S. 1751

Protect Taxpayers From ACORN Act

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II

Calendar No. 173

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1751

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 5, 2009

Mr. Johanns (for himself and Mr. Nelson of Nebraska) introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

October 6, 2009

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

A BILL

To prohibit the Federal Government from awarding contracts, grants, or other agreements to, providing any other Federal funds to, or engaging in activities that promote the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or any other entity which has been indicted for or convicted of violations of laws governing election administration or campaign financing.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protect Taxpayers From ACORN Act.

2.

Prohibitions on Federal funds and other activities with respect to certain indicted organizations

(a)

Prohibitions

With respect to any covered organization, the following prohibitions apply:

(1)

No Federal contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or any other form of agreement (including a memorandum of understanding) may be awarded to or entered into with the organization.

(2)

No Federal funds in any other form may be directly or indirectly provided to the organization, including through any State, any political subdivision of a State, or any other recipient of Federal funds.

(3)

No Federal employee or contractor may promote in any way (including recommending to a person or referring to a person for any purpose) the organization.

(b)

Covered organization

(1)

In general

In this section, the term covered organization means—

(A)

the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (in this subsection referred to as ACORN);

(B)

any ACORN-related affiliate; and

(C)

any organization which has a pending indictment for or has been convicted of a violation under Federal or State law governing—

(i)

the financing of a campaign for an election for public office; or

(ii)

the administration of an election for public office, including voter registration.

(2)

ACORN-related affiliate

The term ACORN-related affiliate means any of the following:

(A)

Any State chapter of ACORN registered with the Secretary of State’s office in that State.

(B)

Any organization that shares directors or employees with ACORN.

(C)

Any organization that has a financial stake in ACORN.

(D)

Any organization whose finances, whether Federally funded, donor-funded, or raised through organizational goods and services, are shared or controlled by ACORN.

(c)

Revision of Federal Acquisition Regulation

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council shall amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to carry out the provisions of this Act relating to contracts.

(d)

Annual reports

Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and April 1 of each year thereafter, the Comptroller General shall submit a report to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives identifying covered organizations to which this section applies.

October 6, 2009

Read the second time and placed on the calendar