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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3319 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3319

To direct the Postmaster General to conduct a pilot program to provide 
  nonpostal services at certain post offices, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2015

 Mr. Blumenauer (for himself and Mr. Huffman) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 direct the Postmaster General to conduct a pilot program to provide 
  nonpostal services at certain post offices, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Postal Innovation Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDED SERVICES.

    (a) Pilot Program for Provision of Nonpostal Services.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and notwithstanding the provisions of 
        title 39, United States Code, the Postmaster General shall 
        establish a pilot program to provide nonpostal services through 
        public-private partnerships in 5 postal districts or regions, 
        as determined by the Postmaster General, of which at least 1 
        district or region contains a post office located in a rural 
        area.
            (2) Services.--The nonpostal services described in 
        paragraph (1) may include--
                    (A) financial services;
                    (B) warehousing;
                    (C) experimental postal products market testing;
                    (D) community support services;
                    (E) Internet voting;
                    (F) municipal broadband Internet service;
                    (G) public wireless Internet service;
                    (H) emergency broadband Internet service; and
                    (I) passport services.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
        establishment of the pilot program under subsection (a), the 
        Postmaster General shall submit to Congress a report 
        containing--
                    (A) an analysis of the pilot program conducted 
                under paragraph (1); and
                    (B) an assessment of the most cost-effective 
                implementation of nonpostal services under the pilot 
                program.
    (b) Governmental Services.--Section 411 of title 39, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in the second sentence, by striking ``this section'' 
        and inserting ``this subsection'';
            (2) in the heading of such section, by striking 
        ``Government'' and inserting ``government'';
            (3) by striking ``Executive agencies'' and inserting ``(a) 
        Federal Government.--Executive agencies''; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) State, Local, and Tribal Governments.--
            ``(1) Authority of postal service.--The Postal Service is 
        authorized to furnish property and services to a State, local 
        government, or tribal government under such terms and 
        conditions, including the possibility for reimbursement, as the 
        Postal Service and the applicable State, local government, or 
        tribal government shall determine appropriate.
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `State' means each of the several 
                States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, 
                the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the 
                Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the 
                United States, and any other territory or possession of 
                the United States.
                    ``(B) the term `tribal government' means the 
                government of an Indian tribe (as defined in section 
                4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination Act (25 U.S.C. 
                450b(e))).''.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The item related to section 411 in the 
analysis of chapter 4 of title 39, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows:

``411. Cooperation with other government agencies.''.

SEC. 3. SHIPPING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.

    (a) Mailability.--
            (1) Nonmailable articles.--Section 1716(f) of title 18, 
        United States Code, is amended by striking ``mails'' and 
        inserting ``mails, except to the extent that the mailing is 
        allowable under section 3001(p) of title 39''.
            (2) Mailable alcoholic beverages.--Section 1154(a) of title 
        18, United States Code, is amended, by inserting ``or, with 
        respect to the mailing of alcoholic beverages to the extent 
        allowed under section 3001(p) of title 39'' after ``mechanical 
        purposes''.
    (b) Regulations.--Section 3001 of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(p)(1) Alcoholic beverages shall be considered mailable if 
mailed--
            ``(A) by a covered shipper in accordance with applicable 
        regulations under paragraph (2); and
            ``(B) in accordance with the delivery requirements 
        otherwise applicable to privately carried shipments of 
        alcoholic beverages.
    ``(2) The Postal Service shall prescribe such regulations as may be 
necessary to carry out this subsection, including regulations providing 
that--
            ``(A) the mailing shall be by a means established by the 
        Postal Service to ensure direct delivery to the addressee or a 
        duly authorized agent at a postal facility;
            ``(B) the addressee (and any duly authorized agent) shall 
        be an individual at least 21 years of age, and shall present a 
        valid, government-issued photo identification at the time of 
        delivery;
            ``(C) the alcoholic beverage may not be for resale or other 
        commercial purpose; and
            ``(D) the covered shipper involved shall--
                    ``(i) certify in writing to the satisfaction of the 
                Postal Service, through a registration process 
                administered by the Postal Service, that the mailing is 
                not in violation of any provision of this subsection or 
                regulation prescribed under this subsection; and
                    ``(ii) provide any other information or affirmation 
                that the Postal Service may require, including with 
                respect to the prepayment of State alcohol beverage 
                taxes.
    ``(3) For purposes of this subsection--
            ``(A) the term `alcoholic beverage' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 203 of the Federal Alcohol Administration 
        Act (27 U.S.C. 214); and
            ``(B) the term `covered shipper' means a winery, brewery, 
        or beverage distilled spirits plant, or other wholesaler, 
        distributer, or retailer of alcoholic beverages that--
                    ``(i) possesses a notice of registration or permit 
                approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade 
                Bureau of the Department of the Treasury pursuant to 
                the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (27 U.S.C. 201 
                et seq.); or
                    ``(ii) has registered with, obtained a permit from, 
                or obtained approval of a notice or an application 
                from, the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to Chapter 
                51 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 5001 
                et seq.).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the earlier of--
            (1) the date on which the Postal Service issues regulations 
        under section 3001(p) of title 39, United States Code, as 
        amended by this section; or
            (2) 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 4. UPGRADING THE FLEET OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.

    (a) Contracting.--
            (1) In general.--The Postmaster General may enter into 
        contracts to upgrade the postal fleet to increase long-term 
        savings by reducing collision, maintenance, fuel, or other 
        costs.
            (2) Review.--In determining whether to enter into contracts 
        under paragraph (1), the Postal Service shall review and 
        identify routes for which the Postal Service provides delivery 
        to determine if motor vehicles used on such routes can be 
        replaced or retrofitted with commercially available 
        technologies that--
                    (A) increase average fuel economy;
                    (B) reduce collisions with other motorized 
                vehicles, nonmotorized vehicles, and pedestrians; or
                    (C) reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.
    (b) Guidelines.--The Postmaster General shall develop guidelines 
for contracted vehicles and vehicles purchased or leased for use by the 
Postal Service, that, at a minimum, require that--
            (1) in the case of a passenger car, the car meets--
                    (A) with respect to emissions of carbon dioxide, 
                the more stringent of--
                            (i) the applicable standards developed by 
                        the Environmental Protection Agency under title 
                        II of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7521 et 
                        seq.); or
                            (ii) on average, less than 235 grams per 
                        mile; and
                    (B) with respect to average fuel economy, the more 
                stringent of--
                            (i) the applicable average fuel economy 
                        standards developed by the National Highway 
                        Traffic Safety Administration under chapter 329 
                        of title 49, United States Code; or
                            (ii) 37.8 miles per gallon;
            (2) in the case of a light-duty truck, the truck meets--
                    (A) with respect to emissions of carbon dioxide, 
                the more stringent of--
                            (i) the applicable standards developed by 
                        the Environmental Protection Agency under title 
                        II of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7521 et 
                        seq.); or
                            (ii) on average, less than 310 grams per 
                        mile; and
                    (B) with respect to average fuel economy, the more 
                stringent of--
                            (i) the applicable average fuel economy 
                        standards developed by the National Highway 
                        Traffic Safety Administration under chapter 329 
                        of title 49, United States Code; or
                            (ii) 28.8 miles per gallon;
            (3) medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles comply with 
        applicable standards--
                    (A) for emissions of carbon dioxide developed by 
                the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
                Agency under title II of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
                7521 et seq.); and
                    (B) for average fuel economy developed by the 
                Secretary of Transportation under chapter 329 of title 
                49, United States Code; and
            (4) for safety, the vehicles described in paragraphs (1) 
        through (3) are equipped with commercially available crash 
        avoidance solutions, including--
                    (A) camera-based sensors; and
                    (B) automatic emergency braking for new vehicles.
    (c) Applicability of Guidelines.--The standards described in 
subsection (b) shall apply to contracted vehicles and vehicles 
purchased or leased for use by the Postal Service after the date that 
is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (d) Reduction of Consumption of Petroleum Products.--The Postmaster 
General shall reduce the total consumption of petroleum products by 
vehicles in the postal fleet by not less than 2 percent annually 
through the end of fiscal year 2025, relative to the baseline 
established for fiscal year 2005.

SEC. 5. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.

    The Postmaster General may use cost savings from section 2 to 
reinvest in innovation, research and development, and operations of the 
Postal Service.

SEC. 6. GAO REPORT.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a 
report on the feasibility of the Postal Service providing Internet 
services to the public, including access to broadband Internet and 
Internet voting services. Such study shall include--
            (1) cost-effective strategies for using the infrastructure, 
        technology, and processes of existing networks that the Postal 
        Service uses for transportation, delivery, and retail to 
        provide the Internet services;
            (2) recommendations for providing such services in a manner 
        that is consistent with the public interest; and
            (3) an analysis of whether providing such services has the 
        potential to improve the financial position of the Postal 
        Service.

SEC. 7. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``Postal Service'' means the United States 
Postal Service.
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