Reading Room Document

General Services Administration Use of Government Funds for Advertising

Section 632 of the Treasury, Postal Service, Executive Office of the President, and General Government Appropriations Act of 2000, which prohibits the use of appropriated funds for "publicity or propaganda purposes," does not prohibit the General Services Administration from using appropriated funds to support a reasonable and carefully-controlled advertising campaign that serves the goal of informing other federal agencies about the products and services it offers. The principles set forth in some opinions of the Comptroller General addressing limitations on advertising by federal agencies beyond the "publicity or propaganda" rider would not prohibit the GSA's advertisements to other agencies. The OLC does not provide release dates for its opinions, so the release date listed is the date on which the opinion was authored. The original opinion is available at www.justice.gov/file/19261/download.

January 19, 2001