Restoring American Freedom Act

The "Restoring American Freedom Act" aims to prevent the Department of State (DoS) and any entities receiving its funds from engaging in or facilitating the censorship of United States citizens' free speech. It amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, requiring the DoS to monitor and ensure that its employees, officers, agents, and funded partners do not unconstitutionally abridge free speech, and that corrective action is taken for past misconduct. The legislation specifically prohibits the Secretary of State from awarding funds to any person or entity that publishes an advertising blacklist , defined as a list used to discourage advertisers from supporting a U.S. citizen based on their speech content. It also bars funding for those who create censorship tools lacking adequate safeguards, where to censor includes exerting coercive pressure on third parties, like social media companies, to suppress speech. For enforcement, the bill requires the Secretary of State to notify specific Congressional committees and the affected U.S. citizen within seven days of being informed about actual or potential censorship by DoS personnel or funded entities.