Mail Order Consumer Protection Amendments of 1983
Public Law 98-186 · S. 450 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 30, 1983 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. David Pryor (D-AR)
Cosponsors (23): Sen. Ted Stevens, Sen. Henry Heinz,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Mail Order Consumer Protection Amendments of 1983 - Authorizes the United States Postal Service to issue an order requiring any person to cease and desist from conducting a lottery or scheme for obtaining money or property by false representations through the mail.
Authorizes the Postmaster General, in conducting an investigation to determine whether a person is engaged in such prohibited activity, to tender the price requested for an article or service offered through the mail. Declares that failure to provide an article or service after the price is tendered by the Postal Service may be considered in a hearing to determine if there is probable cause to believe that a prohibited activity has occurred. Sets forth provisions governing the conduct of a person tendering an offer on behalf of the Postal Service.
Declares that mailing an advertisement promoting the sale of a publication or a solicitation to purchase, or a purchase order for, such a publication is not prohibited if: (1) the advertisement, solicitation, or purchase order is not false or misleading and contains no material misrepresentation of fact; (2) the advertisement, solicitation, or purchase order discloses the source of any statements derived from or about the publication; and (3) the publication, advertisement, solicitation, or purchase order is not used to sell some other product in which the publisher or author has a financial interest as part of a commercial scheme.
Establishes a civil penalty that may be assessed against any person who: (1) attempts to evade an order directing a postmaster to return mail addressed to such person or prohibiting a postmaster from paying a money order from, or to, such person; (2) fails to comply with a cease and desist order; or (3) assists any person to evade or not to comply with any such order. Authorizes the Postal Service to commence a civil action to enforce such a penalty in the U.S. district court for the district in which the defendant resides or receives mail. Entitles such a defendant to seek judicial review of the order issued.
Requires the Postmaster General to submit semiannual reports on the investigative activities of the Postal Service to the Board of Governors of the Postal Service. Directs the Board to transmit such reports, upon approval, to Congress.
Directs the Postmaster General to conduct and report to Congress on a program to educate consumers concerning schemes involving false representations through the mail.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · discharged from, referred to
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Nov 30, 1983Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-186.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 21, 1983PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Nov 16, 1983FloorFloor · Passed House by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Nov 7, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Nov 3, 1983FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
- Mar 31, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Mar 17, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Mar 2, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Feb 17, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Feb 3, 1983CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.