I TH CONGRESS ST SESSION H. R. 0 To require a Federal agency to include language in certain educational and advertising materials indicating that such materials are produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER, 0 Mr. LONG (for himself and Mr. WESTMORELAND) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform A BILL To require a Federal agency to include language in certain educational and advertising materials indicating that such materials are produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the Taxpayer Transparency Act of 0. jbell on DSKSPTVNPROD with BILLS VerDate Mar 00 0:0 Oct, 0 Jkt 000 PO 00000 Frm 0000 Fmt Sfmt 0 E:\BILLS\H0.IH H0
jbell on DSKSPTVNPROD with BILLS 0 0 HR 0 IH VerDate Mar 00 0: Oct, 0 Jkt 000 PO 00000 Frm 0000 Fmt Sfmt 0 E:\BILLS\H0.IH H0 SEC.. REQUIREMENTS FOR PRINTED MATERIALS AND AD- VERTISEMENTS BY FEDERAL AGENCIES. (a) IDENTIFICATION OF FUNDING SOURCES. Each communication funded by a Federal agency for advertising or educational purposes shall clearly state () in the case of a printed communication, including mass mailings, signs, and billboards, that the communication is printed and published at taxpayer expense; and () in the case of a communication transmitted through radio, television, the Internet, or any means other than the means referred to in paragraph (), that the communication is produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. (b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS. () PRINTED COMMUNICATION. Any printed communication described under paragraph () of subsection (a) shall (A) be of sufficient type size to be clearly readable by the recipient of the communication; (B) be contained in a printed box set apart from the other contents of the communication; and (C) be printed with a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and the printed statement.
jbell on DSKSPTVNPROD with BILLS 0 0 HR 0 IH VerDate Mar 00 0:0 Oct, 0 Jkt 000 PO 00000 Frm 0000 Fmt Sfmt 0 E:\BILLS\H0.IH H0 () RADIO, TELEVISION, AND INTERNET COM- MUNICATION. (A) AUDIO COMMUNICATION. Any audio communication described under paragraph () of subsection (a) shall include an audio statement in a clearly spoken manner indicating that the communication is produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. (B) VIDEO COMMUNICATION. Any video communication described under paragraph () of subsection (a) shall include a statement indicating that the communication is produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. Such statement (i) shall be conveyed in a clearly spoken manner; (ii) shall be conveyed by a voice-over or screen view of the person making the statement; and (iii) shall also appear in writing at the end of the communication in a clearly readable manner with a reasonable degree of color contrast between the background and the printed statement, for a period of at least seconds.
jbell on DSKSPTVNPROD with BILLS (C) E-MAIL COMMUNICATION. Any e-mail communication described under paragraph () of subsection (a) shall (i) be of sufficient type size to be clearly readable by the recipient of the communication; (ii) be set apart from the other con- tents of the communication; and (iii) be displayed with a reasonable de- 0 gree of color contrast between the back- ground and the printed statement. (c) EXCEPTIONS. Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply to () information in or relating to a solicitation for offers for a Federal contract; and () advertisements for employment opportuni- ties, not including advertising materials developed for use for recruitment and retention of personnel for the Armed Forces. 0 (d) DEFINITIONS. In this Act: () FEDERAL AGENCY. The term Federal agency has the meaning given the term Executive agency in section of title, United States Code. HR 0 IH VerDate Mar 00 0:0 Oct, 0 Jkt 000 PO 00000 Frm 0000 Fmt Sfmt 0 E:\BILLS\H0.IH H0
0 () MASS MAILING. The term mass mailing means any mailing or distribution of or more newsletters, pamphlets, or other printed matter with substantially identical content, whether such matter is deposited singly or in bulk, or at the same time or different times, except that such term does not include any mailing (A) in direct response to a communication from a person to whom the matter is mailed; or (B) of a news release to the communications media. (e) SOURCE OF FUNDS. The funds used by a Federal agency to carry out this Act shall be derived from amounts made available to the agency for advertising. Æ jbell on DSKSPTVNPROD with BILLS HR 0 IH VerDate Mar 00 0:0 Oct, 0 Jkt 000 PO 00000 Frm 0000 Fmt Sfmt 0 E:\BILLS\H0.IH H0