I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1541
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require that commu-
nications advocating the election or defeat of a candidate for election
for Federal office contain specific information regarding the sponsor
of the communication and whether or not the communication is author-
ized by the candidate involved.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 6, 1997
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina (for himself and Mr. Horn) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Oversight
A BILL
To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to
require that communications advocating the election or
defeat of a candidate for election for Federal office con-
tain specific information regarding the sponsor of the
communication and whether or not the communication
is authorized by the candidate involved.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stand By Your Ad
Act’’.
SEC. 2. REQUIRING CAMPAIGN ADVERTISEMENTS TO IN-
CLUDE INFORMATION ON SPONSOR AND AU-
THORIZATION BY CANDIDATE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 318 of the Federal Elec-
tion Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441d) is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
section (c); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(b) A communication shall be considered to clearly
state information required under subsection (a) if it meets
the following requirements:
‘‘(1) In the case of any printed communication,
if the information required to be stated under such
subsection constitutes not less than 10 percent of
the space of the communication (or, in the case of
a communication for which each copy consists of
multiple pages, folds, or faces, if the information
constitutes not less than 10 percent of the space of
any single page, fold, or face in each copy).
‘‘(2) In the case of any televised communica-
tion, if the communication includes—
‘‘(A) with respect to a communication de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1), an unobscured,
full-screen view of the candidate stating the fol-
lowing on camera: ‘I am (name of candidate),
candidate for (name of office involved), and I
sponsored 
this 
advertisement.’, 
or 
an
unobscured, full-view photograph of the can-
didate, with such statement made by the can-
didate in voice over;
‘‘(B) with respect to a communication de-
scribed in subsection (a)(2), an unobscured,
full-screen view of a representative of the per-
sons paying for the communication stating the
following on camera: ‘I am a representative of
(name of persons paying), who sponsored this
advertisement (in support of) (in opposition to)
(name of candidate involved) for (name of office
involved).’, or an unobscured, full-view photo-
graph of the representative, with such state-
ment made by the representative in voice over;
or
‘‘(C) with respect to a communication de-
scribed in subsection (a)(3), an unobscured,
full-screen view of a representative of the per-
sons paying for the communication stating the
following on camera: ‘I am a representative of
(name of persons paying), who sponsored this
advertisement (in support of) (in opposition to)
(name of candidate involved) for (name of office
involved). This advertisement was not author-
ized by any candidate.’, or an unobscured, full-
view photograph of the representative, with
such statement made by the representative in
voice over.
‘‘(3) In the case of any communication broad-
cast over the radio, if the communication includes—
‘‘(A) with respect to a communication de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1), a statement read
by the candidate as follows: ‘I am (name of can-
didate), candidate for (name of office involved),
and I sponsored this advertisement.’;
‘‘(B) with respect to a communication de-
scribed in subsection (a)(2), a statement read
by a representative of the persons paying for
the communication as follows: ‘I am a rep-
resentative of (name of persons paying), who
sponsored this advertisement (in support of) (in
opposition to) (name of candidate involved) for
(name of office involved).’; or
‘‘(C) with respect to a communication de-
scribed in subsection (a)(3), a statement read
by a representative of the persons paying for
the communication as follows: ‘I am a rep-
resentative of (name of persons paying), who
sponsored this advertisement (in support of) (in
opposition to) (name of candidate involved) for
(name of office involved). This advertisement
was not authorized by any candidate.’.’’.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to communications
made on or after January 1, 1998.
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