I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4711 

To provide that the delivery vehicle fleet of the United States Postal Service 

be replaced by electric motor vehicles. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 26, 2010 

Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia (for himself and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To provide that the delivery vehicle fleet of the United States 

Postal Service be replaced by electric motor vehicles. 

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 Electric 

5 Motor Vehicle Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that— 

8 (1) Postal Service delivery vehicles which oper9 ate using gasoline have an average fuel economy of 

10 8 to 12 miles per gallon; 


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1 (2) the Inspector General of the United States 

2 Postal Service recently estimated that, for each de3 livery vehicle converted from gasoline to electric, the 

4 Postal Service would save approximately $1,500 in 

5 fuel costs each year; 

6 (3) 97 percent of Postal Service delivery routes 

7 are less than 40 miles long; and 

8 (4) it is in the national interest to reduce Amer9 ican dependence on foreign oil and to support do10 mestic automobile manufacturing. 

11 SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Postmaster General shall— 

13 (1) during each year in the 5-year period begin14 ning on the date of enactment of this Act, replace 

15 at least 10 percent of the gasoline-powered motor ve16 hicles in the Postal fleet with electric motor vehicles; 

17 (2) take such measures as may be necessary to 

18 ensure that, by the end of the 5-year period de19 scribed in paragraph (1), at least 75 percent of the 

20 Postal fleet is comprised of electric motor vehicles; 

21 and 

22 (3) carry out the preceding provisions of this 

23 subsection, in coordination with local electric dis24 tribution companies, in a manner consistent with the 

25 goals of— 


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1 (A) maintaining electric grid reliability; 

2 and 

3 (B) minimizing charging costs of electric 

4 motor vehicles in the Postal fleet. 

5 (b) BUY AMERICAN.—Notwithstanding any other 

6 provision of law, electric motor vehicles acquired to carry 

7 out this Act shall be electric motor vehicles manufactured 

8 in the United States. The Postmaster General shall ensure 

9 that manufacturers of electric motor vehicles so acquired 

10 solicit competitive bids for electric drive components and 

11 storage devices from domestic manufacturers that partici12 pate in the Department of Energy’s Electric Drive Vehicle 

13 Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative (or suc14 cessor program, as determined by the Postmaster General 

15 in consultation with the Secretary of Energy). 

16 (c) OVERSIGHT.—Not later than 30 days after the 

17 end of each fiscal year, the Postal Service shall submit 

18 to the Postal Regulatory Commission a report that in19 cludes a detailed accounting of the expenditures made, 

20 savings realized, and revenues received by the Postal Serv21 ice pursuant to this section. Within 90 days after receiving 

22 a report under the preceding sentence, the Postal Regu23 latory Commission shall submit to Congress a copy of such 

24 report, together with any findings and recommendations 

25 which the Commission considers appropriate. In addition 


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1 to any information otherwise required, each report under 

2 this subsection shall include— 

3 (1) an assessment of how replacing gasoline4 powered motor vehicles with electric motor vehicles 

5 meets goals or objectives established by the Postal 

6 Service for the replacement of the Postal fleet; and 

7 (2) the economic and environmental impact 

8 which the actions taken by the Postal Service under 

9 subsection (a) have had, including with respect to— 

10 (A) projected per vehicle operating costs 

11 per mile; 

12 (B) projected revenues from vehicle-to-grid 

13 and other grid-related services; and 

14 (C) emissions reduction and other environ15 mental benefits. 

16 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

17 For purposes of this Act— 

18 (1) the term ‘‘motor vehicle’’ means any self19 propelled vehicle designed for transporting persons 

20 or property on a street or highway; 

21 (2) the term ‘‘electric motor vehicle’’ means a 

22 motor vehicle powered solely by an electric motor 

23 that draws current from rechargeable storage bat24 teries, fuel cells, photovoltaic arrays, or other 

25 sources of electric current; 


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1 (3) the term ‘‘Postal fleet’’ means that portion 

2 of the Federal fleet (within the meaning of section 

3 303(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 

4 13212(b)) which is owned, operated, leased, or oth5 erwise controlled by or assigned to the Postal Serv6 ice and used primarily in the delivery of mail; 

7 (4) the term ‘‘Postal Service’’ means the United 

8 States Postal Service; and 

9 (5) the term ‘‘United States’’, as used in a geo10 graphical sense, includes the District of Columbia, 

11 the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United 

12 States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the 

13 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 

14 and any other Commonwealth, territory, or posses15 sion of the United States. 

Æ 


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