§3204. Restrictions on use of penalty mail

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section or section 3220 of this title, an officer, executive department, or independent establishment of the Government of the United States may not mail, as penalty mail, any article or document unless-

(1) a request therefor has been previously received by the department or establishment; or

(2) its mailings is required by law.

(b) Subsection (a) of this section does not prohibit the mailing, as penalty mail, by an officer, executive department, or independent agency of-

(1) enclosures reasonably related to the subject matter of official correspondence;

(2) informational releases relating to the census of the United States and authorized by title 13;

(3) matter concerning the sale of Government securities;

(4) forms, blanks, and copies of statutes, rules, regulations, instructions, administrative orders, and interpretations necessary in the administration of the department or establishment;

(5) agricultural bulletins;

(6) lists of public documents offered for sale by the Superintendent of Documents;

(7) announcements of the publication of maps, atlases, and statistical and other reports offered for sale by the Federal Power Commission as authorized by section 825k of title 16; or

(8) articles or documents to educational institutions or public libraries, or to Federal, State, or other public authorities.

( Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 752 ; Pub. L. 99–87, §1(c)(1), Aug. 9, 1985, 99 Stat. 291 .)

Amendment of Section

For termination of amendment by section 5 of Pub. L. 99–87, see Termination Date of 1985 Amendment note below.

Amendments

1985-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–87 temporarily inserted reference to section 3220(a) of this title. See Termination Date of 1985 Amendment note below.

Termination Date of 1985 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–87 not effective after Dec. 31, 2002, see section 5 of Pub. L. 99–87, as amended, set out as a Termination Date note under section 3220 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

Federal Power Commission terminated and its functions, personnel, property, funds, etc., transferred to Secretary of Energy (except for certain functions transferred to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) by sections 7151(b), 7171(a), 7172(a), 7291, and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in title 12 section 1701z–2; title 15 section 637; title 16 section 460l–1; title 29 sections 1708, 2900; title 42 section 12651d.