HR 8015 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Delivering for America Act

Latest action · Sep 8, 2020 Received in the Senate.

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.

  1. IntroducedAug 11, 2020
  2. Passed HouseAug 22, 2020
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Delivering for America Act

This bill prohibits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from making changes to operations or levels of service from those that were in effect on January 1, 2020, establishes requirements for the processing of election mail, and provides additional funding for the Postal Service Fund.

(Sec. 2) Specifically, the USPS may not, during the period beginning on enactment of this bill and ending on the last day of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency or January 31, 2021, whichever is later, implement or approve any change to the operations or the level of service that would reduce service performance or impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services. Such changes include the following:

  • changes in the nature of services that will generally affect service on a nationwide basis;
  • revisions of service standards;
  • closures or consolidations of post offices or facilities or reduction of hours;
  • prohibitions or restrictions on the use of overtime or payment of overtime pay to USPS officers or employees;
  • changes that would prevent the USPS from meeting its service standards or that would reduce measurements of performance concerning those standards;
  • changes that would have the effect of delaying, deferring, or curtailing mail, allowing non-delivery to a delivery route, or increasing the volume of undelivered mail;
  • treating election mail as any class of mail other than first-class mail, regardless of whether this requires overtime pay;
  • any removal or stoppage of mail sorting machines, other than for routine maintenance;
  • removing or eliminating any mail collection box available to the public;
  • enacting any rule, policy, or standard the purpose or effect of which would delay delivery of mail to or from a government entity; and
  • instituting any hiring freeze.

The USPS shall reverse any initiative or action that is causing delay in processing or delivery or non-delivery of mail.

With regard to election mail specifically, the bill (1) establishes USPS policy to postmark, with imprinted indicia of the date of receipt, all processed election mail; and (2) directs the USPS to ensure that election mail is processed and cleared from any postal facility on the same day it is received. The term election mail means voter registration materials, absentee and other mail-in applications and ballots, and other materials mailed by state or local election officials to individuals registered to vote in the election.

(Sec. 3) The bill appropriates $25 billion as an additional payment to the Postal Service Fund, of which $15 million shall be transferred to the USPS Office of Inspector General.

Recorded votes 2

Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.

Roll callQuestionResultDate
House 182Passed257–150Aug 22, 2020
House 181Failed182–223Aug 22, 2020

Cosponsors 222

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Aug 14, 2020 to Aug 21, 2020.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-CAAlan S. LowenthalAug 14, 2020
D-CAAnna G. EshooAug 14, 2020
D-MAAyanna PressleyAug 14, 2020
D-MSBennie G. ThompsonAug 14, 2020
D-NJBonnie Watson ColemanAug 14, 2020
D-CABrad ShermanAug 14, 2020
R-PABrian K. FitzpatrickAug 14, 2020
D-IACynthia AxneAug 14, 2020
D-VADonald S. Beyer, Jr.Aug 14, 2020
D-DCEleanor Holmes NortonAug 14, 2020
D-TXFilemon VelaAug 14, 2020
D-CAGilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.Aug 14, 2020
D-NYGregory W. MeeksAug 14, 2020
D-CAJackie SpeierAug 14, 2020
D-MAJames P. McGovernAug 14, 2020
D-RIJames R. LangevinAug 14, 2020
D-MDJamie RaskinAug 14, 2020
D-ILJanice D. SchakowskyAug 14, 2020
D-CAJim CostaAug 14, 2020
D-CAJimmy PanettaAug 14, 2020
D-MDJohn P. SarbanesAug 14, 2020
D-OHJoyce BeattyAug 14, 2020
D-CAKaren BassAug 14, 2020
D-TXLloyd DoggettAug 14, 2020
D-TXMarc A. VeaseyAug 14, 2020
D-WIMark PocanAug 14, 2020
D-CAMike LevinAug 14, 2020
D-CAMike ThompsonAug 14, 2020
D-ILRaja KrishnamoorthiAug 14, 2020
D-AZRaúl M. GrijalvaAug 14, 2020
D-CTRosa L. DeLauroAug 14, 2020
D-GASanford D. Bishop, Jr.Aug 14, 2020
D-MAStephen F. LynchAug 14, 2020
D-TNSteve CohenAug 14, 2020
D-CASusan A. DavisAug 14, 2020
D-NJTom MalinowskiAug 14, 2020
D-NYYvette D. ClarkeAug 14, 2020
D-CAZoe LofgrenAug 14, 2020
D-VAAbigail Davis SpanbergerAug 18, 2020
D-CAAdam B. SchiffAug 18, 2020
D-NYAdriano EspaillatAug 18, 2020
D-NJAlbio SiresAug 18, 2020
D-FLAlcee L. HastingsAug 18, 2020
D-NCAlma S. AdamsAug 18, 2020
D-MNAngie CraigAug 18, 2020
D-AZAnn KirkpatrickAug 18, 2020
D-NHAnn M. KusterAug 18, 2020
D-MDAnthony G. BrownAug 18, 2020
D-NMBen Ray LujánAug 18, 2020
D-MNBetty McCollumAug 18, 2020
D-NJBill Pascrell, Jr.Aug 18, 2020
D-ILBobby L. RushAug 18, 2020
D-PABrendan F. BoyleAug 18, 2020
D-NYBrian HigginsAug 18, 2020
D-MDC. A. Dutch RuppersbergerAug 18, 2020
D-LACedric L. RichmondAug 18, 2020
D-FLCharlie CristAug 18, 2020
D-MEChellie PingreeAug 18, 2020
D-ILCheri BustosAug 18, 2020
D-NHChris PappasAug 18, 2020
D-PAChrissy HoulahanAug 18, 2020
D-TXColin Z. AllredAug 18, 2020
D-ILDanny K. DavisAug 18, 2020
D-FLDarren SotoAug 18, 2020
D-MDDavid J. TroneAug 18, 2020
D-RIDavid N. CicillineAug 18, 2020
D-GADavid ScottAug 18, 2020
D-MNDean PhillipsAug 18, 2020
D-MIDebbie DingellAug 18, 2020
D-FLDebbie Mucarsel-PowellAug 18, 2020
D-FLDebbie Wasserman SchultzAug 18, 2020
D-NMDebra A. HaalandAug 18, 2020
D-WADenny HeckAug 18, 2020
D-WADerek KilmerAug 18, 2020
D-CODiana DeGetteAug 18, 2020
D-NVDina TitusAug 18, 2020
D-FLDonna E. ShalalaAug 18, 2020
D-CADoris O. MatsuiAug 18, 2020
D-PADwight EvansAug 18, 2020
D-OREarl BlumenauerAug 18, 2020
D-COEd PerlmutterAug 18, 2020
D-TXEddie Bernice JohnsonAug 18, 2020
D-CAEric SwalwellAug 18, 2020
D-NJFrank Pallone, Jr.Aug 18, 2020
D-FLFrederica S. WilsonAug 18, 2020
D-NCG. K. ButterfieldAug 18, 2020
D-VAGerald E. ConnollyAug 18, 2020
D-CAGrace F. NapolitanoAug 18, 2020
D-NYGrace MengAug 18, 2020
D-AZGreg StantonAug 18, 2020
D-NYHakeem S. JeffriesAug 18, 2020
D-CAHarley RoudaAug 18, 2020
D-GAHenry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.Aug 18, 2020
D-TXHenry CuellarAug 18, 2020
D-MNIlhan OmarAug 18, 2020
D-CTJahana HayesAug 18, 2020
D-COJason CrowAug 18, 2020
D-VAJennifer WextonAug 18, 2020
D-TNJim CooperAug 18, 2020
D-CAJimmy GomezAug 18, 2020
D-TXJoaquin CastroAug 18, 2020
D-CTJoe CourtneyAug 18, 2020
D-KYJohn A. YarmuthAug 18, 2020
D-CTJohn B. LarsonAug 18, 2020
D-CAJohn GaramendiAug 18, 2020
D-NYJoseph D. MorelleAug 18, 2020
D-MAJoseph P. Kennedy IIIAug 18, 2020
D-NJJosh GottheimerAug 18, 2020
D-CAJuan VargasAug 18, 2020
D-CAJudy ChuAug 18, 2020
D-MAKatherine M. ClarkAug 18, 2020
D-NYKathleen M. RiceAug 18, 2020
D-CAKatie PorterAug 18, 2020
D-WAKim SchrierAug 18, 2020
D-CALinda T. SánchezAug 18, 2020
D-DELisa Blunt RochesterAug 18, 2020
D-TXLizzie FletcherAug 18, 2020
D-MALori TrahanAug 18, 2020
D-GALucy McBathAug 18, 2020
D-PAMadeleine DeanAug 18, 2020
D-OHMarcia L. FudgeAug 18, 2020
D-CAMark DeSaulnierAug 18, 2020
D-CAMark TakanoAug 18, 2020
D-ILMike QuigleyAug 18, 2020
D-NJMikie SherrillAug 18, 2020
D-CANanette Diaz BarragánAug 18, 2020
D-NYNita M. LoweyAug 18, 2020
D-NYNydia M. VelázquezAug 18, 2020
D-ORPeter A. DeFazioAug 18, 2020
D-VTPeter WelchAug 18, 2020
D-WAPramila JayapalAug 18, 2020
D-MIRashida TlaibAug 18, 2020
D-CARaul RuizAug 18, 2020
D-MARichard E. NealAug 18, 2020
D-WARick LarsenAug 18, 2020
D-VARobert C. "Bobby" ScottAug 18, 2020
D-ILRobin L. KellyAug 18, 2020
D-CASalud O. CarbajalAug 18, 2020
D-TXSheila Jackson LeeAug 18, 2020
D-VIStacey E. PlaskettAug 18, 2020
D-PASusan WildAug 18, 2020
D-WASuzan K. DelBeneAug 18, 2020
D-ORSuzanne BonamiciAug 18, 2020
D-TXSylvia R. GarciaAug 18, 2020
D-CATed LieuAug 18, 2020
D-ALTerri A. SewellAug 18, 2020
D-FLTheodore E. DeutchAug 18, 2020
D-NYThomas R. SuozziAug 18, 2020
D-OHTim RyanAug 18, 2020
D-AZTom O'HalleranAug 18, 2020
D-CATony CárdenasAug 18, 2020
D-HITulsi GabbardAug 18, 2020
D-FLVal Butler DemingsAug 18, 2020
D-TXVeronica EscobarAug 18, 2020
D-TXVicente GonzalezAug 18, 2020
D-MAWilliam R. KeatingAug 18, 2020
D-NMXochitl Torres SmallAug 18, 2020
D-VAA. Donald McEachinAug 21, 2020
D-IAAbby FinkenauerAug 21, 2020
D-WAAdam SmithAug 21, 2020
D-TXAl GreenAug 21, 2020
D-NYAlexandria Ocasio-CortezAug 21, 2020
D-CAAmi BeraAug 21, 2020
D-INAndré CarsonAug 21, 2020
D-NJAndy KimAug 21, 2020
D-MIAndy LevinAug 21, 2020
D-CABarbara LeeAug 21, 2020
D-ILBill FosterAug 21, 2020
D-ILBradley Scott SchneiderAug 21, 2020
D-MIBrenda L. LawrenceAug 21, 2020
D-PAConor LambAug 21, 2020
D-ILDaniel LipinskiAug 21, 2020
D-MIDaniel T. KildeeAug 21, 2020
D-NCDavid E. PriceAug 21, 2020
D-IADavid LoebsackAug 21, 2020
D-NJDonald M. Payne, Jr.Aug 21, 2020
D-NJDonald NorcrossAug 21, 2020
D-HIEd CaseAug 21, 2020
D-VAElaine G. LuriaAug 21, 2020
D-NYEliot L. EngelAug 21, 2020
D-MIElissa SlotkinAug 21, 2020
D-MOEmanuel CleaverAug 21, 2020
D-MPGregorio Kilili Camacho SablanAug 21, 2020
D-WIGwen MooreAug 21, 2020
D-MIHaley M. StevensAug 21, 2020
D-CTJames A. HimesAug 21, 2020
D-CAJared HuffmanAug 21, 2020
D-NJJefferson Van DrewAug 21, 2020
D-NYJerrold NadlerAug 21, 2020
D-CAJerry McNerneyAug 21, 2020
D-ILJesús G. "Chuy" GarcíaAug 21, 2020
D-COJoe NeguseAug 21, 2020
D-NYJose E. SerranoAug 21, 2020
D-CAJosh HarderAug 21, 2020
D-CAJulia BrownleyAug 21, 2020
D-FLKathy CastorAug 21, 2020
D-OKKendra S. HornAug 21, 2020
D-ORKurt SchraderAug 21, 2020
D-MDKweisi MfumeAug 21, 2020
D-ILLauren UnderwoodAug 21, 2020
D-FLLois FrankelAug 21, 2020
D-CALucille Roybal-AllardAug 21, 2020
D-OHMarcy KapturAug 21, 2020
D-PAMary Gay ScanlonAug 21, 2020
D-PAMatt CartwrightAug 21, 2020
D-NYMax RoseAug 21, 2020
D-CAMaxine WatersAug 21, 2020
D-GUMichael F. Q. San NicolasAug 21, 2020
D-CANorma J. TorresAug 21, 2020
D-NYPaul TonkoAug 21, 2020
D-CARo KhannaAug 21, 2020
D-WIRon KindAug 21, 2020
D-AZRuben GallegoAug 21, 2020
D-CAScott H. PetersAug 21, 2020
D-ILSean CastenAug 21, 2020
D-NYSean Patrick MaloneyAug 21, 2020
D-MASeth MoultonAug 21, 2020
D-KSSharice DavidsAug 21, 2020
D-FLStephanie N. MurphyAug 21, 2020
D-NVSteven HorsfordAug 21, 2020
D-CATj CoxAug 21, 2020
D-MOWm. Lacy ClayAug 21, 2020

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseOversight and Government Reform Committee
Referred Aug 11, 2020

Actions 15

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Sep 8, 2020Received in the Senate.
  2. Aug 22, 2020Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1092 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8015 with 2 hours of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.
  3. Aug 22, 2020Rule H. Res. 1092 passed House.
  4. Aug 22, 2020Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1092. (consideration: CR H4256-4298)
  5. Aug 22, 2020Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 8015 with 2 hours of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.

In the Congressional Record 4

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E797, E800Gwen Moore D-WI, Lucille Roybal-Allard D-CAAug 28, 2020
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E792Mike Kelly R-PAAug 25, 2020
HouseDebate and remarks H4253, H4254, H4255, H4256–H4270, H4270–H4299Text printed H4256, H4271Amendments H4268Motions H4296Recorded votes H4269, H4270, H4297, H4298Comer motion to recommit (prioritize pharmaceutical deliveries and establish penalties for Postal Service employees who tamper or interfere with election mail)consideration (H. Res. 1092), previous questionenactLists H4269, H4270, H4297, H4298Votes recorded by proxy on Comer motion to recommit H.R. 8015, Delivering for America ActVotes recorded by proxy on H.R. 8015, Delivering for America ActVotes recorded by proxy on H. Res. 1092, consideration of H.R. 8015, Delivering for America ActVotes recorded by proxy on previous question to H. Res. 1092, consideration of H.R. 8015, Delivering for America ActA. Drew Ferguson IV R-GA, Al Green D-TX, Alma S. Adams D-NC, Andy Biggs R-AZ, Anna G. Eshoo D-CA, Ayanna Pressley D-MA, Barbara Lee D-CA, Bob Gibbs R-OH, Brenda L. Lawrence D-MI, Brian Higgins D-NY, Brian K. Fitzpatrick R-PA, Bruce Westerman R-AR, Carolyn B. Maloney D-NY, Cheri Bustos D-IL, Dan Bishop R-NC, Danny K. Davis D-IL, David N. Cicilline D-RI, Debbie Dingell D-MI, Debbie Lesko R-AZ, Debbie Wasserman Schultz D-FL, Devin Nunes R-CA, Doris O. Matsui D-CA, Eddie Bernice Johnson D-TX, Eleanor Holmes Norton D-DC, Fred Keller R-PA, Gary J. Palmer R-AL, Gerald E. Connolly D-VA, Glenn Grothman R-WI, Greg Pence R-IN, Hakeem S. Jeffries D-NY, James Comer R-KY (motion), James E. Clyburn D-SC, James P. McGovern D-MA, James R. Langevin D-RI, Jerrold Nadler D-NY, Jim Jordan R-OH, Jimmy Gomez D-CA, Jodey C. Arrington R-TX, Jody B. Hice R-GA, Joe Neguse D-CO, John P. Sarbanes D-MD, John R. Curtis R-UT, Judy Chu D-CA, Katherine M. Clark D-MA, Kelly Armstrong R-ND, Kevin McCarthy R-CA, Kweisi Mfume D-MD, Louie Gohmert R-TX, Marcy Kaptur D-OH, Mark Pocan D-WI, Mary Gay Scanlon D-PA, Maxine Waters D-CA, Michael C. Burgess R-TX, Michael Cloud R-TX, Mike Thompson D-CA, Nancy Pelosi D-CA, Pete Stauber R-MN, Peter A. DeFazio D-OR, Raja Krishnamoorthi D-IL, Ralph Norman R-SC, Rashida Tlaib D-MI, Richard E. Neal D-MA, Rob Woodall R-GA (amendment), Robert E. Latta R-OH, Robin L. Kelly D-IL, Rodney Davis R-IL, Roger Williams R-TX, Rosa L. DeLauro D-CT, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Stacey E. Plaskett D-VI, Steny H. Hoyer D-MD, Stephen F. Lynch D-MA, Steve Chabot R-OH, Steve Cohen D-TN, Steve Scalise R-LA, Steve Womack R-AR, Sylvia R. Garcia D-TX, Thomas Massie R-KY, Tim Walberg R-MI, Tom Cole R-OK, Virginia Foxx R-NC, William R. Keating D-MA, Zoe Lofgren D-CAAug 22, 2020
HouseDeclaratory Statements H4252—Aug 21, 2020

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.

Congressional Budget Office cost estimate

  1. Aug 21, 2020H.R. 8015, Delivering for America ActCBO’s Estimate of the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Effects of H.R. 8015, as Posted on the House Rules Committee Website on August 19, 2020

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article I, Section I, Clause 18 (Necessary and Proper Clause)

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 166, no. 143, August 11, 2020, page H4232.

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
Serial No. 116-113PROTECTING THE TIMELY DELIVERY OF MAIL, MEDICINE, AND MAIL-IN BALLOTS103 pagesOversight and Government Reform CommitteeAug 24, 2020

Amendments 1

Amendments offered to this bill.

AmendmentDescriptionOffered byStatus
HAmdt 874Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1092, the amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 116-61 is considered adopted.Rules CommitteeOn agreeing to the Rules amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.

Related bills 4

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Titles 3

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To maintain prompt and reliable postal services during the COVID-19 health emergency, and for other purposes.
Short Title(s) as Introduced
Delivering for America Act
Short Title(s) as Passed House
Delivering for America Act

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.

Text 3

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Sep 8, 2020Received in Senate
  2. Aug 22, 2020Engrossed in House
  3. Aug 11, 2020Introduced in House

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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.