I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3308 

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 22, 2013 

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. 

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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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 paragraph (1) of 

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

3 (A) AUDIO COMMUNICATION.—Any audio 

4 communication described under paragraph (2) 

5 of subsection (a) shall include an audio state6 ment in a clearly spoken manner indicating that 

7 the communication is produced and dissemi8 nated at taxpayer expense. 

9 (B) VIDEO COMMUNICATION.—Any video 

10 communication described under paragraph (2) 

11 of subsection (a) shall include a statement indi12 cating that the communication is produced and 

13 disseminated at taxpayer expense. Such state14 ment— 

15 (i) shall be conveyed in a clearly spo16 ken manner; 

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

18 or screen view of the person making the 

19 statement; and 

20 (iii) shall also appear in writing at the 

21 end of the communication in a clearly 

22 readable manner with a reasonable degree 

23 of color contrast between the background 

24 and the printed statement, for a period of 

25 at least 4 seconds. 


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

2 communication described under paragraph (2) 

3 of subsection (a) 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 offers for a Federal contract; and 

16 (2) advertisements for employment opportuni17 ties, not including advertising materials developed 

18 for use for recruitment and retention of personnel 

19 for the Armed Forces. 

20 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

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

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

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

24 Code. 


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1 (2) MASS MAILING.—The term ‘‘mass mailing’’ 

2 means any mailing or distribution of 499 or more 

3 newsletters, pamphlets, or other printed matter with 

4 substantially identical content, whether such matter 

5 is deposited singly or in bulk, or at the same time 

6 or different times, except that such term does not 

7 include any mailing— 

8 (A) in direct response to a communication 

9 from a person to whom the matter is mailed; or 

10 (B) of a news release to the communica11 tions media. 

12 (e) SOURCE OF FUNDS.—The funds used by a Fed13 eral agency to carry out this Act shall be derived from 

14 amounts made available to the agency for advertising. 

Æ 


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