DHS CANDOR Act

The DHS CANDOR Act mandates the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement a comprehensive, Department-wide policy for public communications within 90 days of enactment. This policy aims to enhance information quality by ensuring all public-facing materials are accurate, objective, and reliable, while explicitly prohibiting misleading or partisan statements.

It requires these materials to undergo review for compliance with various legal requirements, including the Data Quality Act, Hatch Act, FOIA, Privacy Act, civil rights protections, and ethics rules. Department components may develop their own aligned policies after review and certification.

The bill establishes strict guidelines for Department personnel's use of personal social media, preventing them from misrepresenting personal views as official positions or disclosing non-public information. For official social media, the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs will serve as the primary oversight authority, ensuring accounts are mission-related, approved, and properly managed.

All DHS personnel will receive annual training on acceptable social media use, ethics, and relevant laws, with new public-facing employees completing training within 30 days of onboarding. Furthermore, the bill requires a process for reporting and remediating misuse of social media, with non-compliance potentially leading to disciplinary action.

Finally, the Department's Inspector General is tasked with conducting an initial audit of compliance within one year and performing periodic audits, submitting annual reports to Congress on adherence to these new communication standards.