TITLE III-GENERAL PROVISIONS In addition to the several general provisions carried annually in the bill, the Committee recommends the provisions as passed the House, with the following exceptions: Section 301 is amended to apply to the Senate the prohibition on the use of funds for the maintenance and care of private vehicles. Section 310, which establishes a Joint Office of Special Services, is stricken. Section 314, which repeals section 13 of Public Law 100-458, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1989, (relating to the charging of mail costs under the frank excess of the amounts provided from the appropriation for official mail costs against Senators' official personnel and office expenses account) is deleted. Section 315 which limits postal patron mailings under the frank to four per year is stricken. Committee provision section 315 imposes a two per year limitation. Section 316 which prohibits use of funds to send franked mail postmarked less than 60 days prior to an election is deleted. This provision is superseded by section 317, inserted by the Committee, which amends permanent law to the same effect. Section 317 as passed by the House prohibiting funds for offices in the Capitol for Members is deleted. Additionally, the Committee recommends the following general provisions that were not carried in the House bill: Section 314 defines the accounts under the Senate as one combined appropriation account and one combined "program, project, and activity" for purposes of the definition required by section 252(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-177). Section 315 mandates certain reforms designed to reduce the costs of official mail for the House and Senate. Section 316 amends title 39 United States Code to provide that the Postal Service may not transmit franked mail after the appropriation available for a fiscal year has been exhausted. Section 317 applies the restriction against franked mailing within 60 days of an election to mail postmarked within 60 days prior to an election. Section 318 inserts language changing the terms and conditions of appointment and tenure for the Architect of the Capitol. This provision would: Require Senate confirmation of Presidential nominees for the Architect's Office; establish a limited term of 10 years with the incumbent eligible for reappointment; and make these changes effective no later than 6 years after enactment, or whenever the Architect's Office next becomes vacant. These changes will conform the process of appointment of the Architect more closely to the appointment procedure followed for other offices of similar stature. The Committee believes this will accord the proper recognition to the importance of the functions of this office and help to promote greater accountability in their performance. Section 319 provides authority for representation and reception expenses to the John C. Stennis Center. COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 7, RULE XVI, OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE SENATE Paragraph 7 of rule XVI requires that Committee reports on general appropriations bills identify each Committee amendment to the House bill "which proposes an item of appropriation which is not made to carry out the provisions of an existing law, a treaty stipulation, or an act or resolution previously passed by the Senate during that session." The Committee has recommended no such amendment. COMPLIANCE WITH PARAGRAPH 12, RULE XXVI OF THE STANDING RULES OF THE SENATE Paragraph 12 of rule XXVI requires that Committee reports on a bill or joint resolution repealing or amending any statute or part of any statute include "(a) the text of the statute or part thereof which is proposed to be repealed; and (b) a comparative print of that part of the bill or joint resolution making the amendment and of the statute or part thereof proposed to be amended, showing by stricken-through type and italics, parallel columns, or other appropriate typographical devices the omissions and insertions which would be made by the bill or joint resolution if enacted in the form recommended by the committee." In compliance with this rule, the following changes in existing law proposed to be made by the bill are shown as follows: existing law to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets; new matter is printed in italic; and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman. 1. In connection with section 3 TITLE 2, UNITED STATES CODE § 58a-2. Certification of services and equipment as official (d) All moneys, derived from payments for telephone equipment and services provided from funds from the Appropriation Account within the contingent fund of the Senate for "Contingent Expenses, Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate" under the line item for Telecommunications (including receipts from carriers and others for loss or damage to such services or equipment for which repair or replacement has been provided by the Sergeant at Arms), and all other moneys received by the Sergeant at Arms as charges or commissions for telephone services, shall be deposited in and made a part of such Appropriation Account and under such line item, and shall be available for expenditure or obligation, or both, in like 2. In connection with section 5 TITLE 2, UNITED STATES CODE § 58. Mail, telegraph, telephone, stationery, office supplies, and home state office and travel expenses for Senators (a) Authorization for payment from Senate contingent fund The contingent fund of the Senate is made available for payment to or on behalf of each Senator, upon certification of the Senator, for the following expenses incurred by the Senator and his staff: (1) telecommunications equipment and services subject to such regulations as may be promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate; (2) stationery and other office supplies procured for use for official business; [(3) postage on, and fees and charges in connection with, mail matter sent through the mail under the franking privilege in excess of amounts provided from the appropriation for official mail costs, upon certification by the Senate Sergeant at Arms and subject to such regulation as may be promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, and reimbursement to each Senator for costs incurred in the preparation of required official reports, and the acquisition of mailing lists to be used for official purposes, and in the mailing, delivery, or transmitting of matters relating to official business;] (3)(A) postage on, and fees and charges in connection with, mail matter sent through the mail under the franking privilege in excess of amounts provided from the appropriation for official mail costs, upon certification by the Senate Sergeant at Arms and subject to such regulations as may be promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration, (B) postage on, and fees and charges in connection with official mail matter sent through the mail other than the franking privilege upon certification by the Senate Sergeant at Arms and subject to such regulations as may be promulgated by the Committee on Rules and Administration, and (C) reimbursement to each Senator for costs incurred in the preparation of required official reports, and the acquisition of mailing lists to be used for official purposes, and in the mailing, delivery, or transmitting of matters relating to official business; 3. In connection with section 315 TITLE 39, UNITED STATES CODE § 3216. Reimbursement for franked mailings (a)(2) those portions of fees and charges to be paid for handling and delivery by the Postal Service of Mailgrams considered as franked mail under section 3219 of this title; shall be paid [by a lump-sum appropriation to the legislative branch] by appropriations for the official mail costs of the Senate and the House of Representatives for that purpose and then paid to the Postal Service as postal revenue. Except as to Mailgrams and except as provided by sections 733 and 907 of title 44, envelopes, wrappers, cards, or labels used to transmit franked mail shall bear, in the upper right-hand corner, the sender's signature, or a facsimile thereof. 4. In connection with section 316 TITLE 39, UNITED STATES CODE § 3216. Reimbursement for franked mailings (c) Payment under subsection (a) or (b) of this section shall be deemed payment for all matter mailed under the frank and for all fees and charges due the Postal Service in connection therewith. If, at any time during a fiscal year, the Postal Service determines that the postage on and fees and charges in connection with matter mailed under the frank during that year have exhausted the full amount appropriated for payment to the Postal Service during that fiscal year under subsections (a) and (b) of this section, then no more franked mail may be accepted by the Postal Service during the remainder of that fiscal year unless additional funds are appropriated under section (a) or (b) of this section and paid to the Postal Service. 5. In connection with section 317 TITLE 39, UNITED STATES CODE (6)(A) (6)(A) It is the intent of Congress that a Member of, or Member-elect to, Congress may not mail any mass mailing as franked mail (i) if the mass mailing [is mailed fewer] is postmarked fewer than 60 days immediately before the date of any primary election or general election (whether regular, special, or runoff in which the Member is a candidate for reelection; or (ii) in the case of a Member of, or Member-elect to, the House who is a candidate for any other public office, if the mass mailing (I) is prepared for delivery within any portion of the jurisdiction of or the area covered by the public office which is outside the area constituting the congressional district from which the Member or Member-elect was elected; or (II) [is mailed fewer] is postmarked fewer than 60 days immediately before the date of any primary election or general election (whether regular, special, or runoff) in which the Member or Member-elect is a candidate for any other public office. (B) Any mass mailing which is mailed by the chairman of any organization referred to in the last sentence of section 3215 of this title which relates to the normal and regular business of the organization may be mailed without regard to the provisions of this paragraph. (C) No Member of the Senate may mail any mass mailing as franked mail if such mass mailing [is mailed fewer] is postmarked fewer than 60 days immediately before the date of any primary election or general election (whether regular, special, or runoff) for any national, State or local office in which such Member is a candidate for election. (D) The Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate and the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards shall prescribe for their respective Houses rules and regulations, and shall take other action as the Committee or the Commission considers necessary and proper for Members and Members-elect to comply with the provisions of this paragraph and applicable rules and regulations. The rules and regulations shall include provisions prescribing the time within which mailing shall be mailed at or delivered to any postal facility and the time when the mailings shall be deemed to have been mailed or delivered to comply with the provisions of this paragraph. (E) For purposes of this section, the term "mass mailing" means news-letters and similar mailings of more than five hundred pieces in which the content of the matter mailed is substantially identical but shall not apply to mailings (i) which are in direct response to communications from persons to whom the matter is mailed; (ii) to colleagues in the Congress or to government officials (whether Federal, State, or local); or (iii) of news releases to the communications media. (F) For purposes of subparagraphs (A) and (C) if mail matter is of a type which is not customarily postmarked, the date on which such matter would have been postmarked if it were of a type customarily postmarked shall apply. |