Sec. 3. Authority of Commission over official mass communications
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Section 5(d) of the Act entitled An Act to amend title 39, United States Code, to clarify the proper use of the franking privilege by Members of Congress, and for other purposes , approved December 18, 1973 ( 2 U.S.C. 501(d) ), is amended— in the first sentence, by striking The Commission and inserting
(1)The Commission ; and by adding at the end the following new paragraph: In addition to the guidance, assistance, advice, and counsel described in paragraph (1), the Commission shall provide— guidance, assistance, advice, and counsel, through advisory opinions or consultations, in connection with any law and with any rule or regulation of the House of Representatives governing the dissemination of mass communications other than franked mail; and guidance, assistance, advice, and counsel in connection with any law and with any rule or regulation of the House of Representatives governing the official content of other official communications of any quantity, whether solicited or unsolicited. . Section 5(e) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 501(e) ) is amended— in the first sentence, by striking Any complaint and all that follows through is about to occur and inserting the following: Any complaint that a violation of any provision of law or any rule or regulation of the House of Representatives to which subsection
(d)applies is about to occur ; and in the sentence beginning with Notwithstanding any other provision of law , by striking a violation of the franking laws or an abuse of the franking privilege by any person listed under subsection
(d)of this section as entitled to send mail as franked mail, and inserting a violation of any provision of law or any rule or regulation of the House of Representatives to which subsection
(d)applies, . Section 5 of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 501 ) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: In this section, the term mass communication means a mass mailing described in section 3210(a)(6)(E) of title 39, United States Code, or any other unsolicited communication of substantially identical content which is transmitted to 500 or more persons in a session of Congress, as provided under regulations of the Commission, except that such term does not include— any communication from an individual described in subsection
(d)to another individual described in subsection (d), a Senator, or any Federal, State, local, or Tribal government official; any news release to the communications media; any such mass mailing or unsolicited communication made in direct response to a communication from a person to whom the mass mailing or unsolicited communication was transmitted; or in the case of any such unsolicited communication which is transmitted in a digital format, a communication for which the cost of the content is less than a threshold amount established under regulations of the House Communications Standards Commission. . Section 311(f) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1991 ( 2 U.S.C. 503(f) ) is amended— by striking any mass mailing and inserting any mass communication ; by striking mail matter and inserting matter ; and by striking such proposed mailing and inserting such proposed communication . Section 311(f) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 503(f) ) is amended— by striking A Member and inserting
(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), a Member ; and by adding at the end the following new paragraph: Paragraph
(1)does not apply in the case of any type of mass communication which is designated as exempt from the requirements of such paragraph as provided under regulations of the House Communications Standards Commission. . Section 311(g) of such Act ( 2 U.S.C. 503(g) ) is amended— by striking and at the end of paragraph (1); by striking the period at the end of paragraph
(2)and inserting ; and ; and by adding at the end the following new paragraph: the term mass communication means a mass mailing described in section 3210(a)(6)(E) of title 39, United States Code, or any other unsolicited communication of substantially identical content which is transmitted to 500 or more persons in a session of Congress, as provided under regulations of the House Communications Standards Commission, except that such term does not include— any communication from a Member of the House of Representatives to another Member of the House of Representatives, a Senator, or any Federal, State, or local government official; any news release to the communications media; any such mass mailing or unsolicited communication made in direct response to a communication from a person to whom the mass mailing or unsolicited communication was transmitted; or in the case of any such unsolicited communication which is transmitted in a digital format, a communication for which the cost of the content is less than a threshold amount established under regulations of the House Communications Standards Commission. . Clause 9 of rule XXIV of the Rules of the House of Representatives is amended by inserting after that session, the following: or any other unsolicited communication of substantially identical content which is transmitted to 500 or more persons in that session or, in the case of a digital communication of substantially identical content, which is disseminated at a cost exceeding a designated amount, as provided under regulations of the House Communications Standards Commission, .
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