,i #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ddgf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #f1 #bjbc,mrs4 ,chavez-,de,remer introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,oversight and ,accountability1 and in addition to the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 to establish standards for the processing and delivery of election mail1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,election ,integrity ,mail ,reform ,act of #bjbc4 #b4 ,requirements with respect to election mail 7a7 ,prioritizing election mail ,title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by adding after chapter #cf the following3 #cg ,election and ,political ,mail ,sec4 #cgja4 ,prioritization of processing and delivery of election mail4#cgjb4 ,use of nonprofit permit for cooperative mailings4#cgjc4 ,marking or notice on election mail4#cgjd4 ,application to ,uniformed and ,overseas ,citizens ,absentee ,voting ,act4 #cgja4 ,prioritization of processing and delivery of election mail 7a7 ,in general ,the ,postal ,service shall give priority to the processing and delivery of election mail4 ,in carrying out this subsection1 the ,postal ,service shall at a minimum-- 7#a7 deliver any election mail regardless of the amount of postage paid2 7#b7 shall1 to the greatest extent practicable1 process and clear election mail from any postal facility each day2 and 7#c7 carry and deliver election mail expeditiously4 7b7 ,election mail with insufficient postage ,in carrying out subsection 7a77#a71 the ,postal ,service shall process and deliver election mail with insufficient postage in the same manner as election mail with sufficient postage1 but may collect insufficient postage after delivery of any election mail with insufficient postage4 7c7 ,underfunded or overdrawn accounts ,the ,postal ,service shall process and deliver election mail1 under the standards in place under subsection 7a71 sent from a customer using an account registered with the ,postal ,service 7including a corporate account or an advance deposit account7 even if such account is underfunded or overdrawn4 ,nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or otherwise prevent the ,postal ,service from seeking reimbursement from any person regarding unpaid postage4 7d7 ,election mail defined ,in this chapter1 the term election mail means any item mailed to or from an individual for purposes of the individual's participation in an election for public office1 including balloting materials1 voter registration cards1 absentee ballot applications1 polling place notification and photographic voter identification materials4 #cgjb4 ,use of nonprofit permit for cooperative mailings ,notwithstanding any other law1 rule1 or regulation1 a national1 ,state1 or local committee of a political party 7as defined under the ,federal ,election ,campaign ,act of #aiga7 which is eligible to mail at the nonprofit rate may conduct a cooperative mailing at that nonprofit rate with a candidate1 a candidate's committee1 or another committee of a political party1 and may seek reimbursement from such a candidate1 candidate's committee1 or committee of a political party for the costs of such mailing4 #cgjc4 ,marking or notice on election mail 7a7 ,in general ,for the purposes of assisting election officials in processing election mail1 the ,postal ,service shall place a marking or notice indicating that a piece of mail is election mail4 7b7 ,requirements ,the ,postal ,service may determine the appropriate manner in which subsection 7a7 is carried out1 but at a minimum such marking or notice shall-- 7#a7 be placed1 as soon as practicable1 at the time the election mail is received by the ,postal ,service1 in a conspicuous and legible type or in a common machine-readable technology on the envelope or other cover in which the election mail is mailed2 and 7#b7 clearly demonstrate the date and time that such marking or notice was so placed4 7c7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section may be construed as requiring any change to the processes and procedures used by the ,postal ,service with respect to ,postal ,service barcodes on envelopes carried or delivered by the ,postal ,service4 #cgjd4 ,application to ,uniformed and ,overseas ,citizens ,absentee ,voting ,act ,this chapter shall not apply to balloting materials under the ,uniformed and ,overseas ,citizens ,absentee ,voting ,act and nothing in this chapter shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect the operation of such ,act or section #cdjf of this title4 4 7b7 ,postmarking stamps ,section #ejc of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,whoever forges and inserting 7a7 ,whoever forges2 7#b7 by striking or such impression thereof1 and all that follows and inserting the following3 or such impression thereof-- 7#a7 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years1 or both2 or 7#b7 if the impression from a postmarking stamp or impression thereof forged1 counterfeited1 used1 sold1 or possessed in violation of this section is applied to a mailed ballot for an election for ,federal1 ,state1 or local office1 shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than #aj years1 or both4 2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end following new subsection3 7a7 ,whoever1 with the intent to falsify the date on which a postmark was applied1 applies to a mailed ballot described in subsection 7a77#b7 a genuine postmark that bears a date other than the date on which such postmark was applied1 shall be subject to the penalties set forth in such subsection4 4