I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8123 

To provide emergency appropriations to the United States Postal Service 

to cover losses related to the COVID–19 crisis and to direct the Board 

of Governors of the United States Postal Service to develop a plan 

for ensuring the long-term solvency of the Postal Service. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 28, 2020 

Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio (for himself, Mr. GOLDEN, Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas, 

and Ms. STEFANIK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide emergency appropriations to the United States 

Postal Service to cover losses related to the COVID– 

19 crisis and to direct the Board of Governors of the 

United States Postal Service to develop a plan for ensuring the long-term solvency of the Postal Service. 

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 Service Emer5 gency Assistance Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 The Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) By law, the Postal Service operates as ‘‘a 

4 basic and fundamental service provided to the people 

5 by the Government of the United States’’ and must 

6 serve rural, suburban, and urban areas throughout 

7 the United States. 

8 (2) The Postal Service is a lifeline for busi9 nesses and consumers across the United States, es10 pecially those in remote and rural areas of the coun11 try, delivering business correspondence, educational, 

12 cultural and scientific information, critical prescrip13 tions and medications, household items, and com14 mercial goods with affordable, reliable service not 

15 fewer than 6 days per week. 

16 (3) The Postal Service helps small businesses 

17 stay connected with their customers no matter where 

18 they are located or where their customers live. 

19 (4) Since 1970, the Postal Service has been 

20 charged with operating as a self-sustaining entity 

21 and its operations are funded from postage paid for 

22 mail and shipping and not primarily by taxpayer 

23 funds. 

24 (5) The Government Accountability Office re25 ports that the Postal Service has lost approximately 

26 $78,000,000,000 from fiscal year 2007 through 


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1 2019 due primarily to declining mail volumes and 

2 rising costs. 

3 (6) Package delivery volumes have more than 

4 doubled since 2010, but the Postal Service faces 

5 competition in this area. 

6 (7) The Postal Service is not on a sustainable 

7 path and needs reform to be viable over the long 

8 term. 

9 (8) Reforms must be focused on the long-term 

10 solvency of the Postal Service while ensuring the 

11 greatest benefit to the public and 630,000 employees 

12 of the Postal Service. 

13 (9) By law, the authority for operation and 

14 strategic direction of the Postal Service, an inde15 pendent establishment of the executive branch, is 

16 delegated to the Board of Governors of the Postal 

17 Service, including the Postmaster General. 

18 (10) On May 6, 2020, the Board of Governors 

19 of the Postal Service selected Louis DeJoy as the 

20 75th Postmaster General of the United States. 

21 (11) The new Postmaster General should be 

22 given the opportunity to review the operations and 

23 finances of the Postal Service and, in coordination 

24 with the rest of the Board of Governors of the PostVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:19 Sep 04, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8123.IH H8123

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1 al Service, propose a plan to ensure its long-term vi2 ability. 

3 (12) At the same time, the COVID–19 pan4 demic has significantly contributed to the decline in 

5 market dominant mail volumes and revenues while 

6 increasing costs, putting additional stress on the fi7 nancial situation of the Postal Service. 

8 (13) Now more than ever, affordable mail and 

9 package delivery provided by the Postal Service is a 

10 lifeline for people in the United States, especially for 

11 seniors and others living in remote and rural areas. 

12 (14) The critical services the Postal Service 

13 provides will play a fundamental part of the eco14 nomic recovery of the United States. 

15 (15) Congress should provide immediate emer16 gency appropriations to cover financial losses to the 

17 Postal Service caused by the COVID–19 pandemic 

18 in order to keep the Postal Service operating without 

19 interruptions in service and to give the new Post20 master General and the Board of Governors of the 

21 Postal Service time to formulate and propose to 

22 Congress a plan to ensure the long-term viability of 

23 the Postal Service. 

24 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

25 In this Act: 


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1 (1) COVID–19.—The term ‘‘COVID–19’’ 

2 means the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19). 

3 (2) POSTAL SERVICE.—The term ‘‘Postal Serv4 ice’’ means the United States Postal Service. 

5 SEC. 4. EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE POSTAL 

6 SERVICE TO COVER COVID–19 INDUCED 

7 LOSSES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the Treas9 ury of the United States a fund to be known as the Postal 

10 Service COVID–19 Emergency Fund. 

11 (b) APPROPRIATIONS.—There is appropriated, out of 

12 any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

13 to the Postal Service COVID–19 Emergency Fund, 

14 $25,000,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 

15 2022, pursuant to this section: Provided, That such 

16 amount is designated by Congress as being for an emer17 gency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of 

18 the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 

19 of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)). 

20 (c) CERTIFICATION.—The Postal Service shall certify 

21 in its quarterly and audited annual reports to the Postal 

22 Regulatory Commission under section 3654 of title 39, 

23 United States Code, and in conformity with the require24 ments of section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange 

25 Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m, 78o(d)), any expenditures 


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1 necessary to cover lost revenue or operational expenses re2 sulting from the COVID–19 pandemic. The Postal Service 

3 shall provide copies of these certified filings to the Senate 

4 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af5 fairs, and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform 

6 within 15 days of any filing with the Postal Regulatory 

7 Commission. 

8 (d) TRANSFER.—Within 15 days of any filing with 

9 the Postal Regulatory Commission, as referenced in sub10 section (c), the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer 

11 from the Postal Service COVID–19 Emergency Fund to 

12 the Postal Service Fund such amounts, up to 

13 $25,000,000,000 certified as expenditures necessary to 

14 cover lost revenue or operational expenses resulting from 

15 the COVID–19 pandemic, pursuant to subsection (c). This 

16 transfer authority is in addition to any other transfer au17 thority provided in this Act. Any amounts transferred to 

18 the Postal Service Fund under this section may be used 

19 for such purposes as the Postal Service considers appro20 priate, pursuant to this section. 

21 (e) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT.—The Postal Serv22 ice, during the COVID–19 pandemic, shall prioritize the 

23 purchase of, and make available to all employees and fa24 cilities of the Postal Service, personal protective equip25 ment, including gloves, masks, and sanitizers, and shall 


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1 conduct additional cleaning and sanitizing of Postal Serv2 ice facilities and delivery vehicles. 

3 SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF POSTAL SERVICE BORROWING 

4 AUTHORITY. 

5 Section 6001(b)(2) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, 

6 and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116–136) is 

7 amended to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(2) the Secretary of the Treasury shall lend up 

9 to the amount described in paragraph (1) at the re10 quest of the Postal Service subject to the terms and 

11 conditions of the note purchase agreement between 

12 the Postal Service and the Federal Financing Bank 

13 in effect on September 29, 2018.’’. 

14 SEC. 6. POSTAL SERVICE REFORM PLAN. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Postmaster General shall, in 

16 coordination with the rest of the Board of Governors of 

17 the Postal Service, develop a plan to ensure the long-term 

18 solvency of the Postal Service. 

19 (b) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—No later than 270 

20 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Postal 

21 Service shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Secu22 rity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Com23 mittee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Rep24 resentatives, and the Postal Regulatory Commission the 


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1 plan required under this section, including recommenda2 tions for congressional action. 

3 (c) CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE.—Prior to submission 

4 of the plan required under subsection (b) and not later 

5 than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

6 the Postal Service shall provide a briefing on the status 

7 of the plan to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

8 Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 

9 on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives. 

Æ 


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