republic-os/legal/us/code/title-02/chapter-16/section-502.md

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LegalText	2 U.S.C. § 502	Select Committee on Standards and Conduct of the Senate	us	united_states_code	code_section	2	THE CONGRESS	16	CONGRESSIONAL MAILING STANDARDS	502	2 U.S.C. § 502	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc02@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t2/s502	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-02/usc02.xml	4b8233a64c5be31c33ac57c28445f23e4cadac958dc373aec51248af44974fb6	ec6910a011de0a97d11b263bbcd649766188311e429ae6bdb5fc2cf5e6ebbb9e	fa3002950ca0411dabbc9da2a7d7327ae08a1d1175b721a17b2cff4ceffef19e	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

2 U.S.C. § 502 - Select Committee on Standards and Conduct of the Senate

Text

(a) Advisory opinions or consultations respecting franked mail for persons entitled to franking privilege; franking privilege regulations The Select Committee on Standards and Conduct of the Senate shall provide guidance, assistance, advice and counsel, through advisory opinions or consultations, in connection with the mailing or contemplated mailing of franked mail under section 3210, 3211, 3212, 3213(2), 3218, or 3219, and in connection with the operation of section 3215, of title 39, upon the request of any Member of the Senate or Member-elect, surviving spouse of any of the foregoing, or other Senate official, entitled to send mail as franked mail under any of those sections. The select committee shall prescribe regulations governing the proper use of the franking privilege under those sections by such persons.

(b) Complaint of franked mail violations; investigation; notice and hearing; decision of select committee; enforcement Any complaint filed by any person with the select committee that a violation of any section of title 39 referred to in subsection (a) of this section is about to occur or has occurred within the immediately preceding period of one year, by any person referred to in such subsection (a), shall contain pertinent factual material and shall conform to regulations prescribed by the select committee. The select committee, if it determines there is reasonable justification for the complaint, shall conduct an investigation of the matter, including an investigation of reports and statements filed by the complainant with respect to the matter which is the subject of the complaint. The committee shall afford to the person who is the subject of the complaint due notice and, if it determines that there is substantial reason to believe that such violation has occurred or is about to occur, opportunity for all parties to participate in a hearing before the select committee. The select committee shall issue a written decision on each complaint under this subsection not later than thirty days after such a complaint has been filed or, if a hearing is held, not later than thirty days after the conclusion of such hearing. Such decision shall be based on written findings of fact in the case by the select committee. If the select committee finds, in its written decision, that a violation has occurred or is about to occur, the committee may take such action and enforcement as it considers appropriate in accordance with applicable rules, precedents, and standing orders of the Senate, and such other standards as may be prescribed by such committee.

(c) Administrative or judicial jurisdiction of civil actions respecting franking law violations or abuses of franking privilege dependent on filing of complaint with select committee and rendition of decision by such committee Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no court or administrative body in the United States or in any territory thereof shall have jurisdiction to entertain any civil action of any character concerning or related to a violation of the franking laws or an abuse of the franking privilege by any person listed under subsection (a) of this section as entitled to send mail as franked mail, until a complaint has been filed with the select committee and the committee has rendered a decision under subsection (b) of this section.

(d) Administrative procedure regulations The select committee shall prescribe regulations for the holding of investigations and hearings, the conduct of proceedings, and the rendering of decisions under this subsection providing for equitable procedures and the protection of individual, public, and Government interests. The regulations shall, insofar as practicable, contain the substance of the administrative procedure provisions of sections 551 to 559 and 701 to 706, of title 5. These regulations shall govern matters under this subsection subject to judicial review thereof.

(e) Property of Senate; records of select committee; voting record; location of records, data, and files The select committee shall keep a complete record of all its actions, including a record of the votes on any question on which a record vote is demanded. All records, data, and files of the select committee shall be the property of the Senate and shall be kept in the offices of the select committee or such other places as the committee may direct.

(Pub. L. 93–191, § 6, Dec. 18, 1973, 87 Stat. 744; Pub. L. 93–255, § 3(b), Mar. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 52.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1974—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–255 inserted reference to section 3219 of title 39.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective Dec. 18, 1973, see section 14 of Pub. L. 93–191, set out as an Effective Date of 1973 Amendment note under section 3210 of Title 39, Postal Service.