored in violation of the law to sue the federal government and responsible employees for damages and attorney fees. Additionally, the bill would terminate the Department of Homeland Security's Disinformation Governance Board, prohibit federal grants for misinformation and disinformation research, require grantees to certify they will not label news creators as sources of misinformation, and mandate quarterly public reporting of all communications between federal employees and social media companies. The bill includes exceptions for law enforcement acting under valid court warrants and for efforts to combat child exploitation, human trafficking, and drug trafficking.
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