H.R. 5215

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to develop a training program that teaches members of the Armed Forces to interact with digital information in a safe and responsible manner, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · September 8, 2025 · Sponsor: Ms. Stevens · Committee: Committee on Armed Services

Table of contents

• H.R. 5215
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Pilot program for digital information training for members of the Armed Forces

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the or the .

SEC. 2. Pilot program for digital information training for members of the Armed Forces

• (a) Pilot program
  • Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a pilot program (in this section referred to as the ) to develop a training program that teaches members of the Armed Forces to interact with digital information in a safe and responsible manner.
• (b) Elements
  • In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary shall—
    • develop and carry out a curriculum that includes instruction on—
      • how to identify—
        • (i) fact-based journalism;
        • (ii) opinion-based journalism;
        • (iii) disinformation;
        • (iv) conspiracy theories; and
        • (v) hate-based ideologies, including antisemitism and white supremacy;
      • how to assess the credibility of digital news and other digital sources of information;
      • the effects of online actions on the actor and others, including the effects of posting or sharing personal, incorrect, or bias-based information;
      • the importance of protecting personal information and how to protect personal information with respect to online activities;
      • how to recognize and avoid common information-based threats that could harm—
        • (i) an individual targeted by such threats;
        • (ii) the property of the individual; or
        • (iii) the security, property, or goals of the Department of Defense when the individual is a member of the Armed Forces; and
      • in the case that the individual is a member of the Armed Forces, methodologies—
        • (i) that the individual can use when locating, evaluating, and using digital information; and
        • (ii) which are designed reduce insider threats to, and vulnerabilities of, the Armed Forces with respect to conspiracy theories and hate-based ideology;
    • select as participants a geographically and demographically diverse sample of members of the Armed Forces in such number as is necessary to collect meaningful feedback about the training program; and
    • use in-person, virtual, and hybrid training delivery methods in equal amounts.
• (c) Termination
  • The authority of Secretary to carry out the pilot program shall terminate on the date that is one year after the date on which the pilot program begins.
• (d) Consultation
  • In carrying out the pilot program, the Secretary may consult with organizations that specialize in teaching or providing information to individuals about interacting with digital information in a safe and responsible manner.
• (e) Survey
  • After the date on which the pilot program terminates pursuant to subsection (c), the Secretary shall survey participants and instructors to identify—
    • ways to improve the training program and curriculum;
    • ways to improve participant engagement during the training program; and
    • the extent to which participants retained, over time, the information taught during the training program.
• (f) Report
  • Not later than 180 days after the termination of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report summarizing the results of the pilot program, including—
    • a comparison of the in-person, virtual, and hybrid training delivery methods, considering—
      • the engagement of participants during the training program;
      • the extent to which participants retained, over time, the information taught during the training program; and
      • other notable differences, as determined by the Secretary;
    • a determination, based on such comparison, about which training delivery method is most effective for teaching the curriculum developed under subsection (b)(1);
    • a recommendation about how often a member of the Armed Forces should be required to attend a permanent training program about interacting with digital information in a safe and responsible manner, if established, considering the extent to which participants of the pilot program retained information taught during the training program; and
    • a recommendation about how often the curriculum of any such permanent training program should be updated.