Franked Mail Savings Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Franked Mail Savings Act''.

SEC. 2. OFFICIAL MASS MAILING ALLOWANCE.

    Section 311(f) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 
(2 U.S.C. 59e(f)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(f)(1) There is established in the House of Representatives an 
Official Mass Mailing Allowance for Members of the House of 
Representatives.
    ``(2) The Official Mass Mailing Allowance of a Member of the House 
of Representatives--
            ``(A) shall be available only for postage for any mass 
        mailing sent by such Member as franked mail;
            ``(B) shall be the sole source of funding for any such 
        postage; and
            ``(C) shall be available, in a session of Congress (subject 
        to paragraph (5)(A)(ii)), in an amount not to exceed the total 
        amount allocated to the Official Mail Allowance of such Member 
        in such session.
    ``(3) No amount may be transferred to or from the Official Mass 
Mailing Allowance of a Member of the House of Representatives 
(including as described in the parenthetical matter in subsection 
(a)(2)(A)), except as provided in subsection (e)(3)(B).
    ``(4) For purposes of subsection (b), the Official Mass Mailing 
Allowance of (and any mass mailing sent by) a Member of the House of 
Representatives shall be treated separately from the Official Mail 
Allowance of (and any other official mail sent by) such Member.
    ``(5) Otherwise applicable provisions of law relating to mass 
mailings sent by a Member of (or Member-elect to) the House of 
Representatives shall continue to govern such mass mailings--
            ``(A) except that--
                    ``(i) for purposes of carrying out those other 
                provisions of law, the term `mass mailing' shall have 
                the meaning given it under paragraph (8); and
                    ``(ii) a mass mailing may not be sent if it would 
                be postmarked during any session that begins in an 
                even-numbered calendar year (excluding any mail sent 
                after the Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November 
                of such year, and any mass mailing described in section 
                3210(a)(6)(B) of title 39, United States Code); and
            ``(B) except as otherwise provided in this subsection.
    ``(6) A Member of the House of Representatives shall--
            ``(A) before making any mass mailing, submit a sample of 
        the mail matter involved to the House Commission on 
        Congressional Mailing Standards for an advisory opinion as to 
        whether such proposed mailing is in compliance with applicable 
        provisions of law, rule, or regulation;
            ``(B) before making any mailing of substantially identical 
        mail which totals 250 pieces or less (but more than 50), and 
        which in every other respect meets the definition of a mass 
        mailing, submit a sample of the mail matter involved to such 
        Commission; and
            ``(C) before making any mailing of substantially identical 
        mail, in the nature of a town meeting notice, which totals more 
        than 50 pieces, and which in every other respect (aside from 
        such nature and number) meets the definition of a mass mailing, 
        submit a sample of the mail matter involved to such Commission.
    ``(7)(A) The regulations prescribed in connection with subsection 
(a)(3) shall be amended to require, in addition to the information 
otherwise required to be included in the quarterly report referred to 
therein, a statement of--
            ``(i) costs charged against the Official Mass Mailing 
        Allowance of each Member; and
            ``(ii) the number of pieces of mail in any mass mailing 
        sent by a Member.
    ``(B) The House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards shall 
by regulation establish procedures under which there shall be made 
available to the public for review and copying any matter submitted to 
the Commission under paragraph (6). Any copying under the preceding 
sentence shall be at the expense of the person who requests the 
copying.
    ``(8) For the purpose of this subsection--
            ``(A) the term `mass mailing' means, with respect to a 
        session of Congress, 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 
        different times), totaling more than 250 pieces in that 
        session, except that such term does not include any mailing--
                    ``(i) of matter in direct response to a 
                communication from a person to whom the matter is 
                mailed;
                    ``(ii) from a Member of Congress to other Members 
                of Congress, or to Federal, State, or local government 
                officials;
                    ``(iii) of a news release to the communications 
                media; or
                    ``(iv) described in clause (iv) or (v) of section 
                6(b)(1)(B) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations 
                Act, 1995 (39 U.S.C. 3210 note), subject to the same 
                restriction as specified in such clause (iv) with 
                respect to a Member of the Senate;
            ``(B) the term `franked mail' has the meaning given such 
        term by section 3201(4) of title 39, United States Code; and
            ``(C) the term `town meeting notice' means (including for 
        purposes of subparagraph (A)(iv)) any mailing which--
                    ``(i) relates solely to a notice of the time and 
                place at which a Member of the House of Representatives 
                or 1 or more members of the Member's staff will be 
                available to meet constituents regarding legislative 
                issues or problems with Federal programs;
                    ``(ii) appears on a mailing 5\1/2\" x 8" or 
                smaller;
                    ``(iii) includes not more than 3 references to the 
                Member (excluding any reference appearing as the frank, 
                consisting of the signature and name at the end of the 
                mailing, or otherwise specified in regulations of the 
                House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards); 
                and
                    ``(iv) does not include any picture, sketch, or 
                other likeness of the Member.''.

SEC. 3. PROVISIONS RELATING TO MEMBERS' OFFICIAL MAIL ALLOWANCE.

    (a) Reduction in Maximum Allocation.--Section 311(e)(2)(B)(i) of 
the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 (2 U.S.C. 
59e(e)(2)(B)(i)) is amended by striking ``3'' and inserting ``0.5''.
    (b) Limitation on Transfers.--Paragraph (3) of section 311(e) of 
such Act is amended to read as follows:
    ``(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), no amount may be 
transferred to or from the Official Mail Allowance of a Member of the 
House of Representatives.
    ``(B) A Member of the House of Representatives may transfer amounts 
from the Official Mass Mailing Allowance of the Member to the Official 
Mail Allowance of the Member.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect as of the first 
day of the first regular session of Congress beginning after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.

Summary: Franked Mail Savings Act - Amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 to establish an Official Mass Mailing Allowance for Members of the House of Representatives. 
 Requires the Official Mass Mailing Allowance to be:  (1) available only for postage for any mass mailing sent by a Member as franked mail; (2) the sole source of funding for any such postage; and (3) available in a session of Congress in an amount that does not exceed the total amount allocated to the Official Mail Allowance of a Member in such session. 
 Treats the Official Mass Mailing Allowance and mass mailings separately from the Official Mail Allowance. 
 Continues the applicability of current provisions of law relating to mass mailings sent by a Member or Member-elect subject to certain conditions. 
 Sets forth requirements for the submission of samples of mass mailings to the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards. 
 Revises the formula for determining the Official Mail Allowance (thereby reducing the maximum allocation allowed). 
 Prohibits the transfer of any  amount (except for amounts from the Official Mass Mailing Allowance) to or from the Official Mail Allowance of a Member.  (Currently, transfers up to a specified amount are allowed from the Official Expenses and Clerk Hire Allowances.)