I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7969 

To authorize funding for the purchase of electric or zero-emission vehicles 

for United States Postal Service fleet, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 7, 2020 

Mr. HUFFMAN (for himself, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, and 

Mr. CONNOLLY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Reform 

A BILL 

To authorize funding for the purchase of electric or zeroemission vehicles for United States Postal Service fleet, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Postal Vehicle Mod5 ernization Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION FOR UNITED 

2 STATES POSTAL SERVICE FOR MODERNIZA3 TION OF POSTAL INFRASTRUCTURE. 

4 There is authorized to be appropriated to the United 

5 States Postal Service for the modernization of postal in6 frastructure and operations, including through capital ex7 penditures to purchase delivery vehicles, processing equip8 ment, trailers, and other goods, $25,000,000,000, to re9 main available until expended, of which $6,000,000,000 

10 shall be for the purchase of vehicles. Any amount appro11 priated under this section shall be deposited into the Post12 al Service Fund established under section 2003 of title 39, 

13 United States Code. 

14 SEC. 3. ELECTRIC OR ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES FOR 

15 UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE FLEET. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Any next generation delivery vehi17 cle purchased by the United States Postal Service using 

18 the funds appropriated under section 2 shall, to the great19 est extent practicable, be an electric or zero-emission vehi20 cle, and the Postal Service shall ensure that at least 75 

21 percent of the total number of vehicles purchased using 

22 such funds shall be electric or zero emission vehicles. In 

23 this subsection, the term ‘‘next generation delivery vehi24 cle’’ means a vehicle purchased to replace a right-hand25 drive, long-life vehicle in use by the Postal Service. 

26 (b) MEDIUM- AND HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLES.— 


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1 (1) DATE OF ENACTMENT AND 2030.—Between 

2 the period beginning on the date of enactment of 

3 this Act and ending on December 31, 2029, not less 

4 than 50 percent of the total number of new medium5 or heavy-duty vehicles purchased by the Postal Serv6 ice during such period shall be electric or zero-emis7 sion vehicles. 

8 (2) AFTER 2039.—Beginning on January 1, 

9 2040, the Postal Service may not purchase any new 

10 medium- or heavy-duty vehicle that is not an electric 

11 or zero-emission vehicle. 

12 (c) COMPLIANCE.—In carrying out subsections (a) 

13 and (b), the Postal Service shall comply with chapter 83 

14 of title 41, United States Code (popularly known as the 

15 Buy American Act), and any applicable Federal labor or 

16 civil rights laws. 

17 (d) CHARGING STATIONS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than January 1, 

19 2026, the Postal Service shall provide, at each postal 

20 facility accessible to the public, not less than one 

21 electric vehicle charging station for use by the public 

22 or officers and employees of the Postal Service. 

23 (2) FLEET OPERATION.—The Postal Service 

24 shall ensure that adequate charging stations are 


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1 available at Postal Service facilities to keep the 

2 Postal Service fleet operational. 

3 (e) PLAN AND UPDATE.—Not later than 180 days 

4 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Postmaster 

5 General shall submit a plan to carry out this section to 

6 the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of 

7 Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security 

8 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Commit9 tees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 

10 and the Senate. The Postmaster General shall submit an 

11 update and progress report on implementing such plan to 

12 such committees not less than once every 2 years begin13 ning on the date the plan is submitted under the previous 

14 sentence and ending on the day that is 6 years after such 

15 date. 

16 (f) CONTINGENT ON APPROPRIATION.—The require17 ments of subsections (a) through (e) of this section shall 

18 not apply unless the funds authorized for vehicles under 

19 section 2 are appropriated. 

20 (g) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con21 gress that, as the Postal Service replaces or upgrades its 

22 fleet of delivery vehicles, the Postal Service should take 

23 all reasonable steps to ensure that its vehicles are 

24 equipped with climate control units to protect the health 

25 and safety of its mail carriers, especially those working 


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1 in areas of the country that are subject to extreme tem2 peratures. 

Æ 


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