A bill to require that a portion of the mail of Congress and the executive branch include a photograph and biography of a missing child.
PL 99-87 (S.1195), enacted 08/09/1985

99 STAT. 290 
PUBLIC LAW 99-87—AUG. 9, 1985 
Public Law 99-87 
99th Congress 
An Act 
Aug. 9, 1985 
To amend title 3, United States Code, to authorize the use of penalty and franked 
rg J195] 
mail in efforts relating to the location and recovery of missing children. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 
1
. AUTHORITY 
TO 
USE PENALTY 
AND 
FRANKED 
MAIL. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—(1) Chapter 32 of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following: 
39 use 3220. 
"§ 3220. Use of official mail in the location and recovery of missing 
children 
"(a)(1) The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 
after consultation with appropriate public and private agencies, 
shall prescribe general guidelines under which penalty mail may be 
used to assist in the location and recovery of missing children. The 
guidelines shall provide information relating to— 
"(A) the form and manner in which materials and informa-
tion relating to missing children (such as biographical data and 
pictures, sketches, or other likenesses) may be included in 
penalty mail; 
"(B) appropriate sources from which such materials and 
information may be obtained; 
"(C) the procedures by which such materials and information 
may be obtained; and 
"(D) any other matter which the Office considers appropriate. 
"(2) Each executive department and independent establishment of 
the Government of the United States shall prescribe regulations 
under v.'hich penalty mail sent by such department or establishment 
may be used in conformance with the guidelines prescribed under 
paragraph (1). 
"(b) The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the 
House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards shall pre-
scribe for their respective Houses rules and regulations, and shall 
take such other action as the Committee or Commission considers 
necessary and proper, in order that purposes similar to those of 
subsection (a) may, in the discretion of the congressional official or 
office concerned, be carried out by the use of franked mail sent by 
such official or office. 
"(c) As used in this section, 'Office of Juvenile Justice and Delin-
quency Prevention' and 'Office' each means the Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Department of Jus-
tice, as established by section 201 of the Juvenile Justice and 
42 use prec. 
Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.". 
5611, 5611. 
(2) The analysis for chapter 32 of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following: 
"3220. Use of official mail in the location and recovery of missing children.". 
PUBLIC LAW 99-87—AUG. 9, 1985 
99 STAT. 291 
(b) DEFINITION.—Section 3201 of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking out "and"; 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking out the period and inserting 
in lieu thereof "; and"; and 
(3) by adding at the end thereof the following: 
"(6) 'missing child' has the meaning provided by section 403(1) 
of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 
1974.". 
42 u s e 3883. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—(1) Section 3204(a) of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended by striking out "section," and 
inserting in lieu thereof "section or section 3220(a) of this title,". 
(2) Section 733 of title 44, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the second sentence of the second undesignated 
paragraph the following: "Franks may also contain informeition 
relating to missing children as provided in section 3220 of title 39.". 
SEC. 2. ISSUANCE O
P
" GUIDELINES, RULES, AND REGULATIONS. 
39 USC 3220 
(a) GUIDELINES.—The guidelines described in section 3220(a)(1) of 
title 39, United States Code, as added by this Act, shall be prescribed 
not later than ninety days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(b) RULES AND REGULATIONS.—The regulations described in subsec-
tion (a)(2) of section 3220 of title 39, United States Code, as added by 
this Act, and the rules and regulations described in subsection (b) of 
such section, as so added, shall be prescribed not later than one 
hundred and eighty days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. REPORTS. 
39 USC 3220 
(a) GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, a written report containing the 
matter described in subsection (b) shall be prepared by— 
(1) the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
and submitted to the President, the President pro tempore of 
the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives; 
(2) the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and 
submitted to the President pro tempore of the Senate; and 
(3) the House 
Commission on Congressional 
Mailing 
Standards and submitted to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives. 
(b) CONTENT OF REPORTS.—Each report under this section shall 
include— 
(1) an assessment of the effectiveness with which any author-
ity provided by section 3220 of title 39, United States Code, as 
added by this Act, has (during the period covered by the report) 
been used, insofar as such authority was subject to guidelines or 
rules and regulations prescribed by the reporting entity; 
(2) recommendations as to whether the authority under such 
section should, insofar as such authority was subject to such 
guidelines or rules and regulations, be extended beyond the 
termination date otherwise applicable under section 5; and 
(3) any other information which the reporting entity considers 
appropriate. 
99 STAT. 292 
PUBLIC LAW 99-87—AUG. 9, 1985 
39 u s e 3220 
SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION RELATING TO COORDINATION OF GOVERNMENT 
"°*® 
PROGRAMS. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authority pro-
vided by section 3220(b) of title 39, United States Code, as added by 
this Act, shall not be considered to be subject to the authority of any 
agency within the executive branch of the Government of the 
United States to coordinate programs relating to missing children. 
39 u s e 3220 
SEC. 5. TERMINATION DATE. 
The amendments made by section 1 and any guidelines, rules, or 
regulations prescribed to carry out such amendments shall cease to 
be effective two and one-half years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Approved August 9, 1985. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1195: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 99-226, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Post Office and eivil Service). 
eONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 131 (1985): 
May 22, considered and passed Senate. 
July 29, considered and passed House, amended. 
July 31, Senate concurred in House amendments with amendments. 
Aug. 1, House concurred in Senate amendments.