Sponsors (4)
The bill reduces and brings transparency to federal spending on promotional items — saving taxpayer dollars and clarifying rules — but increases agency compliance burden and risks weakening low-cost outreach because of stricter definitions and subjective prohibitions.
Taxpayers will likely pay less for federal-branded merchandise because agencies must limit promotional spending and consider ROI before purchases, freeing funds for core services or deficit reduction.
The public and Congress gain greater transparency because agencies must disclose prior-year public relations and advertising spending in budget justifications, improving oversight of promotional expenditures.
Federal employees and procurement officials get clearer definitions of what counts as promotional 'swag' and advertising, reducing ambiguity in purchasing and communications decisions.
Federal agencies and staff will face added administrative burden and cost because of new ROI assessments, reporting, and classification requirements for promotional items, increasing budget-preparation and audit workload.
Taxpayers and the public may receive less effective outreach because agencies could stop using low-cost promotional items for mission-driven engagement, reducing program reach and public awareness of services.
The prohibition and new definitions could be applied broadly or subjectively (e.g., what counts as 'swag' or a 'mascot'), causing uneven enforcement, reduced program flexibility, and uncertainty for agencies.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 23, 2025 by Joni Ernst · Last progress January 23, 2025
Prohibits federal agencies from using federal funds to purchase, produce, or distribute promotional merchandise (“swag”) and from manufacturing or using mascots to promote an agency, program, or agenda, while preserving specified exceptions. Requires agencies to include a report of prior-year public relations and advertising spending (with an estimated return on investment, if available) in each annual budget justification and directs OMB to issue implementing regulations within 180 days of enactment.