Special Bulk Third-Class RatesState or Local Voting Registration Officials

POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111

Special Bulk Third-Class Rates--State or Local Voting

Registration Officials

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: On May 13, 1993, the President signed into law Public Law 103-

31, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, amending Title 39,

United States Code, by adding section 3629. The amendment authorizes

voting registration officials to mail certain third-class matter at the

special bulk third-class rates, effective January 1, 1995. This notice

contains regulations that the Postal Service proposes for implementing

this legislation.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 3, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to Manager,

Mailing Standards, USPS Headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW,

Washington, DC 20260-2419. Copies of all written comments will be

available for inspection and photocopying between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, in Room 6800 at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ernest Collins, (202) 268-5316.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993

states that the Postal Service shall make available to a state or local

voting registration official the rate for any class of mail that is

available to a qualified nonprofit organization under 39 U.S.C. 3626

for the purpose of making a mailing that the official certifies is

required by the Act. The law applies only to state or local voting

registration officials in those states and the District of Columbia

that require a voter to register to vote before the date of voting in a

general election for public office. In accordance with this

legislation, the Postal Service proposes an amendment to Domestic Mail

Manual (DMM) section E370.3.0 to describe the mailers eligible for an

authorization to mail at the special rates, and to DMM E370.5.0 to

describe the matter that may be mailed by those entitled to mail at the

special rates under the new provision.

As information, the procedures for mailers seeking authorization

under the new provisions, and mailing under these authorizations, will

be similar to those for nonprofit organizations mailing at the special

rates. Each state and local voting registration official must submit

Form 3624, Application to Mail at Special Bulk Third-Class Rates, at

each post office where materials will be mailed at the special bulk

third-class rates. Voting registration officials will not be allowed to

mail at the special rates before receiving an authorization from the

Postal Service. After submitting an application, the voting

registration official may mail qualifying material under a pending

arrangement through arrangements with the postmaster. If the

application is approved, the Postal Service will refund to the voting

registration official the difference in postage paid between the

regular rates and the special bulk third-class rates for mailings made

after the effective date of the authorization. The authorization should

be requested, and will be issued, by the title of the official head of

the government agency responsible for the registration of voters. As

with all mailers authorized to mail at the special rates, only third-

class matter, deposited in prescribed minimum quantities and prepared

in accordance with postal regulations, is eligible for these rates. In

addition to these general requirements, the material must also be

required or authorized by the Act. Finally, mailers must complete and

deposit with each permit imprint mailing the appropriate mailing

statement: Form 3602-N, Statement of Mailing With Permit Imprint Third-

Class Mail (Nonprofit Rates Only); or Form 3602-PVN, Plant-Verified

Drop Shipment (PVDS) Consolidated Mailing Statement Register Third-

Class (Special Rates Only: Permit Imprint). The certification sections

on the statements will be modified by inserting a new item number 6 as

follows and renumbering current item 6 as item 7:

``The signature of a mailer certifies that: * * * (6) the

mailing, if made by a voting registration official, is required or

authorized by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993; * * *.''

Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the

Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)) regarding proposed

rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites comments on

the following proposed revisions of the DMM, incorporated by reference

in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR part 111.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

Postal Service.

PART 111--[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as

follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 3001-

3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.

2. In the Domestic Mail Manual, section E370 is amended by revising

E370.3.0 and E370.5.0. The proposed text is as follows:

E-Eligibility

* * * * *

E370 Special (Nonprofit) Bulk Rates

* * * * *

[Change title of 3.0 as follows:]

3.0 Qualified Political Committees and State or Local Voting

Registration Official

* * * * *

3.2 Definitions

For the standards in 3.1:

* * * * *

[Add 3.3 as follows:]

3.3 State or Local Voting Registration Official

Voting registration officials in a state or the District of

Columbia are authorized to mail certain third-class materials at the

special bulk third-class rates under the National Voter Registration

Act of 1993 (see 5.10).

* * * * *

5.0 Eligible Matter

* * * * *

[Renumber current 5.10 as 5.11 and add new 5.10 as follows:]

5.10 Voting Registration Official

The voting registration official may mail, at the special rates,

only qualifying third-class matter that is required or authorized to be

mailed at those rates by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

* * * * *

An appropriate amendment to 39 CFR 111.3 to reflect these changes

will be published if the proposal is adopted.

Stanley F. Mires,

Chief Counsel, Legislative.

[FR Doc. 94-21753 Filed 9-1-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7710-12-P