Title 39 — Postal ServiceRelease 119-73
§3220 Use of official mail in the location and recovery of missing children
Title 39 › Part PART IV— - MAIL MATTER › Chapter CHAPTER 32— - PENALTY AND FRANKED MAIL › § 3220
Summary
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention must create simple rules, after talking with public and private groups, on how penalty mail can be used to help find missing children. The rules must cover what to include (like biographical details and pictures), where to get that information, how to get it, and any other needed steps. Each federal executive department and independent agency must make its own regulations to follow those rules. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Communications Standards Commission must make rules so franked mail from congressional offices can be used the same way when an official chooses to do so. “Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention” means the OJJDP in the Department of Justice, created by section 201 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.
Full Legal Text
Title 39, §3220
Postal Service — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, after consultation with appropriate public and private agencies, shall prescribe 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 materials 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 considers appropriate.
(2)Each executive department and independent 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 Administration 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 subsection (a) may, in the discretion of the congressional 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 “Office” each means the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Department of Justice, as established by section 201 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 201 of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (c), is section 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 Organization 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 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 116–260 applicable with respect 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. 1, 1997, 111 Stat. 2542, which provided that the
Amendments
made by section 1 of Pub. L. 99–87, enacting this section and amending section 3201 and 3204 of this title and section 733 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents, and any guidelines, rules, or
Regulations
prescribed 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
described 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 section, as so added, shall be prescribed not later than one hundred and eighty days after the date of the enactment 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 Committee 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 considered to be subject to the authority of any agency within the executive branch of the Government of the United States to coordinate programs relating to missing children.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
39 U.S.C. § 3220
Title 39 — Postal Service
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73