U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 59h. Mass mailing sent by House Members

(a) Notice that mailing is at taxpayer expense

Each mass mailing sent by a Member of the House of Representatives shall bear in a prominent place on its face, or on the envelope or outside cover or wrapper in which the mail matter is sent, the following notice: “this mailing was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense.”, or a notice to the same effect in words which may be prescribed under subsection (c) of this section. The notice shall be printed in a type size not smaller than 7-point.

(b) Publication of each Member’s total expense and amount

(1) There shall be published in the itemized report of disbursements of the House of Representatives as required by law, a summary tabulation setting forth, for the office of each Member of the House of Representatives, the total number of pieces of mass mail mailed during the period involved and the total cost of those mass mailings.

(2) Each such tabulation shall also include—

(A) the total cost (as referred to in paragraph (1)) divided by the number (as determined by the Postmaster General) of addresses (other than business possible delivery stops) in the Congressional district from which the Member was elected (as such addresses are described in section 3210 (d)(7)(B) of title 39); and

(B) the total number of pieces of mass mail (as referred to in paragraph (1)) divided by the number (as determined by the Postmaster General) of addresses (other than business possible delivery stops) in the Congressional district from which the Member was elected (as such addresses are described in section 3210 (d)(7)(B) of title 39).

The Committee on House Oversight shall prescribe such rules and regulations and shall take such other action as the Committee considers necessary and proper for Members to conform to the provisions of this subsection and applicable rules and regulations.

(d) Definitions

For purposes of this section—

(1) the term “Member of the House of Representatives” means a Representative in, or a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress; and

(2) the term “mass mailing” has the meaning given such term by section 3210 (a)(6)(E) of title 39.

(e) Applicability

This section shall apply with respect to sessions of Congress beginning after September 16, 1996.

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