I

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5272

To improve accountability regarding official mail by repealing the use of

the frank for official mail, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 7, 1994

Mr. MINGE introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the

Committees on Post Office and Civil Service and House Administration

A BILL

To improve accountability regarding official mail by repealing

the use of the frank for official mail, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Official Mail Account5 ability Act of 1994’’.

6 SEC. 2. REPEAL OF FRANK; REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO

7 THE USE OF OFFICIAL MAIL.

8 (a) OFFICIAL MAIL TRANSMITTED BY THE VICE

9 PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, AND CONGRES-
2

•HR 5272 IH

1 SIONAL OFFICIALS.—Section 3210 of title 39, United

2 States Code, is amended—

3 (1) in subsection (a)—

4 (A) by striking out ‘‘mail as franked mail’’

5 in paragraph (1) and inserting in lieu thereof

6 ‘‘official mail’’;

7 (B) by striking out ‘‘frankable’’ in para8 graph (3) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official

9 mail’’;

10 (C) by striking out ‘‘under the franking

11 privilege’’ in paragraph (3)(I) and inserting in

12 lieu thereof ‘‘as official mail’’;

13 (D) in paragraph (4)—

14 (i) by striking out ‘‘the franking privi15 lege’’ in paragraph (4) and inserting in

16 lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’; and

17 (ii) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’

18 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official

19 mail’’;

20 (E) in paragraph (5)—

21 (i) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ in

22 the matter that precedes subparagraph (A)

23 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official

24 mail’’; and
3

•HR 5272 IH

1 (ii) by striking out ‘‘frankable mail’’

2 in subparagraph (B)(i) and inserting in

3 lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’; and

4 (F) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ in sub5 paragraphs (A) and (C) of paragraph (6) and

6 inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’;

7 (2) in subsection (b)—

8 (A) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ both

9 places it appears in paragraph (1) and inserting

10 in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’;

11 (B) by striking out ‘‘franking privilege’’

12 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘under paragraph

13 (1)’’; and

14 (C) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ and in15 serting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’;

16 (3) in subsection (c), by striking out ‘‘Franked

17 mail’’ both places it appears and inserting in lieu

18 thereof ‘‘Official mail’’;

19 (4) in subsection (d)—

20 (A) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ each

21 place it appears in paragraphs (1) through (6)

22 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’; and

23 (B) by striking out ‘‘Franked mail’’ and

24 inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘Official mail’’;

25 (5) by striking out subsection (e);
4

•HR 5272 IH

1 (6) in subsection (f)—

2 (A) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ and in3 serting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’;

4 (B) by striking out ‘‘frankable mass mail5 ing’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail

6 mass mailing’’; and

7 (C) by striking out ‘‘frankable’’ and insert8 ing in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’; and

9 (7) in subsection (g)—

10 (A) by striking out ‘‘franked mail mailed

11 under the frank of the Vice President or a

12 Member of Congress’’ and inserting in lieu

13 thereof ‘‘official mail mailed under this sec14 tion’’;

15 (B) by striking out ‘‘frankable’’ and insert16 ing in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’; and

17 (C) by striking out ‘‘frank’’ and inserting

18 in lieu thereof ‘‘section’’; and

19 (8) by amending the section heading to read as

20 follows:
5

•HR 5272 IH

1 ‘‘§ 3210. Official mail transmitted by the Vice Presi2 dent, Members of Congress, and congres3 sional officials’’.

4 (b) PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.—Section 3211 of such title

5 is amended by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ and inserting

6 in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’.

7 (c) CONGRESSIONAL RECORD AS OFFICIAL MAIL OF

8 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.—Section 3212 of such title is

9 amended—

10 (1) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ each place it

11 appears and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’;

12 and

13 (2) by amending the section heading to read as

14 follows:

15 ‘‘§ 3212. Congressional Record as official mail of

16 Members of Congress’’.

17 (d) SEEDS AND REPORTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT

18 OF AGRICULTURE.—Section 3213 of such title is amended

19 by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ and inserting in lieu there20 of ‘‘official mail’’.

21 (e) MAILING PRIVILEGE OF FORMER PRESIDENT;

22 SURVIVING SPOUSE OF FORMER PRESIDENT.—Section

23 3214 of such title is amended by striking out ‘‘franked

24 mail’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’.

25 (f) LENDING OR PERMITTING USE OF FRANK.—Sec26 tion 3215 of such title is repealed.
6

•HR 5272 IH

1 (g) REIMBURSEMENT FOR OFFICIAL MAILINGS.—

2 Section 3216 of such title—

3 (1) in subsection (a)—

4 (A) by striking out ‘‘under the franking

5 privilege’’ in paragraph (1)(A) and inserting in

6 lieu thereof ‘‘as official mail’’;

7 (B) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ in

8 paragraph (2) and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘of9 ficial mail’’; and

10 (C) by striking out the last sentence there11 of;

12 (2) in subsection (c), by striking out ‘‘under the

13 frank’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘as official

14 mail’’;

15 (3) in subsection (d), by striking out ‘‘under the

16 franking privilege’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘as

17 official mail’’;

18 (4) in subsection (e)(1), by striking out

19 ‘‘franked mail’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official

20 mail’’; and

21 (5) by amending the section heading to read as

22 follows:

23 ‘‘§ 3216. Reimbursement for official mailings’’.

24 (h) FRANKED MAIL FOR SURVIVORS OF MEMBERS

25 OF CONGRESS.—Section 3218 of such title is amended—
7

•HR 5272 IH

1 (1) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ and insert2 ing in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’; and

3 (2) by amending the section heading to read as

4 follows:

5 ‘‘§ 3218. Official mail for survivors of Members of

6 Congress’’.

7 (i) MAILGRAMS.—Section 3219 of such title is

8 amended by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ both places it ap9 pears and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’.

10 (j) USE OF OFFICIAL MAIL IN THE LOCATION AND

11 RECOVERY OF MISSING CHILDREN.—Section 3220(b) of

12 such title is amended by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ and

13 inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official mail’’.

14 (k) DEFINITIONS.—Section 3201 of such title is

15 amended—

16 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking out ‘‘other

17 than franked mail’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

18 ‘‘other than official mail subject to section 3210 of

19 this title’’; and

20 (2) by striking out paragraphs (3) and (4).

21 (l) SHIPMENT BY MOST ECONOMICAL MEANS.—Sec22 tion 3208 of such title is amended by striking out ‘‘other

23 than franked mail’’.
8

•HR 5272 IH

1 (m) TABLES OF SECTIONS AND CHAPTERS.—(1) The

2 chapter heading and table of sections at the beginning of

3 chapter 32 of such title are amended to read as follows:

4 ‘‘CHAPTER 32—PENALTY AND OFFICIAL MAIL

‘‘Sec.

‘‘3201. Definitions.

‘‘3202. Penalty mail.

‘‘3203. Endorsements on penalty covers.

‘‘3204. Restrictions on use of penalty mail.

‘‘3205. Accounting for penalty covers.

‘‘3206. Reimbursement for penalty mail service.

‘‘3207. Limit of weight of penalty mail; postage on overweight matter.

‘‘3208. Shipment by most economical means.

‘‘3209. Executive departments to supply information.

‘‘3210. Official mail transmitted by the Vice President, Members of Congress,

and congressional officials.

‘‘3211. Public documents.

‘‘3212. Congressional Record as official mail of Members of Congress.

‘‘3213. Seeds and reports from Department of Agriculture.

‘‘3214. Mailing privilege of former President; surviving spouse of former President.

‘‘3215. [repealed]

‘‘3216. Reimbursement for official mailings.

‘‘3217. Correspondence of members of diplomatic corps and consuls of countries

of Postal Union of Americas and Spain.

‘‘3218. Official mail for survivors of Members of Congress.

‘‘3219. Mailgrams.

‘‘3220. Use of official mail in the location and recovery of missing children.’’.

5 (2) The item in the table of chapters at the beginning

6 of part IV of such title is amended to read as follows:

‘‘32. Penalty and official mail ........................................................ 3201’’.

7 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS RELATING TO THE CONGRESS.

8 (a) OFFICIAL MAIL PRIVILEGES OF FORMER SPEAK9 ERS.—The provisions of H. Res. 1238, Ninety-first Con10 gress, as enacted into permanent law by the Supplemental

11 Appropriations Act, 1971 (84 Stat. 1989), as extended to

12 former Speakers of the House of Representatives by Pub13 lic Law 93–532 (88 Stat. 1723), are deemed to be amend-
9

•HR 5272 IH

1 ed by substituting ‘‘official mail’’ for ‘‘franked mail’’ each

2 place it appears.

3 (b) TRANSPORTATION OF OFFICIAL RECORDS AND

4 PAPERS TO HOUSE MEMBER’S DISTRICT.—The provi5 sions of H. Res. 1280, Ninety-fifth Congress, and House

6 Resolution 1297, Ninety-fifth Congress, as enacted into

7 permanent law by Public Law 98–51 (97 Stat. 269) are

8 deemed to be amended by substituting ‘‘official mail’’ for

9 ‘‘franked mail’’.

10 (c) OFFICIAL MAIL OF CERTAIN PERSONS FOR11 MERLY ENTITLED TO USE THE CONGRESSIONAL

12 FRANK.—Section 311 of the Legislative Branch Appro13 priations Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C. 59e) is amended—

14 (1) by striking out ‘‘entitled to use the congres15 sional frank’’ each place it occurs and inserting in

16 lieu thereof ‘‘entitled to send congressional official

17 mail’’; and

18 (2) in subsections (a)(3) and (g), by striking

19 out ‘‘the frank’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘offi20 cial mail’’; and

21 (3) in subsection (e)(2)(A), by striking out

22 ‘‘franked mail’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official

23 mail’’.

24 (d) MASS MAILING INFORMATION BY SENATORS.—

25 Section 320 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act,
10

•HR 5272 IH

1 1991 (2 U.S.C. 59g) is amended by striking out ‘‘under

2 the frank’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘as official mail’’.

3 (e) HOUSE COMMISSION ON CONGRESSIONAL MAIL4 ING STANDARDS.—Section 5 of Public Law 93–191 (2

5 U.S.C. 501) is amended—

6 (1) in subsection (d), by striking out ‘‘franked

7 mail’’ both places it appears and inserting in lieu

8 thereof ‘‘official mail’’; and

9 (2) in the ninth sentence of subsection (e), by

10 striking out ‘‘franking laws’’ and all that follows

11 through ‘‘franked mail’’ and inserting in lieu thereof

12 ‘‘or abuse of the official mailing laws by any person

13 listed under subsection (d) of this section as entitled

14 to send mail as official mail’’.

15 (f) SELECT COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS AND CON16 DUCT.—Section 6 of Public Law 93–191 (2 U.S.C. 502)

17 is amended—

18 (1) in subsection (a)—

19 (A) by striking out ‘‘franked mail’’ both

20 places it appears and inserting in lieu thereof

21 ‘‘official mail’’; and

22 (B) by striking out ‘‘the franking privi23 lege’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official

24 mail’’;
11

•HR 5272 IH

1 (2) in subsection (c), by striking out ‘‘franking

2 laws’’ and all that follows through ‘‘franked mail’’

3 and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘or abuse of the official

4 mailing laws by any person listed under subsection

5 (a) of this section as entitled to send mail as official

6 mail’’.

7 (g) HOUSE LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL.—Section 525 of

8 Public Law 91–510 (2 U.S.C. 282d) is amended by strik9 ing out ‘‘franked mail’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘offi10 cial mail’’.

11 (h) DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS.—(1) The second

12 and third undesignated paragraphs of section 733 of title

13 44, United States Code, are repealed.

14 (2) Section 907 of such title is amended by striking

15 out ‘‘franked mail’’ and inserting in lieu thereof ‘‘official

16 mail’’.

Æ