Postal Service Improvement Act

To require mail-in ballots to use the United States Postal Service barcode service, to provide paid parental leave to officers and employees of the Postal Service, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Postal Service Improvement Act 2. Mail-in ballots and Postal Service barcode service (a) In general Section 3001 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (p) Any ballot sent within the United States for an election for Federal office is nonmailable and shall not be carried or delivered by mail unless the ballot is mailed in an envelope that— (1) contains a Postal Service barcode (or successive service or marking) that enables tracking of each individual ballot; (2) satisfies requirements for ballot envelope design that the Postal Service may promulgate by regulation; (3) satisfies requirements for machineable letters that the Postal Service may promulgate by regulation; and (4) includes the Official Election Mail Logo (or any successor label that the Postal Service may establish for ballots). . (b) Application The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to any election for Federal office occurring after the date of enactment of this Act. (c) Reimbursement to States (1) In general The Federal Government shall reimburse each State (including the District of Columbia and any territory or possession of the United States) for the cost of using the Postal Service barcode service as required under subsection (p) of section 3001 of title 39, United States Code, as added by subsection (a). (2) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2022 and each fiscal year thereafter such sums as may be necessary, to be derived from the general fund of the Treasury, for reimbursing States for such cost. 3. Paid parental leave for Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission employees The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 ( 29 U.S.C. 2612 (1) in section 101(2)(E)— (A) in the subparagraph heading, by inserting USPS, and Postal Regulatory Commission GAO (B) by inserting the United States Postal Service, or the Postal Regulatory Commission Government Accountability Office (2) in section 102(d)(3)— (A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting USPS, and Postal Regulatory Commission GAO (B) by striking the Government Accountability Office the Government Accountability Office, the United States Postal Service, or the Postal Regulatory Commission

Summary: Postal Service Improvement Act This bill requires mail-in ballots for federal elections to meet certain design and tracking requirements and revises authority to provide parental leave to postal employees. Specifically, each mail-in ballot must be carried or delivered in an envelope that contains a USPS barcode that enables tracking of each individual ballot, satisfies USPS requirements for ballot envelope design and for machinable (i.e., able to be processed using USPS equipment) letters, and includes the official election mail logo. The federal government must reimburse each state (including the District of Columbia and any U.S. territory or possession) for the cost of using the barcode service. The bill also provides paid parental leave to officers and employees of the USPS and the Postal Regulatory Commission.