Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act

The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act (CFPDA), initially called the Countering Information Warfare Act, is a bipartisan law of the United States Congress that establishes an interagency center within the U.S. Department of State to coordinate and synchronize counterpropaganda efforts throughout the U.S. government. It also provides funding to help train journalists and support private sector entities and experts who specialize in foreign propaganda and disinformation.

The CFPDA was written in March 2016 by U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R, OH) and Chris Murphy (D, CT) and introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on 10 May 2016 by Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R, IL), joined by thirteen bipartisan co-sponsors, including Ted Lieu (D, CA) of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

In both the House and Senate, the bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017. It passed the House in this fashion in a conference report vote on 2 December 2016; the Senate then passed the measure in a conference report on 8 December by a tally of 92–7. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 23 December 2016, thus enacting the CFPDA.