I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3420 

To require any communication using Federal funds to advertise or educate 

the public on certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable 

Care Act and the Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 

to state that such communication was produced at taxpayer expense, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 30, 2013 

Mr. KINGSTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on 

Ways and Means and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require any communication using Federal funds to advertise or educate the public on certain provisions of the 

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the 

Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 

to state that such communication was produced at taxpayer expense, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Truth in Obamacare 

3 Advertising Act of 2013’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVERTISEMENTS OF THE AF5 FORDABLE CARE ACT. 

6 (a) IDENTIFICATION OF COST TO TAXPAYERS.— 

7 Each communication that is federally funded, directly or 

8 indirectly, to advertise or educate the public on the provi9 sions described in subsection (c) or any programs, activi10 ties, requirements, or regulations established, funded, or 

11 authorized by such provisions, shall include— 

12 (1) the following statement: ‘‘The Congressional 

13 Budget Office estimates that Obamacare will cost 

14 taxpayers $1.76 trillion over a decade.’’; and 

15 (2) a statement clearly indicating— 

16 (A) in the case of a printed communica17 tion, including mailings, signs, and billboards, 

18 that the communication is printed and pub19 lished at taxpayer expense; or 

20 (B) in the case of a communication trans21 mitted through radio, television, the Internet, or 

22 any means other than the means described in 

23 subparagraph (A), that the communication is 

24 produced and disseminated at taxpayer expense. 

25 (b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 


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1 (1) PRINTED COMMUNICATION.—Any statement 

2 required under subparagraph (A) of subsection 

3 (a)(2) for a printed communication shall— 

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

5 readable by the viewer of the communication; 

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

7 from the other contents of the communication; 

8 and 

9 (C) be printed with a reasonable degree of 

10 color contrast between the background and the 

11 printed statement. 

12 (2) AUDIO, VIDEO, AND INTERNET COMMUNICA13 TION.— 

14 (A) REQUIREMENT FOR AUDIO AND VIDEO

15 COMMUNICATION.—Any statement required 

16 under subparagraph (B) of subsection (a)(2) 

17 for an audio or video communication shall be 

18 conveyed in a clearly spoken manner. 

19 (B) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR

20 VIDEO COMMUNICATION.—In addition to the re21 quirement in subparagraph (A), any statement 

22 required under subparagraph (B) of subsection 

23 (a)(2) for a video communication shall— 


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1 (i) be conveyed by a voice-over or 

2 screen view of the person making the state3 ment; and 

4 (ii) appear in writing at the end of the 

5 communication in a clearly readable man6 ner with a reasonable degree of color con7 trast between the background and the 

8 printed statement, for a period of at least 

9 4 seconds. 

10 (C) REQUIREMENTS FOR E-MAIL COMMU11 NICATION.—Any statement required under sub12 paragraph (B) of subsection (a)(2) for an e13 mail communication shall— 

14 (i) be of sufficient type size to be 

15 clearly readable by the recipient of the 

16 communication; 

17 (ii) be set apart from the other con18 tents of the communication; and 

19 (iii) be displayed with a reasonable de20 gree of color contrast between the back21 ground and the statement. 

22 (c) COVERED PROVISIONS.—The requirements in this 

23 section apply to the following provisions of Federal law: 


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1 (1) Title I of the Patient Protection and Af2 fordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148), including 

3 any amendments made by such provisions. 

4 (2) Any provision of the Patient Protection and 

5 Affordable Care Act that amends title XIX of the 

6 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or oth7 erwise expands, provides funding for, or modifies the 

8 Medicaid program under such title. 

9 (3) Subtitles A, C, and E of title I and subtitle 

10 B of title II of the Health Care and Education Rec11 onciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–152), in12 cluding any amendments made by such provisions. 

Æ 


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