39 U.S.C. § 3220 — Use of official mail in the location and re-

Page 96 TITLE 39—POSTAL SERVICE § 3219 (Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 755; Pub. L. 93–191, § 11, Dec. 18, 1973, 87 Stat. 746; Pub. L. 97–69, § 6(b), (c)(1), Oct. 26, 1981, 95 Stat. 1043.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1981—Pub. L. 97–69 substituted ‘‘survivors’’ for ‘‘sur- viving spouses’’ in section catchline and, in text, in- serted ‘‘(or, if there is no surviving spouse, a member of the immediate family of the Member designated by the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House of Representatives, as appropriate, in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Secretary or the Clerk)’’ after ‘‘such Member’’. 1973—Pub. L. 93–191 inserted ‘‘nonpolitical’’ before ‘‘correspondence’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1973 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 93–191 effective Dec. 18, 1973, see section 14 of Pub. L. 93–191, set out as a note under section 3210 of this title. EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective July 1, 1971, pursuant to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of this title. § 3219. Mailgrams Any Mailgram sent by the Vice President, a Member of or Member-elect to Congress, the Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, an elected officer of the House of Representatives (other than a Member of the House), the Legislative Counsel of the House of Representatives or the Senate, the Law Revision Counsel of the House of Representatives, or the Senate Legal Counsel, and then delivered by the Postal Service, shall be considered as franked mail, subject to section 3216(a)(2) of this title, if such Mailgram contains matter of the kind au- thorized to be sent by that official as franked mail under section 3210 of this title. (Added Pub. L. 93–191, § 12(a), Dec. 18, 1973, 87 Stat. 746; amended Pub. L. 95–521, title VII, § 714(c), Oct. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 1884; Pub. L. 97–263, § 1(4), Sept. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 1132.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1982—Pub. L. 97–263 inserted reference to Law Revi- sion Counsel of House of Representatives. 1978—Pub. L. 95–521 inserted reference to Senate Legal Counsel. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1978 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 95–521 effective Jan. 3, 1979, see section 717 of Pub. L. 95–521, set out as an Effective Date note under section 288 of Title 2, The Congress. EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Dec. 18, 1973, see section 14 of Pub. L. 93–191, set out as an Effective Date of 1976 Amend- ment note under section 3210 of this title. § 3220. Use of official mail in the location and re- covery of missing children (a)(1) The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delin- quency Prevention, after consultation with ap- propriate public and private agencies, shall pre- scribe general guidelines under which penalty mail may be used to assist in the location and recovery of missing children. The guidelines shall provide information relating to— (A) the form and manner in which materials and information relating to missing children (such as biographical data and pictures, sketches, or other likenesses) may be included in penalty mail; (B) appropriate sources from which such ma- terials and information may be obtained; (C) the procedures by which such materials and information may be obtained; and (D) any other matter which the Office con- siders appropriate. (2) Each executive department and inde- pendent establishment of the Government of the United States shall prescribe regulations under which penalty mail sent by such department or establishment may be used in conformance with the guidelines prescribed under paragraph (1). (b) The Senate Committee on Rules and Ad- ministration and the House Communications Standards Commission shall prescribe for their respective Houses rules and regulations, and shall take such other action as the Committee or Commission considers necessary and proper, in order that purposes similar to those of sub- section (a) may, in the discretion of the congres- sional official or office concerned, be carried out by the use of franked mail sent by such official or office. (c) As used in this section, ‘‘Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’’ and ‘‘Of- fice’’ each means the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Depart- ment of Justice, as established by section 201 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Preven- tion Act of 1974. (Added Pub. L. 99–87, § 1(a)(1), Aug. 9, 1985, 99 Stat. 290; Pub. L. 116–260, div. I, title I, § 116(b)(2)(A)(iii), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 1637.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 201 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (c), is sec- tion 201 of Pub. L. 93–415, which enacted section 11111 of Title 34, Crime Control and Law Enforcement, and amended section 5108 of Title 5, Government Organiza- tion and Employees. AMENDMENTS 2020—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–260 substituted ‘‘House Communications Standards Commission’’ for ‘‘House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2020 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 116–260 applicable with re- spect to communications disseminated on or after Dec. 27, 2020, see section 116(f) of div. I of Pub. L. 116–260, set out as a note under section 501 of Title 2, The Congress. TERMINATION DATE Pub. L. 99–87, § 5, Aug. 9, 1985, 99 Stat. 290, as amended by Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(m) [title VI, § 627(a)], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–390, 1329–430; Pub. L. 102–514, § 1(2), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3371; Pub. L. 105–126, § 1(2), Dec. Page 97 TITLE 39—POSTAL SERVICE § 3401 1, 1997, 111 Stat. 2542, which provided that the amend- ments made by section 1 of Pub. L. 99–87, enacting this section and amending sections 3201 and 3204 of this title and section 733 of Title 44, Public Printing and Docu- ments, and any guidelines, rules, or regulations pre- scribed to carry out such amendments were to cease to be effective after December 31, 2002, was repealed by Pub. L. 109–426, § 1, Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 2911. ISSUANCE OF GUIDELINES, RULES, AND REGULATIONS Pub. L. 99–87, § 2, Aug. 9, 1985, 99 Stat. 291, provided that: ‘‘(a) GUIDELINES.—The guidelines described in section 3220(a)(1) of title 39, United States Code, as added by this Act, shall be prescribed not later than ninety days after the date of the enactment of this Act (Aug. 9, 1985). ‘‘(b) RULES AND REGULATIONS.—The regulations de- scribed in subsection (a)(2) of section 3220 of title 39, United States Code, as added by this Act, and the rules and regulations described in subsection (b) of such sec- tion, as so added, shall be prescribed not later than one hundred and eighty days after the date of the enact- ment of this Act (Aug. 9, 1985).’’ REPORTING REQUIREMENTS Pub. L. 99–87, § 3, Aug. 9, 1985, 99 Stat. 291, as amended by Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(m) (title VI, § 627(b)), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–390, 1329–430; Pub. L. 102–514, § 1(1), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3371; Pub. L. 105–126, § 1(1), Dec. 1, 1997, 111 Stat. 2542, required the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Senate Com- mittee on Rules and Administration, and the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards each to submit a report no later than June 30, 2002, on the authority provided by this section. CLARIFICATION RELATING TO COORDINATION OF GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS Pub. L. 99–87, § 4, Aug. 9, 1985, 99 Stat. 292, provided that: ‘‘Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authority provided by section 3220(b) of title 39, United States Code, as added by this Act, shall not be consid- ered to be subject to the authority of any agency with- in the executive branch of the Government of the United States to coordinate programs relating to miss- ing children.’’ CHAPTER 34—ARMED FORCES AND FREE POSTAGE Sec. 3401. Mailing privileges of members of Armed Forces of the United States. [3402. Repealed.] 3403. Matter for blind and other handicapped per- sons. 3404. Unsealed letters sent by blind or physically handicapped persons. 3405. Markings. 3406. Balloting materials under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2019—Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title X, § 1055(c)(2), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1593, added item 3401 and struck out former item 3401 ‘‘Mailing privileges of members of Armed Forces of the United States and of friendly for- eign nations’’. 1986—Pub. L. 99–410, title II, § 201(b)(1), Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 928, added item 3406. 1979—Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1331(e)(3)(B), Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 482, struck out item 3402 ‘‘Mailing privi- leges of members of Armed Forces of the United States and of friendly foreign nations in the Canal Zone’’. § 3401. Mailing privileges of members of Armed Forces of the United States (a)(1) First-class letter mail having the char- acter of personal correspondence shall be car- ried, at no cost to the sender, in the manner pro- vided by this section, when mailed by an eligible individual described in paragraph (2) and ad- dressed to a place within the delivery limits of a United States post office, if— (A) such letter mail is mailed by the eligible individual at an Armed Forces post office es- tablished in an overseas area designated by the President, where the Armed Forces of the United States are deployed for a contingency operation as determined by the Secretary of Defense; or (B) the eligible individual is hospitalized as a result of disease or injury incurred as a re- sult of service in an overseas area designated by the President under subparagraph (A). (2) An eligible individual described in this paragraph is— (A) a member of the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, as defined in section 101 of title 10; or (B) a civilian employee of the Department of Defense or a military department who is pro- viding support to military operations. (b) There shall be transported by surface or air, consistent with the service purchased by the mailer, between Armed Forces post offices or from an Armed Forces post office to a point of entry into the United States, the following cat- egories of mail matter which are mailed at any such Armed Forces post office: (1) Letter mail communications having the character of personal correspondence. (2) Any parcel exceeding 1 pound in weight but less than 70 pounds in weight and less than 130 inches in length and girth combined. (3) Publications published not less fre- quently than once per week and featuring principally current news of interest to mem- bers of the Armed Forces of the United States and the general public. (c) The Department of Defense shall transfer to the Postal Service as postal revenues, out of any appropriations or funds available to the De- partment of Defense, as a necessary expense of the appropriations or funds and of the activities concerned, the equivalent amount of postage due, as determined by the Postal Service, for matter sent in the mails under authority of sub- section (a) of this section. (d) The Department of Defense shall transfer to the Postal Service as postal revenues, out of any appropriations or funds available to the De- partment of Defense, as a necessary expense of the appropriations or funds and of the activities concerned, sums equal to the expenses incurred by the Postal Service, as determined by the Postal Service, in providing air transportation for mail mailed at or addressed to Armed Forces post offices established under section 406 of this title, but reimbursement under this subsection shall not include the expense of air transpor- tation (1) for which the Postal Service collects a special charge to the extent the special charge covers the additional expense of air transpor-