[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3116 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3116
To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate October 1 as Choose
Respect Day, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 28, 2021
Mr. Sullivan (for himself and Mrs. Gillibrand) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 36, United States Code, to designate October 1 as Choose
Respect Day, and for other purposes.
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 ``Choose Respect Act''.
SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.
(a) In General.--Chapter 1 of title 36, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 146. Choose Respect Day
``(a) Designation.--October 1 is Choose Respect Day.
``(b) Recognition.--All private citizens, organizations, and
Federal, State, and local governmental and legislative entities are
encouraged to recognize Choose Respect Day through proclamations,
activities, and educational efforts in furtherance of changing the
culture around the tolerance of violence against women.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for
chapter 1 of title 36, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``146. Choose Respect Day.''.
SEC. 3. MEDIA CAMPAIGN.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office on Violence Against Women.
(2) National media campaign.--The term ``national media
campaign'' means the national ``Choose Respect'' media campaign
described in subsection (b).
(b) Media Campaign.--The Director shall, to the extent feasible and
appropriate, conduct a national ``Choose Respect'' media campaign in
accordance with this section for the purposes of--
(1) preventing and discouraging the mistreatment of women,
including domestic abuse, violence, stalking, and harassment;
(2) supporting evidence-based prevention programs targeting
the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of individuals who have
or are likely to participate in the activities described in
paragraph (1);
(3) encouraging victims of the activities described in
paragraph (1) to seek help through the means determined to be
most effective by the most current evidence available,
including seeking legal representation; and
(4) informing the public about the help available to
victims of the activities described in paragraph (1).
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Amounts made available to carry out this
section for the national media campaign may only be used for
the following:
(A) The purchase of media time and space, including
the strategic planning for, tracking, and accounting
of, such purchases.
(B) Creative and talent costs, consistent with
paragraph (2).
(C) Advertising production costs, which may include
television, radio, internet, social media, and other
commercial marketing venues.
(D) Testing and evaluation of advertising.
(E) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the national
media campaign.
(F) Costs of contracts to carry out activities
authorized by this section.
(G) Partnerships with professional and civic
groups, community-based organizations, including faith-
based organizations, and government organizations
related to the national media campaign.
(H) Entertainment industry outreach, interactive
outreach, media projects and activities, public
information, news media outreach, corporate sponsorship
and participation, and professional sports associations
and military branch participation.
(I) Operational and management expenses.
(2) Specific requirements.--
(A) Creative services.--In using amounts for
creative and talent costs under paragraph (1), the
Director shall use creative services donated at no cost
to the Government wherever feasible and may only
procure creative services for advertising--
(i) responding to high-priority or emergent
campaign needs that cannot timely be obtained
at no cost; or
(ii) intended to reach a minority, ethnic,
or other special audience that cannot
reasonably be obtained at no cost.
(B) Testing and evaluation of advertising.--In
using amounts for testing and evaluation of advertising
under paragraph (1)(D), the Director shall test all
advertisements prior to use in the national media
campaign to ensure that the advertisements are
effective with the target audience and meet industry-
accepted standards. The Director may waive this
requirement for advertisements using no more than 10
percent of the purchase of advertising time purchased
under this section in a fiscal year and no more than 10
percent of the advertising space purchased under this
section in a fiscal year, if the advertisements respond
to emergent and time-sensitive campaign needs or the
advertisements will not be widely utilized in the
national media campaign.
(C) Consultation.--For the planning of the campaign
under subsection (b), the Director may consult with--
(i) leading national advocacy groups;
(ii) the heads of any victim support or
antiviolence against women Federal agency or
interagency department;
(iii) State, local, and Tribal governments;
(iv) experts in the field of preventing
violence against women; and
(v) communications professionals.
(D) Evaluation of effectiveness of national media
campaign.--In using amounts for the evaluation of the
effectiveness of the national media campaign under
paragraph (1)(E), the Attorney General shall--
(i) designate an independent entity to
evaluate by April 20 of each year the
effectiveness of the national media campaign
based on data from any relevant studies or
publications, as determined by the Attorney
General, including tracking and evaluation data
collected according to marketing and
advertising industry standards; and
(ii) ensure that the effectiveness of the
national media campaign is evaluated in a
manner that enables consideration of whether
the national media campaign has contributed to
changes in attitude or behaviors among the
target audience with respect to violence
against women and such other measures of
evaluation as the Attorney General determines
are appropriate.
(d) Advertising.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall
ensure that sufficient funds are allocated to meet the stated goals of
the national media campaign.
(e) Responsibilities and Functions Under the Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall determine the overall
purposes and strategy of the national media campaign.
(2) Director.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall approve--
(i) the strategy of the national media
campaign;
(ii) all advertising and promotional
material used in the national media campaign;
and
(iii) the plan for the purchase of
advertising time and space for the national
media campaign.
(B) Implementation.--The Director shall be
responsible for implementing a focused national media
campaign to meet the purposes set forth in subsection
(b) and shall ensure--
(i) information disseminated through the
campaign is accurate and scientifically valid;
and
(ii) the campaign is designed using
strategies demonstrated to be the most
effective at achieving the goals and
requirements of subsection (b), which may
include--
(I) a media campaign, as described
in subsection (c);
(II) local, regional, or population
specific messaging;
(III) the development of websites
to publicize and disseminate
information;
(IV) conducting outreach and
providing educational resources for
women;
(V) collaborating with law
enforcement agencies; and
(VI) providing support for school-
based public health education classes
to improve teen knowledge about the
effects of violence against women.
(f) Prohibitions.--None of the amounts made available under
subsection (c) may be obligated or expended for any of the following:
(1) To supplant current antiviolence against women
community-based coalitions.
(2) To supplant pro bono public service time donated by
national and local broadcasting networks for other public
service campaigns.
(3) For partisan political purposes, or to express advocacy
in support of or to defeat any clearly identified candidate,
clearly identified ballot initiative, or clearly identified
legislative or regulatory proposal.
(4) To fund advertising that features any elected
officials, persons seeking elected office, cabinet level
officials, or other Federal officials employed pursuant to
section 213 of Schedule C of title 5, Code of Federal
Regulations.
(5) To fund advertising that does not contain a primary
message intended to reduce or prevent violence against women.
(6) To fund advertising containing a primary message
intended to promote support for the national media campaign or
private sector contributions to the national media campaign.
(g) Financial and Performance Accountability.--The Director shall
cause to be performed--
(1) audits and reviews of costs of the national media
campaign pursuant to section 4706 of title 41, United States
Code; and
(2) an audit to determine whether the costs of the national
media campaign are allowable under chapter 43 of title 41,
United States Code.
(h) Report to Congress.--The Director shall submit on an annual
basis a report to Congress that describes--
(1) the strategy of the national media campaign and whether
specific objectives of the national media campaign were
accomplished;
(2) steps taken to ensure that the national media campaign
operates in an effective and efficient manner consistent with
the overall strategy and focus of the national media campaign;
(3) plans to purchase advertising time and space;
(4) policies and practices implemented to ensure that
Federal funds are used responsibly to purchase advertising time
and space and eliminate the potential for waste, fraud, and
abuse;
(5) all contracts entered into with a corporation,
partnership, or individual working on behalf of the national
media campaign;
(6) the results of any financial audit of the national
media campaign;
(7) a description of any evidence used to develop the
national media campaign;
(8) specific policies and steps implemented to ensure
compliance with this section;
(9) a detailed accounting of the amount of funds obligated
during the previous fiscal year for carrying out the national
media campaign, including each recipient of funds, the purpose
of each expenditure, the amount of each expenditure, any
available outcome information, and any other information
necessary to provide a complete accounting of the funds
expended; and
(10) a review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the
national media campaign strategy for the past year.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director to carry out this section $5,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026, to remain available until
expended.
SEC. 4. REIMPLEMENTATION OF CHOOSE RESPECT INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--The Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention shall reimplement the national ``Choose Respect''
initiative that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
implemented in 2006.
(b) Report.--The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention shall submit to Congress a report on the reimplementation of
the ``Choose Respect'' initiative required under subsection (a).
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2026, to remain available until expended.
SEC. 5. SEMIPOSTAL.
(a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``semipostal stamp'' has
the meaning given the term ``semipostal'' in section 416(a) of title
39, United States Code.
(b) Issuance.--In order to afford a convenient way for members of
the public to contribute to changing the culture around the tolerance
of violence against women, the United States Postal Service shall issue
a semipostal stamp (referred to in this section as the ``Choose Respect
Semipostal Stamp'') in accordance with subsection (c).
(c) Terms and Conditions.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in this subsection, the
issuance and sale of the Choose Respect Semipostal Stamp shall
be governed by section 416 of title 39, United States Code, and
regulations issued under that section.
(2) Duration.--The Choose Respect Semipostal Stamp shall be
made available to the public for a period of 5 years, beginning
not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
(3) Disposition of proceeds.--All amounts becoming
available from the sale of the Choose Respect Semipostal Stamp
(as determined under section 416(d) of title 39, United States
Code) shall be transferred to the Director of the Office on
Violence Against Women, for the purpose described in subsection
(b), through payments which shall be made not less frequently
than 2 times a year.
(4) Limitation.--For purposes of section 416 of title 39,
United States Code (including any regulation prescribed under
subsection (e)(1)(C) of that section), the semipostal issued
under this section shall not apply to any limitation relating
to whether more than 1 semipostal may be offered for sale at
the same time.
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