[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 170 (Friday, September 2, 1994)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-21753]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 2, 1994]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 111
Special Bulk Third-Class Rates--State or Local Voting
Registration Officials
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: On May 13, 1993, the President signed into law Public Law 103-
31, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, amending Title 39,
United States Code, by adding section 3629. The amendment authorizes
voting registration officials to mail certain third-class matter at the
special bulk third-class rates, effective January 1, 1995. This notice
contains regulations that the Postal Service proposes for implementing
this legislation.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 3, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to Manager,
Mailing Standards, USPS Headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW,
Washington, DC 20260-2419. Copies of all written comments will be
available for inspection and photocopying between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, in Room 6800 at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ernest Collins, (202) 268-5316.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993
states that the Postal Service shall make available to a state or local
voting registration official the rate for any class of mail that is
available to a qualified nonprofit organization under 39 U.S.C. 3626
for the purpose of making a mailing that the official certifies is
required by the Act. The law applies only to state or local voting
registration officials in those states and the District of Columbia
that require a voter to register to vote before the date of voting in a
general election for public office. In accordance with this
legislation, the Postal Service proposes an amendment to Domestic Mail
Manual (DMM) section E370.3.0 to describe the mailers eligible for an
authorization to mail at the special rates, and to DMM E370.5.0 to
describe the matter that may be mailed by those entitled to mail at the
special rates under the new provision.
As information, the procedures for mailers seeking authorization
under the new provisions, and mailing under these authorizations, will
be similar to those for nonprofit organizations mailing at the special
rates. Each state and local voting registration official must submit
Form 3624, Application to Mail at Special Bulk Third-Class Rates, at
each post office where materials will be mailed at the special bulk
third-class rates. Voting registration officials will not be allowed to
mail at the special rates before receiving an authorization from the
Postal Service. After submitting an application, the voting
registration official may mail qualifying material under a pending
arrangement through arrangements with the postmaster. If the
application is approved, the Postal Service will refund to the voting
registration official the difference in postage paid between the
regular rates and the special bulk third-class rates for mailings made
after the effective date of the authorization. The authorization should
be requested, and will be issued, by the title of the official head of
the government agency responsible for the registration of voters. As
with all mailers authorized to mail at the special rates, only third-
class matter, deposited in prescribed minimum quantities and prepared
in accordance with postal regulations, is eligible for these rates. In
addition to these general requirements, the material must also be
required or authorized by the Act. Finally, mailers must complete and
deposit with each permit imprint mailing the appropriate mailing
statement: Form 3602-N, Statement of Mailing With Permit Imprint Third-
Class Mail (Nonprofit Rates Only); or Form 3602-PVN, Plant-Verified
Drop Shipment (PVDS) Consolidated Mailing Statement Register Third-
Class (Special Rates Only: Permit Imprint). The certification sections
on the statements will be modified by inserting a new item number 6 as
follows and renumbering current item 6 as item 7:
``The signature of a mailer certifies that: * * * (6) the
mailing, if made by a voting registration official, is required or
authorized by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993; * * *.''
Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)) regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites comments on
the following proposed revisions of the DMM, incorporated by reference
in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR part 111.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111
Postal Service.
PART 111--[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 3001-
3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.
2. In the Domestic Mail Manual, section E370 is amended by revising
E370.3.0 and E370.5.0. The proposed text is as follows:
E-Eligibility
* * * * *
E370 Special (Nonprofit) Bulk Rates
* * * * *
[Change title of 3.0 as follows:]
3.0 Qualified Political Committees and State or Local Voting
Registration Official
* * * * *
3.2 Definitions
For the standards in 3.1:
* * * * *
[Add 3.3 as follows:]
3.3 State or Local Voting Registration Official
Voting registration officials in a state or the District of
Columbia are authorized to mail certain third-class materials at the
special bulk third-class rates under the National Voter Registration
Act of 1993 (see 5.10).
* * * * *
5.0 Eligible Matter
* * * * *
[Renumber current 5.10 as 5.11 and add new 5.10 as follows:]
5.10 Voting Registration Official
The voting registration official may mail, at the special rates,
only qualifying third-class matter that is required or authorized to be
mailed at those rates by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
* * * * *
An appropriate amendment to 39 CFR 111.3 to reflect these changes
will be published if the proposal is adopted.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 94-21753 Filed 9-1-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P