A. Policy. It is DoD policy that mailing costs shall be kept at a minimum consistent with timeliness and applicable postal regulations. (See DoD Instruction 4525.71 and DoD 4525.8-M.2 Responsible officials shall consult with appropriate postal authorities to obtain resolution of specific problems.

B. Definition. DoD appropriated fund postage includes all means of paying postage using funds appropriated for the Department of Defense. These means include meter imprints and stamps, permit imprints, postage stamps, and other means authorized by the U.S. Postal Service.

C. Use of appropriated fund postage.

1. DoD appropriated fund postage shall be used only for:

a. Mailing copies to satisfy mandatory distribution requirements.

b. Mailing copies to other public affairs offices for administrative purposes.

c. Mailing copies to headquarters in the chain of command.

d. Bulk mailings of DoD newspapers and magazines to subordinate units for distribution to members of the units.

e. Mailing information copies to other U.S. Government Agencies, Members of Congress, libraries, hospitals, schools, and depositories.

f. Mailing of an individual copy of a DoD newspaper, magazine, or CE publication in response to an unsolicited request from a private person, firm, or organization, if such response is in the best interest of the DoD Component or its subordinate levels of command.

g. Mailing copies of DoD newspapers, magazines, guides, or installation maps to incoming DoD personnel and their families to orient them to their new command, installation, and community.

2. DoD appropriated fund postage shall not be used for mailing:

a. To the general readership of DoD newspapers, magazines, guides, and installation maps, unless specifically excepted in this part.

b. By a CE publisher.

c. CE publications other than newspapers and magazines in bulk. (See paragraph C.1.d. of this section).

3. Generally, DoD newspapers, magazines, and CE publications shall be mailed as second class Requester Publication Rate, third-class bulk, or third- or fourth-class mail.

D. Legal prohibitions. Compliance with 18 U.S.C., 1302 and 1307 is mandatory. 18 USC Section 1302 prohibits the mailing of publications containing advertisements of any type of lottery or scheme that is based on lot or chance. 18 USC 1307 authorizes exceptions pertaining to authorized State lotteries, lotteries conducted by a not-for-profit organization or a governmental organization, or conducted as a promotional activity by a commercial organization and clearly occasional and ancillary to the primary business of that organization. An exception also pertains to any gaming conducted by an Indian tribe under 25 U.S.C. 2720. Lottery is defined as containing the following three elements:

1. Prize (whatever items of value are offered in the particular game).

2. Chance (random selection of numbers to produce a winning combination).

3. Consideration (requirement to pay a fee to play).

E. Review of mailing and distribution effectiveness.

1. Mailing and distribution lists shall be reviewed annually to determine distribution effectiveness and continuing need of each recipient to receive the publication.

2. Distribution techniques, target audiences, readers-per-copy ratios, and use of the U.S. Postal Service to ensure the most economical use of mail services consistent with timeliness shall be revalidated annually.

F. Non-DoD publications. A commander shall afford reputable distributors of other publications the opportunity to sell or give away publications at the activity he or she commands in accordance with DoD Directive 1325.6.3 Such publications shall not be distributed through official channels. These publications may be made available through subscription paid for by the recipient or placed in specific general use areas designated by the commander, such as the foyers of open messes or exchanges. They will be placed only in stands or racks provided by the responsible publisher. The responsible publisher will maintain the stand or rack to present a neat and orderly appearance. Subscriptions paid for by a recipient may be home-delivered by the commercial distributor in installation residential areas.