[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 71 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 71

 To reduce the Official Mail Allowance of Members of the House and to 
   prohibit certain other mailing practices, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 1995

  Mr. Goss (for himself, Mr. Blute, Mr. Boehner, Mr. Inglis of South 
   Carolina, Mr. Portman, Mr. Roberts, and Mr. Horn) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee House Oversight, 
 and in addition to the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, 
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 reduce the Official Mail Allowance of Members of the House and to 
   prohibit certain other mailing practices, 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. REDUCTION IN OFFICIAL MAIL ALLOWANCE.

    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 times'' 
and inserting ``1.5 times''.

SEC. 2. BAN ON TRANSFER FROM OFFICIAL EXPENSES ALLOWANCE AND CLERK HIRE 
              ALLOWANCE TO OFFICIAL MAIL ALLOWANCE.

    Section 311(e) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 
(2 U.S.C. 59e(e)) is amended by striking paragraph (3).

SEC. 3. BAN ON UNSOLICITED MAIL AS FRANKED MAIL WITHIN 60 DAYS BEFORE A 
              MEMBER'S PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION.

    Section 3210(a)(6) of title 39, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``mass mailing'' and inserting 
        ``unsolicited mailing'' each place it occurs in subparagraphs 
        (A) through (D); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(G) As used in this paragraph, the term 
                `unsolicited mailing' means all mail other than mail 
                that is--
                            ``(i) 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;
                            ``(iii) of a news release to the 
                        communications media; or
                            ``(iv) in furtherance of the administrative 
                        duties of the Member of Congress.''.

SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE OF MEMBER'S FIRST CLASS MAILINGS TO THE PUBLIC.

    Section 311(a)(3) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 
1991 (2 U.S.C. 59e(a)(3)) is amended by adding before the period at the 
end ``, including (by separate category) the costs relating to franked, 
first class mass mailings''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to 
sessions of Congress beginning after the date of enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>