[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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