Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act
Latest action · Jun 18, 2003 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8138-8153)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJun 18, 2003
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act - Amends Federal postal service law to direct the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) (established by this Act) to establish a modern system for regulating rates and classes for market-dominant products (all first-class mail, periodicals, non-parcel post standard mail, media mail, library mail, and bound printed matter).
Requires the system to establish: (1) a schedule whereby rates, when necessary, would increase at regular intervals by predictable amounts; and (2) procedures that would increase rates on an expedited basis when an unexpected decline in revenue or increase in costs threatens the Postal Service's ability to maintain service at the PRC's standards.
Directs the Board of Governors to establish rates and classes for products in the competitive category of mail (priority mail, expedited mail, mailgrams, international mail, and parcel post).
Authorizes the PRC to establish by regulation a set of service standards for market-dominant products.
Establishes the Postal Network Modernization Commission to analyze and report to the President on any recommendations of the Postal Service for closure or consolidation of processing and retail facilities.
Provides for the closure and consolidation of the Postal Service facilities, unless a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted.
Establishes in the Treasury a revolving Postal Service Competitive Products Fund which shall be available to the Postal Service without fiscal year limitation for the payment of: (1) costs attributable to competitive products; and (2) all other costs of the Postal Service allocable to competitive products.
Requires the Postal Service to: (1) compute its assumed Federal income tax (which would be the taxable income of a corporation) on competitive products income for such year; and (2) transfer an equivalent amount from the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal Service Fund.
Prohibits the Postal Service from: (1) establishing anti-competitive rules or regulations; (2) compelling the disclosure, transfer, or licensing of intellectual property to any third party; or (3) obtaining information from a person that provides any product, and then offer any product or service that uses or is based in whole or in part on such information, without the person's consent.
Makes the Secretary of State responsible for foreign policy related to international postal services and other international delivery services.
Authorizes the Postal Service to establish programs to provide bonuses or other rewards to Postal Service officers and employees.
Replaces the Postal Rate Commission with the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Repeals the authority of the Postal Service to impose fines on air carriers transporting mail beyond U.S. borders for unreasonable or unnecessary delays and other delinquencies.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jul 17, 2003.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MD | Barbara A. Mikulski | Jul 17, 2003 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Referred Jun 18, 2003 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jun 18, 2003Introduced in Senate
- Jun 18, 2003Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8136-8138)
- Jun 18, 2003Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8138-8153)
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S8136–S8138Text printed S8138–S8153 | Thomas R. Carper D-DE (text) | Jun 18, 2003 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Printed hearings 5
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 108-527 | POSTAL REFORM: THE CHAIRMEN'S PERSPECTIVES ON GOVERNANCE AND RATE- SETTING112 pages | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Apr 7, 2004 |
| Serial No. 108-171 | THE POSTAL SERVICE IN CRISIS: A JOINT SENATE-HOUSE HEARING ON PRINCIPLES FOR MEANINGFUL REFORM183 pages | Oversight and Government Reform Committee · Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Mar 23, 2004 |
| S. Hrg. 108-508 | POSTAL REFORM: SUSTAINING THE NINE MILLION JOBS IN THE $900 BILLION MAILING INDUSTRY219 pages | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Mar 9, 2004–Mar 11, 2004 |
| S. Hrg. 108-369 | THE REPORT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: PRESERVING ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY336 pages | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Nov 5, 2003 |
| S. Hrg. 108-213 | U.S. POSTAL SERVICE: WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ENSURE ITS FUTURE VIABILITY?77 pages | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Sep 17, 2003 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2468 | Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act | Related bill | Aug 25, 2004 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to reform the postal laws of the United States
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.
- Administrative procedure
- Administrative remedies
- Advice and consent of the Senate
- Affirmative action programs
- Airmail service
- Auditing
- Authorization
- Automation
- Capital budgets
- Capital investments
- Civil actions and liability
- Collective bargaining
- Commerce
- Competition
- Congress
- Congressional oversight
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Dislocated workers
- Economics and Public Finance
- Employee-management relations in government
- Executive reorganization
- Federal advisory bodies
- Federal law enforcement officers
- Federal officials
- Fines (Penalties)
- Fringe benefits
- Government contractors
- Government liability
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government procurement
- Government trust funds
- Governmental investigations
- Income tax
- Independent regulatory commissions
- Inspectors general
- International Affairs
- International cooperation
- Investment of public funds
- Labor and Employment
- Labor contracts
- Law
- Legislation
- Limitation of actions
- Marketing
- Minorities
- Minorities in government
- Minority business enterprises
- New products
- Performance measurement
- Periodicals
- Postal Rate Commission
- Postal service
- Presidential appointments
- Privatization
- Productivity in government
- Research
- Restrictive trade practices
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Security measures
- Small business
- State laws
- Subcontractors
- Taxation
- United States Postal Service
- Waste in government spending
- Weights and measures
- Women
- Women in business
- Women in government
- Workers' compensation
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jun 18, 2003Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.