S. 2517 would require the President, within 90 days of the bill’s enactment, to submit to the Congress a report on terrorists’ use of social media and an overview of current efforts to counter those activities. Within 180 days of the bill’s enactment, the President would be required to submit to the Congress a comprehensive strategy to counter terrorists’ use of social media and an evaluation of current efforts to combat such use of social media. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost less than $500,000 over the 2017-2021 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated amounts.
Because enacting S. 2517 would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
S. 2517 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
On January 13, 2016, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 3654, the Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media Act of 2015, as passed by the House of Representatives on December 16, 2015. The two pieces of legislation are similar and CBO’s estimate of the budgetary effects are the same.
