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                                                       PRINTER'S NO. 779

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 732 Session of 1999


        INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, CORRIGAN, CURRY, FORCIER, FREEMAN, GEIST,
           GEORGE, HALUSKA, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HUTCHINSON, LEVDANSKY,
           McCALL, NAILOR, NICKOL, RUBLEY, TIGUE, TRELLO AND WILT,
           MARCH 8, 1999

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 8, 1999

                                     AN ACT

     1  Requiring that communications advocating the election or defeat
     2     of a candidate for election to State office contain specific
     3     information regarding the sponsor of the communication and
     4     whether or not the communication is authorized by the
     5     candidate involved.

     6     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     7  hereby enacts as follows:
     8  Section 1.  Short title.
     9     This act shall be known and may be cited as the Stand By Your
    10  Ad Act.
    11  Section 2.  General rule.
    12     All campaign advertisements for State office shall include
    13  specific information regarding the sponsor of the communication
    14  and whether or not the communication is authorized by the
    15  candidate involved.
    16  Section 3.  Television advertisements.
    17     The advertisement shall include one of the following:
    18         (1)  An unobscured full-screen view of the candidate


     1     stating the following on camera:  "I am (name of candidate),
     2     candidate for (name of office involved), and I sponsored this
     3     advertisement."
     4         (2)  An unobscured full-view photograph of the candidate
     5     with a statement made by the candidate in voice-over stating:
     6     "I am (name of candidate), candidate for (name of office
     7     involved), and I sponsored this advertisement."
     8         (3)  An unobscured full-screen view of a representative
     9     of the person paying for the communication stating the
    10     following on camera:  "I am a representative of (name of
    11     person paying), who sponsored this advertisement (in support
    12     of) (in opposition to) (name of candidate involved) for (name
    13     of office involved). This advertisement was not authorized by
    14     any candidate," or an unobscured full-view photograph of the
    15     representative with such statement made by the representative
    16     in voice-over.
    17  Section 4.  Radio advertisements.
    18     The advertisement shall include one of the following:
    19         (1)  A statement read by the candidate stating the
    20     following:  "I am (name of candidate), candidate for (name of
    21     office involved), and I sponsored this advertisement."
    22         (2)  A statement read by a representative of the person
    23     paying for the communication stating the following on camera:
    24     "I am a representative of (name of person paying), who
    25     sponsored this advertisement (in support of) (in opposition
    26     to) (name of candidate involved) for (name of office
    27     involved)."
    28         (3)  A statement read by a representative of the person
    29     paying for the communication stating the following on camera:
    30     "I am a representative of (name of person paying), who
    19990H0732B0779                  - 2 -

     1     sponsored this advertisement (in support of) (in opposition
     2     to) (name of candidate involved) for (name of office
     3     involved). This advertisement was not authorized by any
     4     candidate."
     5  Section 5.  Written advertisements.
     6     The information on sponsor and authorization by the candidate
     7  shall constitute not less than 10% of the written advertisement.
     8  Section 6.  Effective date.
     9     This act shall take effect in 60 days.














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