[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3308 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3308
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 27, 2014
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Taxpayer Transparency Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS FOR PRINTED MATERIALS AND ADVERTISEMENTS BY
FEDERAL AGENCIES.
(a) Requirement To Identify Funding Source for Communication Funded
by Federal Agency.--Each communication funded by a Federal agency that
is an advertisement, or that provides information about any Federal
Government program, benefit, or service, shall clearly state--
(1) in the case of a printed communication, including mass
mailings, signs, and billboards, that the communication is
printed or published at taxpayer expense; and
(2) in the case of a communication transmitted through
radio, television, the Internet, or any means other than the
means referred to in paragraph (1), that the communication is
produced or disseminated at taxpayer expense.
(b) Additional Requirements.--
(1) Printed communication.--Any printed communication
described in subsection (a)(1) shall--
(A) be of sufficient type size to be clearly
readable by the recipient of the communication;
(B) to the extent feasible, be contained in a
printed box set apart from the other contents of the
communication; and
(C) to the extent feasible, be printed with a
reasonable degree of color contrast between the
background and the printed statement.
(2) Radio, television, and internet communication.--
(A) Audio communication.--Any audio communication
described in subsection (a)(2) shall include an audio
statement that communicates the information required
under that subsection in a clearly spoken manner.
(B) Video communication.--Any video communication
described in subsection (a)(2) shall include a
statement with the information referred to under that
subsection--
(i) that is conveyed in a clearly spoken
manner;
(ii) that is conveyed by a voice-over or
screen view of the person making the statement;
and
(iii) to the extent feasible, that also
appears in writing at the end of the
communication in a clearly readable manner with
a reasonable degree of color contrast between
the background and the printed statement, for a
period of at least 4 seconds.
(C) E-mail communication.--Any e-mail communication
described in subsection (a)(2) shall include the
information required under that subsection, displayed
in a manner that--
(i) is of sufficient type size to be
clearly readable by the recipient of the
communication;
(ii) is set apart from the other contents
of the communication; and
(iii) includes a reasonable degree of color
contrast between the background and the printed
statement.
(c) Identification of Other Funding Source for Certain
Communications.--In the case of a communication funded entirely by user
fees, by any other source that does not include Federal funds, or by a
combination of such fees or other source, a Federal agency may apply
the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) by substituting ``by the
United States Government'' for ``at taxpayer expense''.
(d) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the
meaning given the term ``Executive agency'' in section 133 of
title 41, United States Code.
(2) Mass mailing.--The term ``mass mailing'' means any
mailing or distribution of 499 or more newsletters, pamphlets,
or other printed matter with substantially identical content,
whether such matter is deposited singly or in bulk, or at the
same time or different times, except that such term does not
include any mailing--
(A) in direct response to a communication from a
person to whom the matter is mailed; or
(B) of a news release to the communications media.
(e) Source of Funds.--The funds used by a Federal agency to carry
out this Act shall be derived from amounts made available to the agency
for advertising, or for providing information about any Federal
Government program, benefit, or service.
(f) Effective Date.--This section shall apply only to
communications printed or otherwise produced after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. GUIDANCE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall develop
and issue guidance on implementing the requirements of this Act.
SEC. 4. JUDICIAL REVIEW AND ENFORCEABILITY.
(a) Judicial Review.--There shall be no judicial review of
compliance or noncompliance with any provision of this Act.
(b) Enforceability.--No provision of this Act shall be construed to
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by
any administrative or judicial action.
Passed the House of Representatives February 26, 2014.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.