I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3393
To amend the provisions of title 39, United States Code, relating to the
franking privilege for Members of Congress, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 27, 1993
Mr. STRICKLAND introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to
the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service and House Administration
A BILL
To amend the provisions of title 39, United States Code,
relating to the franking privilege for Members of Con-
gress, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Deficit Reduction
Franking Act’’.
SEC. 2. MASS MAILINGS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (6) of section 3210(a)
of title 39, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
‘‘(6)(A) For the purpose of this section, the term
‘mass mailing’ means, with respect to a session of Con-
gress, any mailing of newsletters or other pieces of mail
with substantially identical content (whether such mail is
deposited singly or in bulk, or at the same time or dif-
ferent times), totaling more than 500 pieces in that ses-
sion.
‘‘(B) A Member of, or Member-elect to, Congress may
not mail any mass mailing as franked mail, unless it—
‘‘(i) is in direct response to a communication
from a person to whom the matter is mailed;
‘‘(ii) is a follow-up to a mailing described in
clause (i);
‘‘(iii) is sent to other Members of Congress, or
to Federal, State, or local government officials;
‘‘(iv) is a news release to the communications
media; or
‘‘(v) relates solely to a notice of appearance or
a scheduled itinerary of the Member or Member-
elect, and is sent solely to residents of towns or vil-
lages, in the congressional district from which elect-
ed, with populations under 1,000 and without a
daily newspaper published within 50 miles, subject
to subparagraph (C).
‘‘(C) Not more than 3 mass mailings of the type de-
scribed in subparagraph (B)(v) may be mailed by a Mem-
ber (including as a Member-elect) during any Congress.
‘‘(D) The Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate
and the House Commission on Congressional Mailing
Standards shall prescribe rules and regulations for their
respective Houses and take such other action as the Com-
mittee or Commission (as the case may be) considers nec-
essary and proper for Members and Members-elect to com-
ply with this paragraph and applicable rules and regula-
tions.
‘‘(E) Any mass mailing which is mailed by the chair-
man of an organization referred to in the last sentence
of section 3215 which relates to the normal and regular
business of the organization may be mailed without regard
to the provisions of this paragraph.’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 320 of the
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C.
59g) is amended by striking ‘‘3210(a)(6)(E)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘3210(a)(6)(A)’’.
SEC. 3. VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION.
Subparagraph (H) of section 3210(a)(3) of title 39,
United States Code, is repealed.
SEC. 4. RETURN OF EXCESS AMOUNTS FROM OFFICIAL AL-
LOWANCES OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES TO THE TREASURY FOR
DEFICIT REDUCTION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other law, or
any rule or other authority, any amount remaining in an
official allowance of a Member of the House of Represent-
atives at the end of the session of Congress or other period
for which the allowance is made available shall be returned
to the Treasury, to be used for deficit reduction.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section—
(1) the term ‘‘Member of the House of Rep-
resentatives’’ means a Representative in, or a Dele-
gate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;
and
(2) the term ‘‘official allowance’’ means, with
respect to a Member of the House of Representa-
tives, or the Official Mail Allowance.
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall
take effect as of the beginning of the first Congress begin-
ning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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