I 
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 consider-
ation 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 Representa-
tives 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.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and notwith-
standing the provisions of title 39, United States 
Code, the Postmaster General shall establish a pilot 
program to provide nonpostal services through pub-
lic-private partnerships in 5 postal districts or re-
gions, as determined by the Postmaster General, of 
which at least 1 district or region contains a post of-
fice located in a rural area. 
(2) SERVICES.—The nonpostal services de-
scribed 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 
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subsection (a), the Postmaster General shall submit 
to Congress a report containing— 
(A) an analysis of the pilot program con-
ducted under paragraph (1); and 
(B) an assessment of the most cost-effec-
tive 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 insert-
ing ‘‘(a) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.—Executive agen-
cies’’; 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 gov-
ernment 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. 
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‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘State’ means each of the 
several States, the District of Columbia, Amer-
ican 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 strik-
ing ‘‘mails’’ and inserting ‘‘mails, except to the ex-
tent that the mailing is allowable under section 
3001(p) of title 39’’. 
(2) MAILABLE
ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES.—Sec-
tion 1154(a) of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended, by inserting ‘‘or, with respect to the mail-
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ing 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 fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(p)(1) Alcoholic beverages shall be considered mail-
able if mailed— 
‘‘(A) by a covered shipper in accordance with 
applicable regulations under paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(B) in accordance with the delivery require-
ments otherwise applicable to privately carried ship-
ments of alcoholic beverages. 
‘‘(2) The Postal Service shall prescribe such regula-
tions as may be necessary to carry out this subsection, 
including regulations providing that— 
‘‘(A) the mailing shall be by a means estab-
lished 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; 
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‘‘(C) the alcoholic beverage may not be for re-
sale 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 proc-
ess 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 af-
firmation 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 Fed-
eral Alcohol Administration Act (27 U.S.C. 214); 
and 
‘‘(B) the term ‘covered shipper’ means a win-
ery, 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 
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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 ap-
plication 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 Serv-
ice shall review and identify routes for which the 
Postal Service provides delivery to determine if 
motor vehicles used on such routes can be replaced 
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or retrofitted with commercially available tech-
nologies that— 
(A) increase average fuel economy; 
(B) reduce collisions with other motorized 
vehicles, nonmotorized vehicles, and pedes-
trians; or 
(C) reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. 
(b) GUIDELINES.—The Postmaster General shall de-
velop guidelines for contracted vehicles and vehicles pur-
chased 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 di-
oxide, 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 econ-
omy standards developed by the National 
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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 di-
oxide, 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 econ-
omy 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 com-
ply with applicable standards— 
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(A) for emissions of carbon dioxide devel-
oped by the Administrator of the Environ-
mental 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 para-
graphs (1) through (3) are equipped with commer-
cially available crash avoidance solutions, includ-
ing— 
(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 vehi-
cles and vehicles purchased or leased for use by the Postal 
Service after the date that is 1 year after the date of en-
actment 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 estab-
lished for fiscal year 2005. 
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SEC. 5. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF THE POSTAL SERV-
ICE. 
The Postmaster General may use cost savings from 
section 2 to reinvest in innovation, research and develop-
ment, 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 vot-
ing services. Such study shall include— 
(1) cost-effective strategies for using the infra-
structure, technology, and processes of existing net-
works that the Postal Service uses for transpor-
tation, delivery, and retail to provide the Internet 
services; 
(2) recommendations for providing such serv-
ices in a manner that is consistent with the public 
interest; and 
(3) an analysis of whether providing such serv-
ices has the potential to improve the financial posi-
tion of the Postal Service. 
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SEC. 7. DEFINITION. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘Postal Service’’ means the 
United States Postal Service. 
Æ 
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