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(d) Restrictions. The following restrictions apply to franked mail:

(1) Official correspondence transmitted under frank of the Vice President, Members and Members-elect of Congress, Secretary of the Senate, Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, and Resident Commissioners must be on official or departmental business.

(2) No franked mail will be admitted to the mail unless admissible as ordinary mail.

(3) A person entitled to use franked mail may not loan his frank or permit its use by any committee, organization, or association; or permit its use by any person for the benefit or use of any committee, organization, or association. This restriction does not apply to any committee composed of Members of Congress.

(4) Franked mail is forwarded like any other mail, but when once delivered to the addressee it may not be remailed. A package of franked pieces may be sent by a person entitled to the franking privilege to one addressee, who, on receiving and opening the package, may on behalf of such person place addresses on the franked articles and mail them.

(5) Franked mail is handled as ordinary mail. Fees for special services must be paid at the time of mailing.

(6) Franked mail must be addressed to the recipient by name, except as provided in § 122.4(d) (2).

limits―(1)

(e) Weight and size Weight. Official correspondence is limited to 4 ounces, except that when addressed to a Government official by title the limit is 4 pounds.

(2) Size, shape, ratio, and sealing. The provisions of §§ 131.2(b) (2), 131.3(b), 134.3(b), and 141.1 (a) (3) apply.

[35 FR 19440, Dec. 23, 1970, as amended at 37 FR 17829, Sept. 1, 1972]

§ 137.2 Executive and judicial officers. (a) Collection of postage. Departments, agencies, and establishments of the U.S. Government must reimburse the Postal Service in amounts equivalent to the amount of postage and fees due on their mail for which the Postal Service does not otherwise receive compensation. Instructions governing the manner of reimbursement for mailings made without postage or fees prepaid are issued by the Finance Department which negotiates reimbursement agreements with the departments and agencies concerned.

(b) Description. The following kinds of mail may be sent as Federal Government mail by those authorized to use this privilege:

(1) Official mail relating exclusively to the business of the Government of the United States mailed by officers of the executive and judicial branches of the Government; official mail of legislative counsel for the House of Representatives and the Senate; official mail of the Superintendent of Documents; and official correspondence concerning the Congressional Directory under direction of the Joint Committee on Printing.

(2) All correspondence, bulletins, and reports relating to agricultural extension work and home economics carried on in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, when mailed by the college officer or other person connected with the extension department of the college who has been designated by the Secretary of Agriculture. Mailings may be deposited by the designated officer only at the authorized post office. Correspondence must be conducted under the name of the designated officer. Correspondence with autograph signature may be sealed but all other matter must be left unsealed.

(3) Bulletins, reports, periodicals, reprints of articles, and other publications necessary for the dissemination of results of researches and experiments, including lists of publications available for distribution, when mailed by agricultural experiment stations designated by the act of March 2, 1887, as amended by the act of August 11, 1955, as follows:

(i) The officer in charge of a station that claims the privilege of sending materials without prepayment of postage through the mail must file an application with the Office of Rates and Classification, Finance Department, through the post office where the station is located, stating the date of establishment of the station, its name or designation, its official organization, the names of its officers, the name of the college, school or institution to which it is attached, if any, the legislation of the State or Territory providing for its establishment, and any other legislation granting it the benefits of the act of Congress referred to in this section.

(4) Annual reports of Governmentaided colleges established under the act of July 2, 1862, when addressed to the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and to any other Gov

ernment-aided college. The postmaster receiving the annual reports from an officer of the college will use a post office penalty envelope or label to send it through the mail.

(5) Copyright material sent to the Register of Copyrights with claim for registration, as follows:

(i) Postmasters receiving the claim for registration and any articles that are required to accompany the claim will use a post office penalty envelope or label to send the matter to the Register of Copyrights, Washington, D.C. 20540.

(ii) If requested to do so, the postmaster will give a receipt for articles delivered to him to accompany a claim for registration.

(iii) When desired, the person submitting copyright matter to the postmaster may also present the fee for copyright registration enclosed in a sealed envelope addressed to Register of Copyrights, Washington, D.C. 20540, which must have postage prepaid at the letter rate. The postmaster, after canceling the postage stamps, will enclose the envelope containing the fee together with the copyright material in the post office penalty envelope sent to the Register of Copyrights.

(iv) Matter for copyright enclosed in post office penalty envelopes will not be sent by registered mail unless the registry fee is prepaid.

(c) Methods of preparing official mail (1) Postage and fees paid. (i) Authorized Departments and Agencies are: Administrative Conference of the United States.

Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental
Relations.

Agency for International Development.
Agriculture, Department of.

Air Force, Department of.

Alaska Railroad.

American Battle Monuments Commission. Appalachian Regional Commission.

Architect of the Capitol.

Army, Department of.

Atlantic-Pacific Interoceanic Canal Study Commission.

Atomic Energy Commission.

Botanic Garden.

Bureau of the Budget.

Bureau of Prisons (or FBP).
Civil Aeronautics Board.
Civil Service Commission.
Coast Guard.

Commerce, Department of.

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Commission on Civil Rights.
Commission of Fine Arts.
Council of Economic Advisers.
Defense, Department of (or DOD).
Defense Supply Agency.
D.C. Court of Appeals.

D.C. Court of General Sessions.
D.C. Juvenile Court.

Employment Security Mail.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Farm Credit Administration.
Federal Aviation Agency.

Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Federal Coal Mine Safety Board of Review.
Federal Communications Commission.
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Federal Highway Administration.
Federal Home Loan Bank Board.
Federal Housing Administration.
Federal Maritime Commission.

Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Federal National Mortgage Association.
Federal Power Commission.

Federal Railroad Administration.

Federal Reserve System, Board of Governors of the.

Federal Trade Commission.

Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.
General Services Administration.
Government Printing Office.
Great Lakes Basin Commission.
Health, Education, and Welfare, Department
of.

Housing and Urban Development, Department of.

Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Indian Claims Commission.

Inter-Agency Committee on Mexican American Affairs.

Interior, Department of.
Internal Revenue Service.

International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. Section.

Interstate Commerce Commission.
John F. Kennedy Center.
Justice, Department of.

Labor, Department of.

Library of Congress.

Marine Corps.

National Advisory Council on Economic Opportunity.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

National Capital Housing Authority.

National Capital Planning Commission.

National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities.

National Gallery of Art.

National Institutes of Health.

National Labor Relations Board.

National Mediation Board,

National Science Foundation.

National Security Council.

Navy, Department of.

New England River Basin Commission.
Office of Civil Defense.

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(c) The eagle may be reduced in size to not less than 5% inch by 1% inches and the indicia area to not less than 14 inches by 2 inches.

(d) Use of the eagle symbol as part of the indicia is optional on larger than letter-size mail.

(e) The eagle symbol may be omitted on self-mailers completely printed by computer with no provisions for printing designs other than letters and numerals, provided the items are faced, sorted, and tied in bundles by ZIP Code.

(iv) This mail must bear the complete return address, the words "Official Business," and the statement "Penalty for private use, $300" in the upper left corner of the mail piece.

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the words "Official Business." No return name and address of a private person or firm may be shown.

(b) When a special service is required, the reply envelope or label must be preprinted with the type of special service desired. Users of reply labels may not add their own markings for these services.

(vi) Official mail of designated State extension directors must bear in the upper left corner the name of the agricultural college and the name of the post office at which the mail is to be accepted without prepayment of postage, followed by the name and title of the designated officer and the words "Cooperative Agricultural Extension Work-Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914." The eagle symbol and the words "Postage and Fees Paid U.S. Department of Agriculture" must appear in the upper right corner of the address side.

(vii) Official mailings by agricultural experiment stations must bear in the upper left corner of the address side the name of the station, the name of the post office at which the matter is to be accepted, and the name and title of the officer in charge of the station, followed by the word "Publication." The title of the bulletin or report may be used. The eagle symbol and the words "Postage Paid U.S. Department of Agriculture” must appear in the upper right corner of the address side.

(viii) Enter the word "Airmail" approximately one-fourth inch below the indicia if the mail piece is to be sent by air. Other endorsements for special services or class of mail should be placed in the same area.

(2) Penalty mail. (i) Penalty mail, subject to the restrictions of paragraph (d) of this section, is sent without prepayment of postage. Envelopes, cards, labels, tags and wrappers used in transmitting official mail under the penalty privilege must bear the appropriate indicia, which may not be handwritten or typewritten. (ii) Indicia.

(a) The indicia for letter size official mail of departments or agencies which do not use the Postage and Fees Paid system shall consist of: The eagle symbol (shown actual size below) located threeeighths-inch from the top edge of the mail piece; and the statement "Penalty

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(b) The eagle may be reduced in size to not less than five-eighths inch by 1% inches and the indicia area to not less than 14 inches by 2 inches.

(c) Use of the eagle symbol as part of the indicia is optional on larger than letter-size mail.

(d) The eagle symbol may be omitted on self-mailers completely printed by computer with no provisions for printing designs other than letters and numerals, provided the items are faced, sorted, and tied in bundles by ZIP Code.

(iii) This mail must bear the complete return address and the words "Official Business" in the upper left corner of the mail piece.

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(iv) Air mail or other endorsements: Enter the word "Airmail" approximately one-quarter inch below the indicia if the mail piece is to be sent by air. Other endorsements for special services or class of mail should be placed in the same area.

(3) Penalty. Penalty mail, subject to the restrictions of paragraph (d) of this section, is sent without prepayment of postage. Envelopes, cards, labels, tags, and wrappers used in transmitting official mail under the penalty privilege must bear in the upper right corner of the address side the printed statement of the penalty of misuse: "Penalty for Private Use to Avoid Payment of Postage,

$300." The printed statement of the penalty for misuse may not be handwritten or typewritten. They must also show, over the words "Official Business" in the upper left corner of the address side, the name and address including ZIP Code of the department, bureau, office, or officer.

(4) Prepaid postage. Official mail which is not sent as penalty mail or as postage and fees paid mail must have postage prepaid. The regular rates and conditions apply except that postage on official mail weighing over 4 pounds may be paid at the fourth-class rates. See paragraph (e) (1) of this section.

(d) Use. (1) The markings authorized on official mail in paragraph (c) of this section may not be placed on other mail to avoid payment of postage or special service fees.

(2) Any department or office authorized to use the official mail privilege may furnish self-addressed envelopes or labels to persons or concerns for their convenience in submitting official information desired by any U.S. Government department or agency. Reply envelopes may not be furnished to bidders or contractors, or to enable private persons or concerns to send without prepayment of postage reports or other information which they are required by law to make.

(3) The right of an officer to use the official mail privilege ceases immediately on his going out of office.

(4) Official matter of those departments and agencies listed in § 137.2(c) (1) (i) that is marked "Postage and Fees Paid" (name of department or agency) shall be given any special service, including airmail, when it is so marked by the sender without requiring prepayment of postage or fees. See Publication 42, regarding international mail.

(5) Airmail and the special services may not be given official mail in penalty envelopes without prepayment of air postage or prepayment of the appropriate fee for the special service requested. EXCEPTION: Penalty envelopes of a President-elect (see § 137.7) and those containing urgent official communications of the Postal Service may be sent airmail without prepayment of the postage. Official mail of the Postal Service may be sent as registered, certified, or special delivery mail without prepayment of the postage or fees.

(e) Weight and size limits—(1) Weight-(i) Penalty mail. No article or package of official matter, or number of articles or packages of official matter, constituting in fact a single shipment exceeding 4 pounds may be admitted to the mail under the penalty privilege except stamped paper and supplies sold or used by the Postal Service, and books or documents published or circulated by order of Congress when mailed by the Superintendent of Documents. Official matter in packages exceeding 4 pounds, if otherwise mailable, will be accepted on payment of postage at the fourthclass rates within the limits of weight prescribed for such matter. (See § 135.3 (a) of this chapter.) Such parcels may be sealed or unsealed, and may include written matter when mailed at those rates. Official matter of the Postal Service, and books and documents circulated by order of Congress when mailed by the Superintendent of Documents, may weigh up to 70 pounds.

(ii) Postage and fees paid mail. Maximum weight as § 135.3(a) except airmail. See § 136.3.

(iii) Prepaid Government mail. Maximum weight same as § 135.3 (a) except airmail. See § 136.3.

(2) Size. (i) Mail, shall, when physically possible, be prepared so as to be within the range of sizes which can be machine processed, and also most efficiently hand processed. This range of sizes, referred to as letter-size mail, is as follows:

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1 Cards exceeding 44 inches in height and/or 6 inches in length must be at least 0.009-inch thick and should not be thicker than 0.013 inch.

(ii) In instances where mail pieces must be larger than letter-size, avoid the use of items over 9 inches by 12 inches whenever possible. Items larger than that are especially difficult to handle even by manual methods.

(iii) Mail, other than letter-size mail, may measure not to exceed the limitations stated in § 135.3(a). See § 135.3(b) for instructions on how to measure.

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