[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 533 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 533

 To amend title 39, United States Code, to restrict the use of franked 
     mass mailings by Members of Congress, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 8, 2001

Mr. Castle (for himself, Mr. Ballenger, Mr. Frank, Mr. LaHood, and Mr. 
 Thomas M. Davis of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to 
  the Committee on 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 restrict the use of franked 
     mass mailings by Members 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 ``Franked Mail Savings Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF FRANKED MASS MAILINGS BY MEMBERS OF 
              CONGRESS.

    (a) Lowering Threshold for Treatment of Mailing as Mass Mailing.--
Section 3210(a)(6)(E) of title 39, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``500 pieces'' and inserting ``250 pieces''.
    (b) Extension of Period During Which House Members May Not Send 
Franked Mass Mailings.--Section 3210(a)(6)(A) of title 39, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
            (2) by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
            ``(i) if the mass mailing is postmarked fewer than 60 days 
        (or, in the case of a Member of the House, fewer than 90 days) 
        immediately before the date of any primary election in which 
        the Member is a candidate for reelection;
            ``(ii) if the mass mailing is postmarked fewer than 60 days 
        (or, in the case of a Member of the House, fewer than 180 days, 
        determined without regard to any days occurring before the date 
        of the primary election involved) immediately before the date 
        of any general election (whether regular, special, or runoff) 
        in which the Member is a candidate for reelection; or''.

SEC. 3. PUBLICATION IN CONGRESSIONAL RECORD OF QUARTERLY COSTS FOR 
              FRANKED MASS MAILINGS.

    Section 311 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1997 (2 
U.S.C. 59h) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
        (d) and (e); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(c) In addition to the information required to be published under 
subsection (b), not later than 60 days after the end of each calendar 
quarter there shall be published in the Congressional Record a 
statement showing the amount expended from the Members Representational 
Allowance of each Member of the House of Representatives for mass 
mailings during the quarter.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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