House Passes DHS Bill to Enhance Social Media Use in Disasters
The House of Representatives voted to pass legislation requiring DHS to form a social media working group that would provide guidance and preparedness for social media use during times of national crisis.
Sponsored by Rep. Susan Brooks — the Republican chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications in the House — the Social Media Working Group Act of 2014 amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to account for how important social media has become to mass emergency situations. Citing her use of Twitter during a tornado warning recently in her home state, Brooks said the same communication can be used to effectively spread word during a terrorist attack.