2 U.S.C. § 502 — Select Committee on Standards and Con-

Page 160 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 502 § 502. Select Committee on Standards and Con- duct of the Senate (a) Advisory opinions or consultations respecting franked mail for persons entitled to franking privilege; franking privilege regulations The Select Committee on Standards and Con- duct of the Senate shall provide guidance, as- sistance, advice and counsel, through advisory opinions or consultations, in connection with the mailing or contemplated mailing of franked mail under section 3210, 3211, 3212, 3213(2), 3218, or 3219, and in connection with the operation of section 3215, of title 39, upon the request of any Member of the Senate or Member-elect, sur- viving spouse of any of the foregoing, or other Senate official, entitled to send mail as franked mail under any of those sections. The select committee shall prescribe regulations governing the proper use of the franking privilege under those sections by such persons. (b) Complaint of franked mail violations; inves- tigation; notice and hearing; decision of se- lect committee; enforcement Any complaint filed by any person with the se- lect committee that a violation of any section of title 39 referred to in subsection (a) of this sec- tion is about to occur or has occurred within the immediately preceding period of one year, by any person referred to in such subsection (a), shall contain pertinent factual material and shall conform to regulations prescribed by the select committee. The select committee, if it de- termines there is reasonable justification for the complaint, shall conduct an investigation of the matter, including an investigation of reports and statements filed by the complainant with respect to the matter which is the subject of the complaint. The committee shall afford to the person who is the subject of the complaint due notice and, if it determines that there is sub- stantial reason to believe that such violation has occurred or is about to occur, opportunity for all parties to participate in a hearing before the select committee. The select committee shall issue a written decision on each complaint under this subsection not later than thirty days after such a complaint has been filed or, if a hearing is held, not later than thirty days after the conclusion of such hearing. Such decision shall be based on written findings of fact in the case by the select committee. If the select com- mittee finds, in its written decision, that a vio- lation has occurred or is about to occur, the committee may take such action and enforce- ment as it considers appropriate in accordance with applicable rules, precedents, and standing orders of the Senate, and such other standards as may be prescribed by such committee. (c) Administrative or judicial jurisdiction of civil actions respecting franking law violations or abuses of franking privilege dependent on filing of complaint with select committee and rendition of decision by such committee Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no court or administrative body in the United States or in any territory thereof shall have ju- risdiction to entertain any civil action of any character concerning or related to a violation of the franking laws or an abuse of the franking privilege by any person listed under subsection (a) of this section as entitled to send mail as franked mail, until a complaint has been filed with the select committee and the committee has rendered a decision under subsection (b) of this section. (d) Administrative procedure regulations The select committee shall prescribe regula- tions for the holding of investigations and hear- ings, the conduct of proceedings, and the ren- dering of decisions under this subsection pro- viding for equitable procedures and the protec- tion of individual, public, and Government in- terests. The regulations shall, insofar as prac- ticable, contain the substance of the administra- tive procedure provisions of sections 551 to 559 and 701 to 706, of title 5. These regulations shall govern matters under this subsection subject to judicial review thereof. (e) Property of Senate; records of select com- mittee; voting record; location of records, data, and files The select committee shall keep a complete record of all its actions, including a record of the votes on any question on which a record vote is demanded. All records, data, and files of the select committee shall be the property of the Senate and shall be kept in the offices of the select committee or such other places as the committee may direct. (Pub. L. 93–191, § 6, Dec. 18, 1973, 87 Stat. 744; Pub. L. 93–255, § 3(b), Mar. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 52.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1974—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–255 inserted reference to section 3219 of title 39. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Dec. 18, 1973, see section 14 of Pub. L. 93–191, set out as an Effective Date of 1973 Amend- ment note under section 3210 of Title 39, Postal Service. § 503. Official mail of persons entitled to use con- gressional frank (a) Congressional committee regulations for ex- penditure of appropriations for official mail Except as otherwise provided in this section, funds appropriated by this Act or any other Act for expenses of official mail of any person enti- tled to use the congressional frank may be ex- pended only in accordance with regulations pre- scribed by the Committee on Rules and Admin- istration of the Senate or the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representa- tives, as applicable. Such regulations shall re- quire— (1) individual accountability for use of offi- cial mail by each person entitled to use the congressional frank; (2)(A) with respect to the House of Rep- resentatives, allocation of funds for official mail to be made to each such person with re- spect to each session of Congress (with no transfer to any other session or to any other such person); and