Franking, on the other hand, is a process that is used to stamp the legal document. This is the process used to affix any type of mark or stamp to a paper to indicate that the stamp duty has been paid.
So, while stamp duty is a tax that you pay, franking is the process followed to stamp your papers. Any Franking machine license is valid for 5 years after date of License generation request.
After 5 years License will automatically get expire. To renew your license you have to raise renew request for particular license and pay renewal fee for the same. The American Continental Congress adopted the practice in and the First Congress wrote it into law in The franking privilege has carried an element of controversy throughout American history. During the 19th century, the privilege was commonly attacked as financially wasteful and subject to widespread abuse through its use for other than official business.
Is franking mandatory? It is mandatory to pay stamp duty for a legal document and franking is one of the ways of getting the legal document stamped. Franking charges in Karnataka, for example, are a minimum of 0. So if the property you are buying is worth Rs. In the UK, there are basically two ways to get a franking machine.
Most businesses opt for a rental contract, both because the initial price for a machine is lower and most suppliers prefer them. Nevertheless, most manufactures will allow you to buy a machine outright, if you really want one. The simple answer is that franked mail is much cheaper than stamps. A franking machine die number is something that is unique to your specific franking machine.
It is shown on every franking impression you produce, located just below the postage amount you have just paid. What is Mailmark? The existing frank mark will be replaced with a new mark that has a 2D barcode, it looks different from the existing one and brings with it new possibilities. Franking is a pre-paid postage option where a franking mark is printed directly onto the envelope or a label for parcels. Franking means your post will always have a professional finish.
BENGALURU: The state government may end physical franking of documents and instead make electronic-stamping mandatory for execution of instruments such as sale agreements and mortgage and title deeds. Analogue franking machines need a phone line to receive price and credit updates and these speeds are about kilobytes per second.
The frank is available for a limited period to former Members and certain relatives of former Members who die in office. Currently, there are no general restrictions regarding when the franking privilege may be used. Historically, Congress limited use of the privilege to when Congress was in session or specific dates surrounding the period when Congress was in session.
Senators are currently restricted from mass mailing during the 60 day period prior to federal elections, and during the 60 period prior to primary elections in which they are a candidate for any public office.
The restriction for Representatives is 90 days prior to federal or primary elections in which they are a candidate for any public office. Current law, chamber rules, and committee regulations place substantial restrictions on the content of franked mail.
The frank may not be used to solicit money or votes, and the materials being mailed cannot relate to political campaigns, political parties, biographical accounts, or holiday greetings.
Current law also places specific regulations on the content of individual pieces of mail. Members are restricted in the number and placement of pictures of themselves, repeated use of their name, and the use of biographical material, most commonly found in constituent newsletters. Historically, there was less regulation on the content of franked mail. Historically, Congress has regulated the amount of franked mail Members may send in a variety of ways.
During all of the 19 th century and most of the 20 th century, the total amount of franked mail individual Members could send was not limited. After the authorization of "postal patron" mailings, Members were limited to a specific number of mass mailings.
Currently, Members are limited in their total amount of franked mail by cost. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and subsequently the respective chambers, determine the amount to be appropriated for each of the two bodies. Each Member receives an allotment from these appropriations.
In the Senate, the mail allowance is one of three allowances that comprise each Senator's "personnel and official expense accounts. Subject to law and Senate regulations, the combined funds may be used without limitation in any one allocation category. Since January 3, , in the House the combined funds for each Representative's franked mail, office staff, and office expenses "Members Representational Allowance" may be used without limitation in any one allocation category, subject to law and House regulation.
Since October , Representatives have been prohibited from sending mass mailings outside their districts. Contemporary critics of the franking privilege have offered a number of suggestions to abolish or change the privilege. Several of these ideas have been incorporated in bills in recent Congresses.
Among the ideas are the following proposals. Although the franking privilege has only been abolished once, bills for its abolition have been introduced regularly in Congress since the s. Some proponents advocate replacing the frank with a postage stamp allowance for Members as part of their representational allowance. This option, however, does not directly address contemporary concerns about the frank. Because all franking is now individually charged against Member expense accounts, switching to a stamp allowance would have only a symbolic effect as an abolition of the frank.
A second option would be for Members to use the penalty mail system under the same restriction as other federal employees. This option would likely reduce congressional mail costs significantly. It could also impair the ability of Members to communicate with their constituents. A ban on all unsolicited mass mailings could potentially save millions of dollars in congressional mail costs and reduce concerns about the effect of franked mass mailings on congressional elections.
A related option would be to reduce the number of mailings that constitute a mass mailing to a smaller number from The prohibition would not have covered certain other types of mass mailings made by Members, including federal documents such as the Congressional Record or voter registration information. The proposed legislation would have applied only to Representatives; it would not have affected mass mailings made by Senators.
Similarly, H. Unlike a ban on mass mailing, however, a ban on unsolicited mailings might be governed by rules similar to the House's current email policy, allowing unsolicited mass communications to constituents on a subscriber list. Opponents argue that a prohibition on unsolicited mail would restrict the ability of Members to communicate with their constituents. Bills to extend the current pre-election ban on mass mailings have been introduced in Congress in recent years, ranging from an extension of the prohibited period to days prior to the general and primary elections to a year-long ban that would prohibit mass mailings during the second session of each Congress.
Some critics of the franking privilege have raised concerns about its effect on elections and have advocated giving franking privileges to challengers in congressional elections. Opponents have argued that use of the frank is currently prohibited for political purposes and that challengers in congressional elections would inherently be using the frank for campaign purposes.
Critics of the frank advocate reducing the overall mail allowance for both Senators and Representatives. Currently, each Senator's franking allowance is determined by a formula that gives a maximum allowance equal to the cost of one first-class mailing to every address in their state. Currently, individual Member franking costs are disclosed by both the House and Senate. Other proponents propose putting the individual cost of each mass mailing on each piece of the mailing.
The legislation would not have affected mass mailings made by Senators. Although the franking privilege has existed almost continuously since the founding of the nation, the legal restrictions on its use have routinely been altered by Congress. Two important trends emerge from this analysis. First, restrictions on the use of the frank— who is entitled to frank mail, what is entitled to be franked, how much material can be sent, where the franked material can be sent, and when franked material can be sent—have been both tightened and loosened by Congress throughout history.
This reflects a normative ambiguity about the privilege, with Congress seeking to balance a perceived democratic need for the franking privilege against charges of abuse, wastefulness, and incumbency protection. Second, Members of Congress continue to use the frank to communicate with constituents, despite the rise of alternative forms of mass communication. Although illegal use of the frank has been largely curtailed, contemporary critics of the privilege continue to voice concerns about wastefulness and incumbency protection.
Recent proposed changes to the franking privilege reflect these concerns, seeking to reduce the overall volume of franked mail and the impact of mass mailings on elections, while maintaining the ability of Members to effectively communicate with constituents. Only Members of Congress are discussed in this section; other persons eligible for the franking privilege are discussed later in this report. This report does not cover penalty mail or other subsidized mailings.
Penalty mail, defined as official mail of officers of the United States other than Members of Congress that is either required by law or sent upon official request, may be sent through the mails under official penalty covers, without payment, subject to law and regulations. See 39 U. The penalty mail system developed in the 19 th century to replace use of the frank by executive branch officials.
The name "penalty mail" is derived from official envelopes originally used to carry such mail. Journals of the Continental Congress, , 34 vols. Worthington C. Ford et al. New York: Johnson Reprint Corp. Journals of the Continental Congress, , vol. Act of Congress, September 22, , 1 Stat. See also Act of Congress, August 4, , 1 Stat.
Act of Congress, May 1, , 2 Stat. See Richard R. In addition, the Post Office Department did not require prepayment for mail until January 1, See Act of Congress, March 3, , 10 Stat.
Prior to the use of pre-printed envelopes containing Member names, some Members resorted to using rubber stamps with their signatures on them. See Ross M. English, "Franking Privilege," included in Donald C. Bacon et al. Kelly B. Olds, "The Challenge to the U. Act of Congress, March 3, , 5 Stat. As detailed later in this report, use of the frank had a significant impact on the cost of paid mail. The law also required postmasters to use special envelopes for free mail, a precursor to the penalty mail envelope later developed.
The Act of also extended the period of time Members could use the privilege to the December following the end of a session of Congress. Act of Congress, March 3, , 9 Stat. The appropriation was increased in but then abolished in See Act of March 3, , 9 Stat. These official stamps were also used for all official mail sent by employees in the executive branch.
In , the stamps were discontinued and replaced with so-called penalty envelopes, the basis for the contemporary penalty mail system. The act also directed executive branch penalty mail, also previously paid for out of the budget of the Post Office Department, to be charged against agency budgets and treated as revenue.
The law also limited postal patron mailings to the district a Member represented. In several cases, the Post Office Department was unsuccessful in collection efforts. For instance, in April , the Post Office Department issued The Congressional Franking Privilege , which offered guidance and illustrative rulings on the frankability of different mail matter.
Memorandum of Timothy J. Letter from David A. Subsequent interpretive rulings in the House and Senate have produced a more precise definition of "candidate" for the purposes of the pre-election mail ban. Since Members could insert anything they wanted into it, the Congressional Record had long been a loophole for mailing things that would have otherwise been unfrankable.
See Andrew H. Doc Washington: GPO, , pp. Congress later statutorily required both Representatives and Senators to pay the costs of franked mail from funds specifically appropriated for that purpose, and prohibited the use of supplemental funds from private and public sources. See P. Coalition to End the Permanent Government v. Marvin T. Runyon et al. Certain communications, such as news releases and information posted to Member websites, are exempted from these restrictions.
Franking Commission rules provide specific procedures for the filing and disposition of complaints. See ibid. The privilege is restricted to the sending of mail relating to the closing of their office. During the same period, former Members may send and receive as franked mail all public documents printed by order of Congress 39 U.
Act of Congress, March 1, , 9 Stat. This structured the franking privilege of former Members to run from the end of the previous Congress until the constitutionally prescribed default start of the 1 st session of the next Congress, approximately days.
With rare exceptions, prior to the 20 th Amendment, new Congresses did not begin their first session until the following December. Act of Congress, March 3, , 12 Stat. Act of Congress, June 18, , 48 Stat. Although this change only slightly altered the amount of time former Members could use the frank, it illustrates a development in the congressional intent of granting the franking privilege to former Members. The original law was structured to allow former Members use of the frank until the beginning first session of the next Congress.
The law was structured to give Members use of the frank for a specified length of time, unrelated to the start of the next session of Congress.
The legislative history suggests that in , Congress understood the purpose of the law as giving former Members a period of time to close up unfinished business and dispose of their allotment of public documents, not as a mechanism for providing uninterrupted communication between constituents and representatives. Of the 34 U. Presidents who died prior to , 23 were survived by a spouse. Only two—Mrs.
John Letitia Tyler and Mrs. Andrew Eliza Johnson—were not granted the franking privilege. Harry Bess Truman and Mrs. Lyndon Lady Bird Johnson, whose husbands died in December and January , respectively, were granted the privilege in a law enacted in Prior to , the privilege was granted without restriction on the political content of the mail. See, e. Official mail costs include franked mail only, and do not include the cost of stationery supplies or production costs.
Throughout this report, cost figures are based on U. Postal Service data found in the Annual Report of the Postmaster General , additional data provided by the Postal Service, and mass mailing information contained in the Statement of Disbursements of the House and the Report of the Secretary of the Senate. Postal Monopoly," pp. For example, see U. Charles Francis Adams, ed. Philadelphia: J. Mudd Manuscript Library. Representative Francis Smith of Maine noted in that every Member of Congress "feels that his reelection is more or less dependent on an active exercise of [the franking privilege].
London: Richard Bentley, , vol. Edinburgh: William Blackwood, , vol. Alfred A. Porro and Stuart A. Hutchinson et al. Samuel Kernell and Gary C. The House and Senate define "candidate" differently.
For Representatives, a candidate is a "Member whose name appears anywhere on any official ballot to be used in such election. See also U. Recent bills to abolish the frank include H. A mass mailing is defined in 39 U. If the total Senate appropriation for official mail is less than the amount required for the maximum allowance, each Senator's allowance is proportionally reduced. Funds for franked mail are allocated according to a formula based on the number of addresses in each Member's district.
Committee Order No. Individual House Member mailing costs and mass mailing costs are available in the quarterly Statement of Disbursements of the House. Senate costs are available in the bi-annual Report of the Secretary of the Senate.
Topic Areas About Donate. Franking Privilege: Historical Development and Options for Change December 5, — May 3, RL The franking privilege, which allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage, has existed in the United States since colonial times. Download PDF. Download EPUB. When Can the Frank Be Used? Summary The franking privilege, which allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage, has existed in the United States since colonial times.
Introduction The franking privilege, which allows Members of Congress to transmit mail matter under their signature without postage, has existed in the United States since colonial times.
History of the Congressional Franking Privilege 1 Since , Congress has statutorily altered the franking privilege numerous times. Origins of the Franking Privilege The franking privilege has its roots in 17 th century Great Britain. Significant Restrictions, Popular perception of abuse of the franking privilege during the middle of the 19 th century led Congress to abolish the privilege in Vice President The Vice President is currently eligible for the franking privilege under similar terms as Members of Congress.
Congressional Officers Currently, the secretary of the Senate, the sergeant at arms of the Senate, each of the elected officers of the House other than a Member of the House , the legislative counsels of the House and Senate, the law revision counsel of the House, and the Senate legal counsel are granted the franking privilege. Former Members of Congress Former Members of Congress are currently eligible for the franking privilege for the day period immediately following the date on which they leave office.
Executive Branch Officials Since , officials in the executive branch have used penalty mail for official government correspondence. Postmasters Early franking statutes granted the franking privilege to local postmasters. Cost of Franking Although the word "frank" is derived from the Latin francus , meaning "free," the franking privilege is not free.
Defense of the Franking Privilege Defenders of congressional franking argue that the privilege continues to facilitate the same important democratic purposes—communication between citizens and representatives and the spreading of political news—that it served during the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Linking Citizens and Representatives Proponents of the franking privilege argue that the frank allows Members to fulfill their representative duties by providing for greater communication between the Member and an individual constituent.
Dimensions of the Franking Privilege In general, the franking privileges granted to Members at any given point in time can be defined by five dimensions: who is entitled to frank mail, what is entitled to be franked, how much material can be sent, where franked material can be sent, and when franked material can be sent.
0コメント