I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1859

To require the United States Postal Service to submit certain reports to

Congress before implementing the next rate increase for first-class postage, and to provide certain procedures regarding the use and sale of

postage stamps during the initial period of such rate increase.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 19, 1999

Mr. CAMP introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Government Reform

A BILL

To require the United States Postal Service to submit certain

reports to Congress before implementing the next rate

increase for first-class postage, and to provide certain

procedures regarding the use and sale of postage stamps

during the initial period of such rate increase.

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 Rate Transition

5 Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. REPORTS ON RATE INCREASE FOR POSTAGE

2 STAMPS.

3 (a) REPORTS REQUIRED.—The United States Postal

4 Service may not—

5 (1) request a rate increase for first-class post6 age until submitting to Congress a report on—

7 (A) the number of one-cent stamps printed

8 to facilitate the first-class postal rate increase

9 implemented as of January 10, 1999;

10 (B) how the United States Postal Service

11 determined how many of such one-cent stamps

12 should be printed to facilitate the implementa13 tion of such rate increase;

14 (C) the number of one-cent stamps that

15 would have been printed during calendar year

16 1999 if such rate increase had not been imple17 mented; and

18 (D) the cost of printing the one-cent

19 stamps printed to facilitate such rate increase;

20 or

21 (2) implement a rate increase for first-class

22 postage recommended by the Postal Rate Commis23 sion until submitting to Congress a report including

24 an estimate of the number of stamps that need to

25 be printed to facilitate the rate increase for the price

26 of the amount of the difference between 33 cents
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1 and the price of a postage stamp reflecting the rec2 ommended new rate.

3 (b) APPLICABILITY.—Subsection (a) shall apply only

4 with respect to the first rate increase for first-class post5 age implemented after the date of the enactment of this

6 Act.

7 SEC. 3. PROCEDURES REGARDING USE AND SALE OF POST8 AGE STAMPS AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF

9 RATE INCREASE.

10 (a) PROCEDURES FOR RATE INCREASE.—(1) With

11 respect to the first increase in the rate for first-class post12 age implemented after the date of the enactment of this

13 Act, during the 30 days following the first day of such

14 rate increase, the United States Postal Service—

15 (A) may not fail to accept first-class mail

16 weighing one ounce or less because a 33-cent stamp

17 is used for such mail; and

18 (B) shall not sell any 33-cent stamps.

19 (2) The procedures described in paragraph (1) shall

20 also apply—

21 (A) with respect to a postcard for which a 20-

22 cent postage stamp is used; and

23 (B) to the sale of such 20-cent postage stamps.

24 (3) The procedures described in paragraph (1) shall

25 not apply to metered mail.
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1 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 7 months after the date

2 of the implementation of the rate increase described in

3 subsection (a)(1), the United States Postal Service shall

4 submit to Congress a report on the number of stamps

5 printed, for the price of the amount of the difference be6 tween 33 cents and the price of a stamp printed at the

7 new first-class rate, in order to facilitate the rate increase.

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