In the waning days of its 106th session, Congress passed legislation establishing postal-rate provisions for certain subclasses, including library and educational mail. After passing the Senate October 6, the bill was approved by the House October 11. President Clinton was expected to sign it shortly.
ALA’s Washington Office said that the measure would provide some classes with a cap provision that should limit the large increases proposed yearly by the Postal Service. It includes a Special Rule for Library and Educational Matter stating that “postage on each mailing of such mail shall be as nearly as practicable 5% lower than the postage for corresponding regular-rate mailing.”
Congress also approved a Legislative Branch Appropriations bill that reflected slight reductions from fiscal year 2000 in the Government Printing Office’s Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation and the Superintendent of Documents operations, following a directive by conferees calling for cost savings through online access and electronic formats.
The bill also calls for a study of the printing needs of the House of Representatives that is to include “an assessment of the feasibility of the transfer of the depository library program to the Library of Congress.”
Posted October 23, 2000.