I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1631 

To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide that any absentee ballot 

may be mailed free of postage, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 7, 2019 

Mr. VEASEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on 

House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title 39, United States Code, to provide that 

any absentee ballot may be mailed free of postage, 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 ‘‘Postage Free Ballot 

5 Act’’. 


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•HR 1631 IH

1 SEC. 2. ABSENTEE BALLOTS CARRIED FREE OF POSTAGE. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 34 of title 39, United 

3 States Code, is amended by adding after section 3406 the 

4 following: 

5 ‘‘§ 3407. Absentee ballots carried free of postage 

6 ‘‘(a) Any absentee ballot for any election shall be car7 ried expeditiously and free of postage. 

8 ‘‘(b) As used in this section, the term ‘absentee ballot’ 

9 does not include any ballot covered by section 3406.’’. 

10 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

11 for chapter 34 of such title is amended by inserting after 

12 the item relating to section 3406 the following: 

‘‘3407. Absentee ballots carried free of postage.’’. 

13 (c) REIMBURSEMENT.—Section 2401(c) of title 39, 

14 United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘3406’’ and 

15 inserting ‘‘3407’’. 

16 SEC. 3. USE BY STATES OF REQUIREMENTS PAYMENTS 

17 UNDER HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT OF 2002 TO 

18 REIMBURSE POSTAL SERVICE. 

19 (a) AUTHORIZING USE OF PAYMENTS.—Section 

20 251(b) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 

21 21001(b)) is amended— 

22 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘as provided 

23 in paragraphs (2) and (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘as other24 wise provided in this subsection’’; and 


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•HR 1631 IH

1 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

2 paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(4) REIMBURSEMENT OF POSTAL SERVICE

4 FOR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ABSENTEE BAL5 LOTS.—A State shall use a requirements payment to 

6 reimburse the United States Postal Service for the 

7 revenue which the Postal Service would have ob8 tained as the result of the mailing of absentee bal9 lots in the State but for section 3407 of title 39, 

10 United States Code.’’. 

11 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

12 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to the requirements 

13 payments made to a State under part 1 of subtitle D of 

14 title II of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. 

15 21001 et seq.)— 

16 (1) for fiscal year 2019 or any previous fiscal 

17 year, but only to the extent that any such payment 

18 remains unobligated or unexpended by the State as 

19 of the date of the enactment of this Act; and 

20 (2) for fiscal year 2020 and each succeeding fis21 cal year. 

Æ 


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