[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4266-H4267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL AGENCY MAIL MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2017
Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 194) to ensure the effective processing of mail by Federal
agencies, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 194
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 ``Federal Agency Mail
Management Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. RECORD MANAGEMENT.
(a) Amendments.--Section 9 of the Presidential and Federal
Records Act Amendments of 2014 (44 U.S.C. 101 note) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by amending paragraph (3) to read as
follows:
``(3) in paragraph (7), by striking `the Administrator or
the Archivist' and inserting `the Archivist or the
Administrator'.'';
(2) in subsection (c)--
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
`` `(a) The Archivist shall provide guidance and assistance
to Federal agencies with respect to ensuring--
`` `(1) economical and effective records management;
`` `(2) adequate and proper documentation of the policies
and transactions of the Federal Government; and
`` `(3) proper records disposition.';'';
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs
(3) and (4), respectively;
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1), the following new
paragraph:
``(2) in subsection (b), by striking `effective records
management by such agencies' and inserting `effective
processing of mail by Federal agencies';'';
(D) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated--
(i) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking `` `subsections
(a) and (b)' '' and inserting `` `subsection (a)' ''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;
(E) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(F) by inserting at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) by inserting at the end the following new subsection:
`` `(e) The Administrator, in carrying out subsection (b),
shall have the responsibility to promote economy and
efficiency in the selection and utilization of space, staff,
equipment, and supplies for processing mail at Federal
facilities.'.'';
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``; and'' at the end and
inserting a semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by inserting at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) by inserting at the end the following new subsection:
`` `(c) The Administrator (or the Administrator's designee)
may inspect the mail processing practices and programs of any
Federal agency for the purpose of rendering recommendations
for the improvement of mail processing practices and
programs. Officers and employees of such agencies shall
cooperate fully in such inspections of mail processing
practices and programs.'.'';
(4) by striking subsection (f); and
(5) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (f).
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect as if included in the Presidential and
Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014 (Public Law 113-187).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Russell) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
General Leave
Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include any extraneous material in the Record on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oklahoma?
There was no objection.
Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I present today H.R. 194, the Federal Agency Mail Management Act of
2017. Approximately 2 years ago, President Obama signed into law the
Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014.
The law modernized and improved Federal recordkeeping statutes by
codifying agency responsibilities that have been in practice for
decades. Once the law was enacted, the General Services Administration,
or GSA, identified technical provisions in the law that the agency
interpreted as limiting its ability to regulate Federal agency mailroom
operations.
[[Page H4267]]
The GSA has been responsible for the regulation and oversight of
Federal agency mail management for many years. Congress did not intend
for the 2014 law to change the mail management structure.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 194 provides clarification to ensure that the GSA
is responsible for mailroom management oversight, and not the National
Archives and Records Administration. Both GSA and the National Archives
have worked with Congress to make the correction, and both entities
support H.R. 194.
Mr. Speaker, an identical bill was passed by the House with unanimous
voice vote near the end of last Congress. We hope that this legislation
will be signed into law this Congress to correct the unintended
consequences of a previous law.
This corrective measure has bipartisan support, and I appreciate
having my friend and colleague, Mr. Connolly of Virginia, join me as a
cosponsor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Federal Agency Mail Management
Act, which I introduced along with, of course, the author of the bill,
Representative Steve Russell. I want to thank Representative Russell
for working in a bipartisan manner on this legislation.
The bill would make a technical correction to clarify that the
Administrator of the General Services Administration is responsible for
managing mail in the executive branch. The Administrator of GSA has
historically had this responsibility, but when the Federal Records Act
was updated in 2014, changes made to the statute left it unclear
whether the Administrator's role had changed.
You would think it is a simple commonsense measure, but it requires
an act of Congress to clarify. Congress never intended to take away the
Administrator's authority to manage mail. The bill was approved by the
House without opposition last year. We are hoping the same will pertain
this year.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates this bill would cost the
Federal Government nothing, because GSA already processes mail for
Federal agencies.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill and give clarity
to the GSA and the National Archives, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. RUSSELL. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Russell) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 194.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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