I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 757 
To prohibit agencies from using Federal funds for publicity or propaganda 
purposes, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 28, 2025 
Mr. CLOUD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To prohibit agencies from using Federal funds for publicity 
or propaganda purposes, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Stop Wasteful Adver-
tising by the Government Act’’ or the ‘‘SWAG Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘advertising’’ means the placement 
of messages in media that are intended to inform or 
persuade an audience, including placement in tele-
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vision, radio, a magazine, a newspaper, digital 
media, direct mail, a tangible product, an exhibit, or 
a billboard; 
(2) the term ‘‘agency’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 551 of title 5, United States 
Code; 
(3) the term ‘‘mascot’’ means an individual, 
animal, or object adopted by an agency as a sym-
bolic figure to represent the agency, the mission of 
the agency, or a program within the agency, includ-
ing a costumed character; 
(4) the term ‘‘public relations’’ means commu-
nications by an agency that are directed to the pub-
lic, including activities dedicated to maintaining the 
image of the governmental unit or maintaining or 
promoting understanding and favorable relations 
with the community or the public; 
(5) the term ‘‘return on investment’’ means, 
with respect to the public relations and advertising 
spending by an agency, a positive return in achieving 
agency or program goals relative to the investment 
in advertising and marketing materials; and 
(6) the term ‘‘swag’’— 
(A) means a tangible product or merchan-
dise distributed at no cost with the sole purpose 
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of advertising or promoting an agency, organi-
zation, or program; 
(B) includes blankets, buttons, candy, 
clothing, coloring books, graphic novels, cups, 
fidget spinners, hats, holiday ornaments, jar 
grip openers, keychains, koozies, magnets, neck-
ties, snuggies, stickers, stress balls, stuffed ani-
mals, thermoses, tote bags, trading cards, and 
writing utensils; and 
(C) does not include— 
(i) an item presented as an honorary 
or informal recognition award related to 
the Armed Forces of the United States, 
such as a challenge coin or medal issued 
for sacrifice or meritorious service; 
(ii) a brochure or pamphlet purchased 
or distributed for informational purposes; 
or 
(iii) an item distributed for diplomatic 
purposes, including a gift for a foreign 
leader. 
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