Title: No Free Campaigns for Congress Act of 2018
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
No Free Campaigns for Congress Act of 2018
This bill excludes from treatment as franked mail material transmitted by a Member of Congress, or a Member-elect, that includes a photograph or photographic representation, other than as an electronic communication.
The total amount that may be spent for the costs of franked mail sent by any Member or Member-elect may not exceed $10,000 during a calendar year or during a fiscal year in the case of the House of Representatives or the Senate, respectively.
The bill bans mass mailings postmarked at any time during an election year.
The franking privilege may not be used for mail that is purely related to a campaign for election for office.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5231 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5231

 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 Member-elect 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 Member-elect of 
                   Congress, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``No Free Campaigns for Congress Act 
of 2018''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITING MATERIAL WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE FROM TREATMENT AS 
              FRANKED MAIL.

    (a) Prohibition.--Section 3210(a)(5) of title 39, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new 
        subparagraph:
            ``(D) mail matter which includes a photograph or 
        photographic representation, other than an electronic 
        communication.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 3210(a)(3) of such title is 
amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (H), by adding ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``; or'' and inserting 
        a period; and
            (3) by striking subparagraph (J).

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

    Section 3210 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(h) The total amount of funds that may be spent for the costs of 
franked mail sent by any Member or Member-elect of Congress, including 
the costs of postage, preparation, and handling of such mail, may not 
exceed $10,000--
            ``(1) during a calendar year (beginning with calendar year 
        2019), in the case of a Member or Member-elect of the House of 
        Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner 
        to the Congress); or
            ``(2) during a fiscal year (beginning with fiscal year 
        2019), in the case of a Member or Member-elect of the 
        Senate.''.

SEC. 4. BAN ON MASS MAILINGS AT ANY TIME DURING YEAR OF ELECTION.

    (a) Federal Elections.--Section 3210(a)(6)(A)(i) of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended by striking the semicolon at the end and 
inserting the following: ``, or (except in the case of a mass mailing 
consisting exclusively of electronic communications) is postmarked at 
any time during the year in which such election is held prior to the 
date of the election;''.
    (b) Elections for Other Offices in Which House Member Is a 
Candidate.--Section 3210(a)(6)(A)(ii)(II) of such title is amended by 
striking the period at the end and inserting the following: ``, or 
(except in the case of a mass mailing consisting exclusively of 
electronic communications) is postmarked at any time during the year in 
which such election is held prior to the date of the election''.

SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF BAN ON SENDING CAMPAIGN-RELATED MATERIAL AS 
              FRANKED MAIL.

    Section 3210(a)(4) of title 39, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``purely personal'' and inserting ``purely personal, or purely 
related to a campaign for election for office,''.

SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act shall apply with respect to matter mailed on or after the 
expiration of the 30-day period which begins on the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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