---
type: "LegalText"
title: "39 U.S.C. § 3213"
description: "Seeds and reports from Department of Agriculture"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 39
title_name: "POSTAL SERVICE"
chapter_number: "32"
chapter_name: "PENALTY AND FRANKED MAIL"
section: "3213"
citation: "39 U.S.C. § 3213"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc39@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t39/s3213"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-39/usc39.xml"
source_hash: "03ae5433ed326cc672608b1ca731a514e963d2d7fbcd207ef9e998035ed66283"
raw_snapshot_hash: "ccea35969be78d053165f1170bf2aa826a68e5b4dea1fe3356d8a09e86e19a65"
text_hash: "5085e2d80b39ce34ba4f29c13de0ed6c0bf8a926e166fb9c7fbee687e96b3578"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 39 U.S.C. § 3213 - Seeds and reports from Department of Agriculture

## Text

Seeds and agricultural reports emanating from the Department of Agriculture may be mailed—

(1) as penalty mail by the Secretary of Agriculture; and

(2) during the 90-day period immediately following the expiration of their terms of office, as franked mail by Members of Congress.

(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 754; Pub. L. 97–69, § 5(b), Oct. 26, 1981, 95 Stat. 1043.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1981—Par. (2). Pub. L. 97–69 substituted “during the 90-day period immediately” for “until the thirtieth day of June”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective July 1, 1971, pursuant to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of this title.