I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5231 

To amend title 39, United States Code, to prohibit a Member or Memberelect of Congress from mailing as franked mail any material with a 

photographic image, to establish an annual limit on the amount of 

funds which may be expended on franked mail by a Member or Memberelect of Congress, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2018 

Ms. ROSEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight 

and Government Reform, 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 prohibit a Member 

or Member-elect of Congress from mailing as franked 

mail any material with a photographic image, to establish 

an annual limit on the amount of funds which may 

be expended on franked mail by a Member or Memberelect of Congress, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No Free Campaigns 

3 for Congress Act of 2018’’. 

4 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING MATERIAL WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC 

5 IMAGE FROM TREATMENT AS FRANKED MAIL. 

6 (a) PROHIBITION.—Section 3210(a)(5) of title 39, 

7 United States Code, is amended— 

8 (1) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of subparagraph 

9 (B); 

10 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub11 paragraph (C) and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

12 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol13 lowing new subparagraph: 

14 ‘‘(D) mail matter which includes a photograph 

15 or photographic representation, other than an elec16 tronic communication.’’. 

17 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 3210(a)(3) 

18 of such title is amended— 

19 (1) in subparagraph (H), by adding ‘‘or’’ at the 

20 end; 

21 (2) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 

22 inserting a period; and 

23 (3) by striking subparagraph (J). 


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1 SEC. 3. ANNUAL LIMIT ON AMOUNT SPENT ON FRANKED 

2 MAIL. 

3 Section 3210 of title 39, United States Code, is 

4 amended by adding at the end the following new sub5 section: 

6 ‘‘(h) The total amount of funds that may be spent 

7 for the costs of franked mail sent by any Member or Mem8 ber-elect of Congress, including the costs of postage, prep9 aration, and handling of such mail, may not exceed 

10 $10,000— 

11 ‘‘(1) during a calendar year (beginning with 

12 calendar year 2019), in the case of a Member or 

13 Member-elect of the House of Representatives (in14 cluding a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to the 

15 Congress); or 

16 ‘‘(2) during a fiscal year (beginning with fiscal 

17 year 2019), in the case of a Member or Member18 elect of the Senate.’’. 

19 SEC. 4. BAN ON MASS MAILINGS AT ANY TIME DURING 

20 YEAR OF ELECTION. 

21 (a) FEDERAL ELECTIONS.—Section 3210(a)(6)(A)(i) 

22 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by striking 

23 the semicolon at the end and inserting the following: ‘‘, 

24 or (except in the case of a mass mailing consisting exclu25 sively of electronic communications) is postmarked at any 


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1 time during the year in which such election is held prior 

2 to the date of the election;’’. 

3 (b) ELECTIONS FOR OTHER OFFICES IN WHICH

4 HOUSE MEMBER IS A CANDIDATE.—Section 

5 3210(a)(6)(A)(ii)(II) of such title is amended by striking 

6 the period at the end and inserting the following: ‘‘, or 

7 (except in the case of a mass mailing consisting exclusively 

8 of electronic communications) is postmarked at any time 

9 during the year in which such election is held prior to the 

10 date of the election’’. 

11 SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF BAN ON SENDING CAMPAIGN12 RELATED MATERIAL AS FRANKED MAIL. 

13 Section 3210(a)(4) of title 39, United States Code, 

14 is amended by striking ‘‘purely personal’’ and inserting 

15 ‘‘purely personal, or purely related to a campaign for elec16 tion for office,’’. 

17 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

18 Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the 

19 amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 

20 matter mailed on or after the expiration of the 30-day pe21 riod which begins on the date of the enactment of this 

22 Act. 

Æ 


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