S.Amdt. 1866

SA 1866. Mr. REED (for himself and Ms. Klobuchar) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4049, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. INFORMATION LITERACY COMMISSION.

(a) Establishment of Information Literacy Commission.--
(1) Definitions.--In this section--
(A) the term ``Co-Chairs'' means the Co-Chairs of the
Commission;
(B) the term ``Commission'' means the Information Literacy
Commission established under this section; and
(C) the term ``information literacy'' means the set of
skills needed to find, retrieve, understand, evaluate,
analyze, and effectively use information (which encompasses
spoken and broadcast words and videos, printed materials, and
digital content, data, and images).
(2) Establishment.--There is established a commission to be
known as the ``Information Literacy Commission''.
(3) Purpose.--The Commission shall serve to improve the
information literacy of servicemembers and their families and
other persons in the United States through the development of
national strategies and best practices to promote information
literacy.
(b) Composition of the Commission.--
(1) Composition.--The Commission shall be composed of the
following:
(A) The Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Institute
of Museum and Library Services, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of
Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of
Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of State, the
Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator
of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Chairman of the
Federal Communications Commission, the Chairman of the
Federal Trade Commission, the Commissioner of the Social
Security Administration, the United States Trade
Representative, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management,
and the Librarian of Congress.
(B) The heads of other Federal agencies, determined
appropriate by the Co-Chairs.
(C) Six non-Federal representatives who each have expertise
and experience in information literacy (including evaluating
and verifying information) to be appointed by the Co-Chairs
of the Commission, three of whom shall be librarians,
including those from the education and information science
fields, and three of whom shall be selected from military
service organizations and veteran service organizations.
(2) Alternates.--Each member of the Commission may
designate an alternate if the member is unable to attend a
meeting of the Commission. Such alternate shall be an
individual who exercises significant decisionmaking
authority.
(3) Co-chairs.--The Secretary of Defense and the Director
of the Institute of Museum and Library Services shall serve
as Co-Chairs of the Commission.
(c) Meetings.--The Commission shall hold, at the call of
the Co-Chairs, at least 1 meeting every 4 months. All such
meetings shall be open to the public. The Commission may
hold, at the call of the Co-Chairs, such other meetings as
the Co-Chairs see fit to carry out this section.
(d) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Commission
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may
hold hearings.
(e) Initial Meeting.--The Commission shall hold its first
meeting not later than 120 days after the date of enactment
of this section.
(f) Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall take actions as it
determines necessary to improve and increase access to
information literacy skills and instruction so that
servicemembers and their families, veterans, children,
students, adults, and seniors can gain the tools needed to
think critically about information.
(2) Development of policies, materials, and strategies.--
The Commission shall develop policies, instructional
materials, and national strategies on information literacy--
(A) to address the lack of access to information literacy
education and tools, which may not be fully integrated or
taught in schools, the workplace, and other aspects of life;
and
(B) to address the ever-changing sources of information and
the constant evolution of how information is consumed and
utilized so that all Americans have the tools to make
informed decisions about their lives.
(3) Website and toolkits.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall--
(i) establish and maintain a website with the domain name
``InformationLiteracy.gov'', or a similar domain name; and
(ii) create toolkits specially designed and targeted at
different audiences, including servicemembers and their
families, veterans, children, students, adults, and seniors,
to help them understand, evaluate, and discern the
reliability and accuracy of information.
(B) Purposes.--The website established under subparagraph
(A) shall--
(i) disseminate best practices on information literacy;
(ii) serve as a clearinghouse of information about
information literacy programs;
(iii) provide a coordinated entry point for accessing
information about Federal publications, grants, and materials
promoting enhanced information literacy;
(iv) offer information on Federal grants to promote
information literacy, and on how to target, apply for, and
receive a grant that is most appropriate under the
circumstances;
(v) as the Commission considers appropriate, feature
website links to efforts that have no commercial content and
that feature information about information literacy and
education programs, materials, or campaigns; and
(vi) offer such other information as the Commission finds
appropriate to share with the public in the fulfillment of
its purpose.
(4) Emphasis.--In carrying out this section, the Commission
shall emphasize, at a minimum--
(A) how to find, retrieve, understand, evaluate, analyze,
and effectively use information;
(B) how to distinguish accurate information from non-
creditable, unverified, and partial information;
(C) how to avoid abusive, predatory, deceptive, and
fraudulent information, scams, and claims; and
(D) how to equip learners at every level with strategies
and tools, such as a questioning approach, in order to solve
problems and to frame problems in ways that will assist them
in meeting expectations in the classroom, on the battlefield,
at the workplace, and in life as a whole.
(g) Development and Dissemination.--The Commission shall--
(1) develop materials to promote information literacy; and
(2) disseminate such materials to the general public.
(h) Coordination of Efforts and National Strategies.--The
Commission shall take such steps as are necessary to target
and meet the needs of different audiences, including
servicemembers and their families, veterans, children,
students, adults, and seniors, including to--
(1) coordinate information literacy efforts at the State
and local level, including promoting partnerships among
Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, military
service organizations, veteran service organizations,
nonprofit organizations, and private enterprises; and
(2) develop and implement national strategies to promote
information literacy that would utilize the partnerships
described in paragraph (1), as appropriate, and provide for--
(A) the development of methods to increase information
literacy;
(B) the enhancement of the general understanding of
information literacy; and
(C) the review of Federal activities designed to promote
information literacy and development of a plan to improve
coordination of such activities.
(i) Reports.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the first meeting of the Commission, and annually thereafter,
the Commission shall issue a report on strategies for
assuring information literacy to the Committee on Armed
Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of
the House of Representatives on the progress of the
Commission in carrying out this section.
(2) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1)
shall include--
(A) information concerning the implementation of the duties
of the Commission under subsection (f);
(B) an assessment of the success of the Commission in
implementing the targeted

[[Page S3388]]

national strategies developed under subsection (h);
(C) an assessment of the availability, utilization, and
impact of Federal information literacy materials;
(D) information concerning the content and public use of--
(i) the website established under subsection (f)(3)(A)(i);
and
(ii) the toolkits established under subsection
(f)(3)(A)(ii);
(E) a brief survey of the information literacy materials
developed under subsection (g), and data regarding the
dissemination and impact of such materials;
(F) a brief summary of any hearings conducted by the
Commission, including a list of witnesses who testified at
such hearings;
(G) information about the activities of the Commission
planned for the next fiscal year;
(H) a summary of all information literacy activities
targeted to underserved communities; and
(I) such other materials relating to the duties of the
Commission as the Commission determines appropriate.
(3) Initial report.--The initial report under paragraph (1)
shall include information regarding all Federal programs,
materials, and grants which seek to improve information
literacy, and assess the effectiveness of such programs.
(j) Powers of the Commission.--
(1) Hearings.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall hold such hearings,
sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony,
and receive such evidence as the Commission deems appropriate
to carry out this section.
(B) Participation.--In hearings held under this subsection,
the Commission shall consider inviting witnesses from, among
other groups--
(i) other Federal Government officials;
(ii) State, local, and Tribal government officials;
(iii) military service organizations;
(iv) veteran service organizations;
(v) information literacy experts, including librarians,
educators, and behavioral and data scientists;
(vi) consumer and community groups; and
(vii) nonprofit information literacy groups.
(2) Information from federal agencies.--The Commission may
secure directly from any Federal department or agency such
information as the Commission considers necessary to carry
out this section. Upon request of the Co-Chairs, the head of
such department or agency shall furnish such information to
the Commission.
(3) Periodic studies.--The Commission may conduct periodic
studies regarding the state of information literacy in the
United States, as the Commission determines appropriate.
(4) Multilingual.--The Commission may take any action to
develop and promote information literacy and education
materials in languages other than English, as the Commission
determines appropriate, including for the website established
under subsection (f)(3)(A)(i), the toolkits established under
subsection (f)(3)(A)(ii), and the materials developed and
disseminated under subsection (g).
(5) Arrangements.--The Commission may enter into
arrangements, including interagency agreements, grants,
contracts, and cooperative agreements with entities that the
Co-Chairs determine appropriate.
(k) Commission Personnel Matters.--
(1) Compensation of members.--Each member of the Commission
shall serve without compensation in addition to that received
for their service as an officer or employee of the United
States.
(2) Travel expenses.--The members of the Commission shall
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of
business in the performance of services for the Commission.
(3) Assistance.--
(A) In general.--The Department of Defense shall provide
assistance to the Commission, upon request of the Commission,
without reimbursement.
(B) Detail of government employees.--Any Federal Government
employee may be detailed to the Commission without
reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption
or loss of civil service status or privilege.
(4) Space for use of commission.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this section, the
Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the
Secretary of Defense, shall identify and make available
suitable excess space within the Federal space inventory to
house the operations of the Commission. If the Administrator
is not able to make such suitable excess space available
within such 90-day period, the Commission may lease space to
the extent the funds are available.
(5) Contracting authority.--The Commission may acquire
administrative supplies and equipment for Commission use to
the extent funds are available.
(l) Executive Director and Staff.--
(1) Executive director.--The Commission shall appoint and
fix the rate of basic pay for an Executive Director in
accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Staff.--The Executive Director, with the approval of
the Commission, may appoint and fix the rate of basic pay for
additional personnel as staff of the Commission in accordance
with section 3161 of title 5, United States Code.
(m) Studies by Comptroller General.--Not later than 3 years
after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall submit a report to
Congress assessing the effectiveness of the Commission in
promoting information literacy.
(n) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Commission such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this section, including administrative
expenses of the Commission.
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