II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1921 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 14, 2014 

Mr. BLUNT (for himself, Mr. COBURN, and Mr. RUBIO) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Taxpayer Trans5 parency Act of 2013’’. 


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•S 1921 IS

1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR PRINTED MATERIALS AND AD2 VERTISEMENTS BY FEDERAL AGENCIES. 

3 (a) IDENTIFICATION OF FUNDING SOURCES.—Each 

4 communication funded by a Federal agency for advertising 

5 or educational purposes shall clearly state— 

6 (1) in the case of a printed communication, in7 cluding mass mailings, signs, and billboards, that 

8 the communication is printed and published at tax9 payer expense; and 

10 (2) in the case of a communication transmitted 

11 through radio, television, the Internet, or any means 

12 other than the means referred to in paragraph (1), 

13 that the communication is produced and dissemi14 nated at taxpayer expense. 

15 (b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 

16 (1) PRINTED COMMUNICATION.—Any printed 

17 communication described under subsection (a)(1) 

18 shall— 

19 (A) be of sufficient type size to be clearly 

20 readable by the recipient of the communication; 

21 (B) be contained in a printed box set apart 

22 from the other contents of the communication; 

23 and 

24 (C) be printed with a reasonable degree of 

25 color contrast between the background and the 

26 printed statement. 


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•S 1921 IS

1 (2) RADIO, TELEVISION, AND INTERNET COM2 MUNICATION.— 

3 (A) AUDIO COMMUNICATION.—Any audio 

4 communication described under subsection 

5 (a)(2) shall include an audio statement in a 

6 clearly spoken manner indicating that the com7 munication is produced and disseminated at 

8 taxpayer expense. 

9 (B) VIDEO COMMUNICATION.—Any video 

10 communication described under subsection 

11 (a)(2) shall include a statement indicating that 

12 the communication is produced and dissemi13 nated at taxpayer expense. Such statement— 

14 (i) shall be conveyed in a clearly spo15 ken manner; 

16 (ii) shall be conveyed by a voice-over 

17 or screen view of the person making the 

18 statement; and 

19 (iii) shall also appear in writing at the 

20 end of the communication in a clearly 

21 readable manner with a reasonable degree 

22 of color contrast between the background 

23 and the printed statement, for a period of 

24 not less than 4 seconds. 


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•S 1921 IS

1 (C) E-MAIL COMMUNICATION.—Any e-mail 

2 communication described under subsection 

3 (a)(2) shall— 

4 (i) be of sufficient type size to be 

5 clearly readable by the recipient of the 

6 communication; 

7 (ii) be set apart from the other con8 tents of the communication; and 

9 (iii) be displayed with a reasonable de10 gree of color contrast between the back11 ground and the printed statement. 

12 (c) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsections (a) and (b) do not 

13 apply to— 

14 (1) information in or relating to a solicitation 

15 for— 

16 (A) offers for a Federal contract; or 

17 (B) applications or submissions of a bid or 

18 proposal for a Federal grant or other means of 

19 funding under a Federal program; and 

20 (2) advertisements for employment opportuni21 ties, not including advertising materials developed 

22 for use for recruitment and retention of personnel 

23 for the Armed Forces. 

24 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 


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•S 1921 IS

1 (1) FEDERAL AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 

2 agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘Executive 

3 agency’’ in section 133 of title 41, United States 

4 Code. 

5 (2) MASS MAILING.—The term ‘‘mass mail6 ing’’— 

7 (A) means any mailing or distribution of 

8 499 or more newsletters, pamphlets, or other 

9 printed matter with substantially identical con10 tent, whether such matter is deposited singly or 

11 in bulk, or at the same time or different times; 

12 and 

13 (B) does not include any mailing— 

14 (i) in direct response to a communica15 tion from a person to whom the matter is 

16 mailed; or 

17 (ii) of a news release to the commu18 nications media. 

19 (e) SOURCE OF FUNDS.—The funds used by a Fed20 eral agency to carry out this Act shall be derived from 

21 amounts made available to the agency for advertising or 

22 other communications regarding the programs and activi23 ties of the agency. 

Æ 


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