CFR

102-192.155—What should our agency-wide mail management policy statement cover?

You should have a written, agency-wide mail management policy statement that, at a minimum, addresses—

(a) Mail center security, as discussed in §§ 102-192.70, 102-192.75 and 102-192.80 ;

(b) Your expectations regarding program level accountability, postage expenditure data, and commercial payment processes;

(d) Centralized mail processing, worksharing, consolidation, and commingling to obtain postage savings;

(e) Tracking incoming packages and accountable mail;

(f) Maintaining centralized control of outgoing mail, especially outgoing express packages and letters;

(g) Tracking and managing mail costs within printing contracts;

(h) Training and professional certification for mail center managers and employees;

(i) Addressing, including machine readability, formatting, use of correct street addresses, and minimizing use of hand-written addresses;

(j) Ensuring that a USPS mail piece design analyst is consulted when creating a new mail piece;

(k) Reviewing large mailings by mail managers before they are sent to printing or a print contractor;

(l) Acceptance and processing of incoming and outgoing personal mail;

(m) Limiting unsolicited mail and mail addressed to unknown persons and former employees; and

(n) Reporting all activities to include all postage costs associated with mailing, printing, and materials, to the agency mail manager.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note (1) to § 102-92.155 (l) and (m): Every agency should establish specific policies for incoming and outgoing personal mail. In general, personal mail should be discouraged or prohibited. However, an agency may establish a policy to accept and process personal mail for personnel living on a Federal facility, personnel stationed outside the United States, or personnel in other situations who would otherwise suffer hardship.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note (2) to § 102-92.155 (l) and (m): Mailing costs associated with filing travel vouchers, and the payment of Government sponsored travel card billings, are considered to be “incidental expenses” covered by the traveler's “per diem allowance,” as provided for in the Federal Travel Regulation (41 CFR 300-3.1 ). Such mailing costs must, therefore, be paid out of the employee's per diem allowance.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note (3) to § 102-92.155 (l) and (m): Every reasonable attempt must be made to deliver first class mail, priority mail, and express mail (regardless of carrier), or to return it to the sender if the addressee cannot be identified. On the other hand, agencies may establish written policies that permit discarding of unwanted periodicals, bulk mail, and bound printed matter under specified circumstances.

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