1. U.S. Code
  2. title 39
  3. part IV
  4. chapter 34
  5. § 3403

Collapse to view only § 3403. Matter for blind and other handicapped persons

§ 3401. Mailing privileges of members of Armed Forces of the United States
(a)
(1) First-class letter mail having the character of personal correspondence shall be carried, at no cost to the sender, in the manner provided by this section, when mailed by an eligible individual described in paragraph (2) and addressed to a place within the delivery limits of a United States post office, if—
(A) such letter mail is mailed by the eligible individual at an Armed Forces post office established in an overseas area designated by the President, where the Armed Forces of the United States are deployed for a contingency operation as determined by the Secretary of Defense; or
(B) the eligible individual is hospitalized as a result of disease or injury incurred as a result of service in an overseas area designated by the President under subparagraph (A).
(2) An eligible individual described in this paragraph is—
(A) a member of the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, as defined in section 101 of title 10; or
(B) a civilian employee of the Department of Defense or a military department who is providing support to military operations.
(b) There shall be transported by surface or air, consistent with the service purchased by the mailer, between Armed Forces post offices or from an Armed Forces post office to a point of entry into the United States, the following categories of mail matter which are mailed at any such Armed Forces post office:
(1) Letter mail communications having the character of personal correspondence.
(2) Any parcel exceeding 1 pound in weight but less than 70 pounds in weight and less than 130 inches in length and girth combined.
(3) Publications published not less frequently than once per week and featuring principally current news of interest to members of the Armed Forces of the United States and the general public.
(c) The Department of Defense shall transfer to the Postal Service as postal revenues, out of any appropriations or funds available to the Department of Defense, as a necessary expense of the appropriations or funds and of the activities concerned, the equivalent amount of postage due, as determined by the Postal Service, for matter sent in the mails under authority of subsection (a) of this section.
(d) The Department of Defense shall transfer to the Postal Service as postal revenues, out of any appropriations or funds available to the Department of Defense, as a necessary expense of the appropriations or funds and of the activities concerned, sums equal to the expenses incurred by the Postal Service, as determined by the Postal Service, in providing air transportation for mail mailed at or addressed to Armed Forces post offices established under section 406 of this title, but reimbursement under this subsection shall not include the expense of air transportation (1) for which the Postal Service collects a special charge to the extent the special charge covers the additional expense of air transportation or (2) that is provided by the Postal Service at the same postage rate or charge for mail which is neither mailed at nor addressed to an Armed Forces post office.
(e) This section shall be administered under such conditions, and under such regulations, as the Postal Service and the Secretary of Defense jointly may prescribe.
(f) In this section:
(1) The term “military aircraft” means an aircraft owned, operated, or chartered by the Department of Defense.
(2) The term “United States air carrier” has the meaning given the term “air carrier” in section 40102 of title 49.
(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 755; Pub. L. 92–469, Oct. 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 782; Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1331(e)(2), Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 482; Pub. L. 98–443, § 9(g)(1), Oct. 4, 1984, 98 Stat. 1707; Pub. L. 101–384, Sept. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 737; Pub. L. 101–509, title VI, § 631(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1480; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XI, § 1113, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1636; Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title X, § 1051(b)(3), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2498; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title III, § 364, Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1628; Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(k)(1), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1375; Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title X, § 1088], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–294; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title X, § 1071, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2056; Pub. L. 110–405, § 2(b)(10), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4290; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title X, § 1055(a)–(c)(1), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1592, 1593.)

CITE AS: 39 USC 3401

[§ 3402. Repealed. Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 1331(e)(3)(A), Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 482]

CITE AS: 39 USC 3402

§ 3403. Matter for blind and other handicapped persons
(a) The matter described in subsection (b) of this section (other than matter mailed under section 3404 of this title) may be mailed free of postage, if—
(1) the matter is for the use of the blind or other persons who cannot use or read conventionally printed material because of a physical impairment and who are certified by competent authority as unable to read normal reading material in accordance with the provisions of sections 135a and 135b of title 2;
(2) no charge, or rental, subscription, or other fee, is required for such matter or a charge, or rental, subscription, or other fee is required for such matter not in excess of the cost thereof;
(3) the matter may be opened by the Postal Service for inspection; and
(4) the matter contains no advertising.
(b) The free mailing privilege provided by subsection (a) of this section is extended to—
(1) reading matter and musical scores;
(2) sound reproductions;
(3) paper, records, tapes, and other material for the production of reading matter, musical scores, or sound reproductions;
(4) reproducers or parts thereof, for sound reproductions; and
(5) braille writers, typewriters, educational or other materials or devices, or parts thereof, used for writing by, or specifically designed or adapted for use of, a blind person or a person having a physical impairment as described in subsection (a)(1) of this section.
(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 757.)

CITE AS: 39 USC 3403

§ 3404. Unsealed letters sent by blind or physically handicapped persons

Unsealed letters sent by a blind person or a person having a physical impairment, as described in section 3403(a)(1) of this title, in raised characters or sightsaving type, or in the form of sound recordings, may be mailed free of postage.

(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 758.)

CITE AS: 39 USC 3404

§ 3405. Markings

All matter relating to blind or other handicapped persons mailed under section 3403 or 3404 of this title, shall bear the words “Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped”, or words to that effect specified by the Postal Service, in the upper right-hand corner of the address area.

(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 758.)

CITE AS: 39 USC 3405

§ 3406. Balloting materials under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
(a) Balloting materials under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (individually or in bulk)—
(1) shall be carried expeditiously and free of postage; and
(2) may be mailed at a post office established outside the United States under section 406 of this title, unless such mailing is prohibited by treaty or other international agreement of the United States.
(b) As used in this section, the term “balloting materials” has the meaning given that term in section 107 of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
(Added Pub. L. 99–410, title II, § 201(a), Aug. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 928.)

CITE AS: 39 USC 3406