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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4670 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4670

  To amend title 39, United States Code, to enhance the security and 
           efficiency of nationwide mail and parcel delivery.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 19, 2014

  Mr. Issa (for himself and Mr. Farenthold) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government 
                                 Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend title 39, United States Code, to enhance the security and 
           efficiency of nationwide mail and parcel delivery.

    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 ``Secure Delivery for America Act of 
2014''.

SEC. 2. DELIVERY-POINT MODERNIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter VII of chapter 36 of title 39, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 3692. Delivery-point modernization
    ``(a) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section--
            ``(1) the term `delivery point' means a mailbox or other 
        receptacle to which mail is delivered;
            ``(2) the term `primary mode of mail delivery' means the 
        typical method by which the Postal Service delivers letter mail 
        to the delivery point of a postal patron;
            ``(3) the term `door delivery' means a primary mode of mail 
        delivery whereby mail is placed into a slot or receptacle at or 
        near the postal patron's door or is hand delivered to a postal 
        patron, but does not include centralized, curbside, or sidewalk 
        delivery;
            ``(4) the term `centralized delivery' means a primary mode 
        of mail delivery whereby mail receptacles of a number of 
        delivery points are grouped or clustered at a single location;
            ``(5) the term `curbside delivery' means a primary mode of 
        mail delivery whereby a mail receptacle is situated at the edge 
        of a sidewalk abutting a road or curb, at a road, or at a curb, 
        and can be served by a letter carrier from a motorized vehicle; 
        and
            ``(6) the term `sidewalk delivery' means a primary mode of 
        mail delivery whereby a mail receptacle is situated at the edge 
        of a sidewalk and can be served by a letter carrier from the 
        sidewalk.
    ``(b) Policy.--It shall be the policy of the Postal Service--
            ``(1) to provide access to secure, convenient package 
        delivery receptacles to the greatest number of postal patrons 
        feasible; and
            ``(2) to use the most cost-effective primary mode of mail 
        delivery feasible for postal patrons.
    ``(c) Phaseout of Door Delivery.--
            ``(1) New addresses.--For new addresses established after 
        September 30, 2014, the Postal Service shall provide a primary 
        mode of mail delivery other than door delivery, with a 
        preference for secure, centralized delivery to the maximum 
        extent feasible.
            ``(2) Business address conversion.--Subject to paragraph 
        (4), the Postal Service shall implement a program to convert 
        existing business addresses with door delivery to centralized 
        delivery to the maximum extent feasible.
            ``(3) Residential address conversion.--
                    ``(A) Identification.--Within 1 year after the date 
                of the enactment of this section, each Postal Service 
                district office shall identify residential addresses 
                within its service area that are appropriate candidates 
                for conversion from door delivery to centralized, 
                curbside, or sidewalk delivery, in accordance with 
                standards established by the Postal Service.
                    ``(B) Voluntary conversion.--Subject to paragraph 
                (4), the Postal Service shall seek to voluntarily 
                convert the delivery points identified under 
                subparagraph (A) from door delivery to more cost-
                effective primary modes of mail delivery.
                    ``(C) Procedures.--In carrying out conversions 
                under subparagraph (B), the Postal Service shall 
                establish procedures--
                            ``(i) to solicit, consider, and respond to 
                        input from postal patrons, State and local 
                        governments, local associations, and property 
                        owners; and
                            ``(ii) to place centralized delivery points 
                        in locations that maximize delivery efficiency, 
                        ease of use for postal patrons, and respect for 
                        private property rights.
            ``(4) Considerations.--In making any determination to 
        convert the primary mode of mail delivery for an existing 
        address from door delivery to any other primary mode of mail 
        delivery, or to provide a primary mode of mail delivery to a 
        new address, the Postal Service shall consider--
                    ``(A) the impact of weather conditions, physical 
                barriers, or any other factor that may impact the 
                feasibility of providing a primary mode of mail 
                delivery other than door delivery (such as a factor 
                that may significantly reduce the potential cost 
                savings associated with providing centralized or 
                curbside delivery);
                    ``(B) whether the address is in a registered 
                historic district (as that term is defined in section 
                47(c)(3)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), is 
                listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is 
                designated as a National Historic Landmark, or is of 
                historic value; and
                    ``(C) population density and the concentration of 
                poverty.
            ``(5) Waiver for physical hardship.--The Postal Service 
        shall establish and maintain a waiver program under which, upon 
        application, door delivery may be continued, or provided, at no 
        cost to the applicant in any case in which--
                    ``(A) centralized or curbside delivery would, but 
                for this paragraph, otherwise be the primary mode of 
                mail delivery; and
                    ``(B) door delivery is necessary in order to avoid 
                causing significant physical hardship or physical 
                safety risks to a postal patron.
    ``(d) Delivery Modernization Requirement.--
            ``(1) Delivery-point conversions.--During each fiscal year 
        from fiscal year 2015 through fiscal year 2024, the Postal 
        Service shall convert not less than 1,500,000 of the door 
        delivery points extant on December 31, 2013, to centralized, 
        curbside, or sidewalk delivery.
            ``(2) Conversion type.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
        Postal Service shall, to the greatest extent feasible, convert 
        delivery points to centralized delivery and include secure 
        package lockers co-located with mail receptacles at the 
        centralized delivery point.
            ``(3) Conversion order.--In determining which delivery 
        points to convert under paragraph (1), the delivery point or 
        points of postal patrons who voluntarily agree to convert their 
        delivery point or points under subsection (c)(3) shall take 
        precedence over any other conversions to the greatest extent 
        practicable.
            ``(4) Procedures.--In carrying out conversions under 
        paragraph (1), the Postal Service shall establish procedures 
        to--
                    ``(A) solicit, consider, and respond to input from 
                the general public, postal patrons, State and local 
                governments, local associations, and property owners 
                which shall include, but not be limited to--
                            ``(i) a public community meeting prior to 
                        the commencement of the conversion of a 
                        community;
                            ``(ii) prior to the completion of the 
                        conversion of a community; and
                            ``(iii) at any point in the process when 
                        the District Manager makes a change to the 
                        delivery method or the location of centralized 
                        delivery points;
                    ``(B) calculate and make publicly accessible the 
                cost or savings of the conversion to the Postal Service 
                as well as the average conversion cost or savings to 
                each postal patron and any cost or savings to the State 
                and local government; and
                    ``(C) place centralized delivery points in 
                locations that maximize delivery efficiency, ease of 
                use for postal patrons, and respect for private 
                property rights.
            ``(5) Notification.--In carrying out conversions under 
        paragraph (1), the Postal Service shall provide written notice 
        at least 60 days in advance of the implementation date of a 
        change in primary mode of mail delivery to postal customers 
        served by an applicable delivery point.
            ``(6) Voucher program.--The Postal Service shall, in 
        accordance with such standards and procedures as the Postal 
        Service shall by regulation prescribe, provide for a voucher 
        program under which, upon application, the Postal Service may 
        defray all or any portion of the costs associated with 
        conversion from door delivery under this section which would 
        otherwise be borne by postal patrons.
            ``(7) Legacy door-delivery service.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Postal Service may continue 
                to provide, for a fee to be paid by the addressee, door 
                delivery to an address that received door delivery as 
                of January 1, 2014, but was converted or scheduled to 
                be converted to a different primary mode of mail 
                delivery as a result of the requirements of paragraph 
                (1), subject to succeeding provisions of this 
                paragraph.
                    ``(B) Offset.--The fee described in subparagraph 
                (A) shall, when taken in the nationwide aggregate, 
                offset the additional cost to the Postal Service for 
                door delivery (compared to the cost of the primary mode 
                of mail delivery which would otherwise exist for such 
                address) as a result of the requirements of subsection 
                (d).
                    ``(C) Requirements.--The fee shall be subject to 
                the requirements of section 3622(d)(1)(B) and the 
                Postmaster General may by regulation prescribe the 
                method of the fee's calculation.
                    ``(D) Qualifications.--Postal patrons may only 
                qualify for the option of legacy door-delivery service 
                if--
                            ``(i) the postal patron received mail at 
                        the applicable address on the date on which--
                                    ``(I) the Postal Service provided 
                                written notice of its intent to convert 
                                a delivery point in compliance with 
                                paragraph (5); or
                                    ``(II) the primary mode of mail 
                                delivery was changed pursuant to the 
                                requirements of paragraph (1);
                            ``(ii) the postal patron registered and 
                        paid the initial fee for such service not later 
                        than 6 months after the date on which the 
                        primary mode of mail delivery was changed for 
                        the applicable address; and
                            ``(iii) the provision of legacy door-
                        delivery service has been continuous at the 
                        applicable address since its commencement.
            ``(8) Treatment of exemption.--Addresses receiving door 
        delivery or legacy door delivery as a result of subsection 
        (c)(5) or paragraph (7)--
                    ``(A) shall be counted as addresses that receive 
                the primary mode of mail delivery which the address 
                would be subject to if not for the applicable 
                exemption; and
                    ``(B) shall, within 60 days after ceasing to meet 
                the requirements of such subsection (c)(5) or paragraph 
                (7), as applicable, be converted to the primary mode of 
                mail delivery which was otherwise applicable.
            ``(9) Annual report.--Not later than 60 days after the end 
        of each of fiscal years 2015 through 2024, the Postal Service 
        shall submit to Congress and the Inspector General of the 
        Postal Service a report on the implementation of this section 
        during the most recently completed fiscal year. Each such 
        report shall include--
                    ``(A) the number of residential and business 
                addresses that--
                            ``(i) receive door delivery as of the end 
                        of the fiscal year preceding the most recently 
                        completed fiscal year;
                            ``(ii) receive door delivery as of the end 
                        of the most recently completed fiscal year; and
                            ``(iii) during the most recently completed 
                        fiscal year, were converted from door delivery 
                        to--
                                    ``(I) centralized delivery points;
                                    ``(II) curbside delivery points; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) any other primary mode of 
                                mail delivery, respectively;
                    ``(B) the estimated cost savings from the 
                conversions described in subparagraph (A)(iii);
                    ``(C) a description of the progress made by the 
                Postal Service toward meeting the requirements of 
                subsection (c) and paragraph (1) of this subsection; 
                and
                    ``(D) any other information which the Postal 
                Service considers appropriate.
            ``(10) Inspector general audit.--The Inspector General of 
        the Postal Service shall issue an annual audit report on the 
        implementation of the conversion requirement under paragraph 
        (1) not later than 90 days after the date on which the Postal 
        Service releases its annual report under paragraph (9). At a 
        minimum, the report under this paragraph shall contain--
                    ``(A) an audit of the data contained in the Postal 
                Service's report under paragraph (9); and
                    ``(B) an evaluation of the Postal Service's 
                implementation of the procedural requirements described 
                in paragraph (4).
    ``(e) Review.--Subchapters IV and V shall not apply with respect to 
any action taken by the Postal Service under this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 36 of 
title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding after the item 
relating to section 3691 the following:

``3692. Delivery-point modernization.''.
    (c) Updated Delivery Cost Data.--
            (1) Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Postal Service shall begin to 
        collect data on delivery mode costs and the potential savings 
        of converting to more cost-efficient primary modes of mail 
        delivery.
            (2) Report.--Not later than October 1, 2015, the Postal 
        Service shall submit a report to the Committee on Oversight and 
        Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the 
        Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
        Senate describing the findings of the study conducted under 
        paragraph (1).
                                 <all>
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