§3642. Special authority relating to reduced-rate categories of mail

(a) In order to permit the timely implementation of section 3626(a)(3), the Postal Service may establish temporary rates of postage for any class of mail or kind of mailer referred to in section 3626(a)(3)(A).

(b) Any exercise of authority under this section shall be in conformance with the requirements of section 3626(a), subject to the following:

(1) All attributable costs and institutional-costs contributions assumed shall be the same as those which were assumed for purposes of the then most recent proceedings under subchapter II pursuant to which rates of postage for the class of mail or kind of mailer involved were last adjusted.

(2) Any temporary rate established under this section shall take effect upon such date as the Postal Service may determine, except that-

(A) such a rate may take effect only after 10 days' notice in the Federal Register; and

(B) no such rate may take effect after September 30, 1998.

(3) A temporary rate under this section may remain in effect no longer than the last day of the fiscal year in which it first takes effect.

(4) Authority under this section may not be exercised in a manner that would result in more than 1 change taking effect under this section, during the same fiscal year, in the rates of postage for a particular class of mail or kind of mailer, except as provided in paragraph (5).

(5) Nothing in paragraph (4) shall prevent an adjustment under this section in rates for a class of mail or kind of mailer with respect to which any rates took effect under this section earlier in the same fiscal year if-

(A) the rates established for such class of mail or kind of mailer by the earlier adjustment are superseded by new rates established under subchapter II; and

(B) authority under this paragraph has not previously been exercised with respect to such class of mail or kind of mailer based on the new rates referred to in subparagraph (A).

(c) The Postal Service may prescribe any regulations which may be necessary to carry out this section, including provisions governing the coordination of adjustments under this section with any other adjustments under this title.

(d) Notwithstanding any provision of section 3626(a)(3)(B) or subsection (a) of this section, any temporary rates established under this section for non-letter-shaped mail under former section 4452(b) or 4452(c) of this title shall not be lower than the rates in effect for such mail on September 30, 1993.

(Added Pub. L. 103–123, title VII, §704(a)(2), Oct. 28, 1993, 107 Stat. 1268 .)

References in Text

Former section 4452 of this title, referred to in subsec. (d), means section 4452 of former Title 39, The Postal Service, prior to the general revision and reenactment of Title 39 by Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 719 .

Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to rates for mail sent after Sept. 30, 1993, see section 704(c)(1) of Pub. L. 103–123, set out as an Effective Date of 1993 Amendment note under section 3626 of this title.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 3626 of this title.