Title 39Postal ServiceRelease 119-73

§3211 Public documents

Title 39 › Part PART IV— - MAIL MATTER › Chapter CHAPTER 32— - PENALTY AND FRANKED MAIL › § 3211

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Vice President, Congress members, and certain Senate and House officers may use free mail for public documents by Congress for 90 days after their term ends.

Full Legal Text

Title 39, §3211

Postal Service — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Vice President, Members of Congress, the Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, each of the elected officers of the House of Representatives (other than a Member of the House) during the 90-day period immediately following the expiration of their respective terms of office, may send and receive as franked mail all public documents printed by order of Congress.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1981—Pub. L. 97–69 substituted “during the 90-day period immediately” for “until the first day of April”. 1973—Pub. L. 93–191 substituted “each of the elected officers of the House of Representatives (other than a Member of the House) until the first day of April” for “the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, until the thirtieth day of June”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1973 AmendmentAmendment 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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

39 U.S.C. § 3211

Title 39Postal Service

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73