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TITLE VI—ENHANCED REGULATORY 
COMMISSION 
SEC. 601. REORGANIZATION AND MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN PROVI-
SIONS RELATING TO THE POSTAL REGULATORY COMMIS-
SION. 
(a) TRANSFER
AND REDESIGNATION.—Title 39, United States 
Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting after chapter 4 the following: 
‘‘CHAPTER 5—POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
‘‘Sec. 
‘‘501. Establishment. 
‘‘502. Commissioners. 
‘‘503. Rules; regulations; procedures. 
‘‘504. Administration. 
‘‘505. Officer of the Postal Regulatory Commission representing the general public.
‘‘§ 501. Establishment 
‘‘The Postal Regulatory Commission is an independent 
establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the 
United States. 
‘‘§ 502. Commissioners 
‘‘(a) The Postal Regulatory Commission is composed of 5 
Commissioners, appointed by the President, by and with the advice 
and consent of the Senate. The Commissioners shall be chosen 
solely on the basis of their technical qualifications, professional 
standing, and demonstrated expertise in economics, accounting, 
law, or public administration, and may be removed by the President 
only for cause. Each individual appointed to the Commission shall 
have the qualifications and expertise necessary to carry out the 
enhanced responsibilities accorded Commissioners under the Postal 
Accountability and Enhancement Act. Not more than 3 of the 
Commissioners may be adherents of the same political party. 
‘‘(b) No Commissioner shall be financially interested in any 
enterprise in the private sector of the economy engaged in the 
delivery of mail matter. 
‘‘(c) A Commissioner may continue to serve after the expiration 
of his term until his successor has qualified, except that a Commis-
sioner may not so continue to serve for more than 1 year after 
the date upon which his term otherwise would expire under sub-
section (f). 
‘‘(d) One of the Commissioners shall be designated as Chairman 
by, and shall serve in the position of Chairman at the pleasure 
of, the President. 
‘‘(e) The Commissioners shall by majority vote designate a 
Vice Chairman of the Commission. The Vice Chairman shall act 
as Chairman of the Commission in the absence of the Chairman. 
‘‘(f) The Commissioners shall serve for terms of 6 years.’’; 
(2) by striking, in subchapter I of chapter 36 (as in effect 
before the amendment made by section 201(c)), the heading 
for such subchapter I and all that follows through section 
3602;
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(3) by redesignating sections 3603 and 3604 as sections 
503 and 504, respectively, and transferring such sections to 
the end of chapter 5 (as inserted by paragraph (1)); and 
(4) by adding after such section 504 the following: 
‘‘§ 505. Officer of the Postal Regulatory Commission rep-
resenting the general public 
‘‘The Postal Regulatory Commission shall designate an officer 
of the Postal Regulatory Commission in all public proceedings (such 
as developing rules, regulations, and procedures) who shall rep-
resent the interests of the general public.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendment made by subsection (a)(1) 
shall not affect the appointment or tenure of any person serving 
as a Commissioner on the Postal Regulatory Commission (as so 
redesignated by section 604) under an appointment made before 
the date of enactment of this Act or any nomination made before 
that date, but, when any such office becomes vacant, the appoint-
ment of any person to fill that office shall be made in accordance 
with such amendment. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for part I of title 
39, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to chapter 4 the following:
‘‘5. Postal Regulatory Commission ...........................................
501’’
SEC. 602. AUTHORITY FOR POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION TO 
ISSUE SUBPOENAS. 
Section 504 of title 39, United States Code (as so redesignated 
by section 601) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f)(1) Any Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission, 
any administrative law judge appointed by the Commission under 
section 3105 of title 5, and any employee of the Commission des-
ignated by the Commission may administer oaths, examine wit-
nesses, take depositions, and receive evidence. 
‘‘(2) The Chairman of the Commission, any Commissioner des-
ignated by the Chairman, and any administrative law judge 
appointed by the Commission under section 3105 of title 5 may, 
with respect to any proceeding conducted by the Commission under 
this title or to obtain information to be used to prepare a report 
under this title—
‘‘(A) issue subpoenas requiring the attendance and presen-
tation of testimony by, or the production of documentary or 
other evidence in the possession of, any covered person; and 
‘‘(B) order the taking of depositions and responses to writ-
ten interrogatories by a covered person. 
The written concurrence of a majority of the Commissioners then 
holding office shall, with respect to each subpoena under subpara-
graph (A), be required in advance of its issuance. 
‘‘(3) In the case of contumacy or failure to obey a subpoena 
issued under this subsection, upon application by the Commission, 
the district court of the United States for the district in which 
the person to whom the subpoena is addressed resides or is served 
may issue an order requiring such person to appear at any des-
ignated place to testify or produce documentary or other evidence. 
Any failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by 
the court as a contempt thereof.
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‘‘(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘covered person’ 
means an officer, employee, agent, or contractor of the Postal 
Service. 
‘‘(g)(1) If the Postal Service determines that any document 
or other matter it provides to the Postal Regulatory Commission 
under a subpoena issued under subsection (f), or otherwise at the 
request of the Commission in connection with any proceeding or 
other purpose under this title, contains information which is 
described in section 410(c) of this title, or exempt from public 
disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, the Postal Service shall, 
at the time of providing such matter to the Commission, notify 
the Commission, in writing, of its determination (and the reasons 
therefor). 
‘‘(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), no officer or employee 
of the Commission may, with respect to any information as to 
which the Commission has been notified under paragraph (1)—
‘‘(A) use such information for purposes other than the pur-
poses for which it is supplied; or 
‘‘(B) permit anyone who is not an officer or employee of 
the Commission to have access to any such information. 
‘‘(3)(A) Paragraph (2) shall not prohibit the Commission 
from publicly disclosing relevant information in furtherance 
of its duties under this title, provided that the Commission 
has adopted regulations under section 553 of title 5, that estab-
lish a procedure for according appropriate confidentiality to 
information identified by the Postal Service under paragraph 
(1). In determining the appropriate degree of confidentiality 
to be accorded information identified by the Postal Service 
under paragraph (1), the Commission shall balance the nature 
and extent of the likely commercial injury to the Postal Service 
against the public interest in maintaining the financial trans-
parency of a government establishment competing in commer-
cial markets. 
‘‘(B) Paragraph (2) shall not prevent the Commission from 
requiring production of information in the course of any dis-
covery procedure established in connection with a proceeding 
under this title. The Commission shall, by regulations based 
on rule 26(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, establish 
procedures for ensuring appropriate confidentiality for informa-
tion furnished to any party.’’. 
SEC. 603. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE POSTAL 
SERVICE FUND. 
(a) POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION.—Subsection (d) of section 
504 of title 39, United States Code (as so redesignated by section 
601) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) There are authorized to be appropriated, out of the Postal 
Service Fund, such sums as may be necessary for the Postal Regu-
latory Commission. In requesting an appropriation under this sub-
section for a fiscal year, the Commission shall prepare and submit 
to the Congress under section 2009 a budget of the Commission’s 
expenses, including expenses for facilities, supplies, compensation, 
and employee benefits.’’. 
(b) OFFICE
OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
OF
THE UNITED STATES 
POSTAL SERVICE.—Section 8G(f) of the Inspector General Act of 
1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5);
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(2) by redesignating the second paragraph (3) (relating 
to employees and labor organizations) as paragraph (4); and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) There are authorized to be appropriated, out of the 
Postal Service Fund, such sums as may be necessary for the 
Office of Inspector General of the United States Postal Service.’’. 
(c) BUDGET PROGRAM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The next to last sentence of section 2009 
of title 39, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘The budget program shall also include separate statements 
of the amounts which (1) the Postal Service requests to be 
appropriated under subsections (b) and (c) of section 2401, 
(2) the Office of Inspector General of the United States Postal 
Service requests to be appropriated, out of the Postal Service 
Fund, under section 8G(f) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, 
and (3) the Postal Regulatory Commission requests to be appro-
priated, out of the Postal Service Fund, under section 504(d) 
of this title.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 2003(e)(1) of title 
39, United States Code, is amended by striking the first sen-
tence and inserting the following: ‘‘The Fund shall be available 
for the payment of (A) all expenses incurred by the Postal 
Service in carrying out its functions as provided by law, subject 
to the same limitation as set forth in the parenthetical matter 
under subsection (a); (B) all expenses of the Postal Regulatory 
Commission, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated 
under section 504(d); and (C) all expenses of the Office of 
Inspector General, subject to the availability of amounts appro-
priated under section 8G(f) of the Inspector General Act of 
1978.’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made by this section 
shall apply with respect to fiscal years beginning on or after 
October 1, 2008. 
(2) SAVINGS PROVISION.—The provisions of title 39, United 
States Code, and the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
App.) that are amended by this section shall, for purposes 
of any fiscal year before the first fiscal year to which the 
amendments made by this section apply, continue to apply 
in the same way as if this section had never been enacted. 
SEC. 604. REDESIGNATION OF THE POSTAL RATE COMMISSION. 
(a) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 39, UNITED STATES CODE.—Title 
39, United States Code, is amended in sections 404, 503 and 504 
(as so redesignated by section 601), 1001 and 1002, by striking 
‘‘Postal Rate Commission’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘Postal Regulatory Commission’’; 
(b) AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE.—Title 5, 
United States Code, is amended in sections 104(1), 306(f), 2104(b), 
3371(3), 5314 (in the item relating to Chairman, Postal Rate 
Commission), 5315 (in the item relating to Members, Postal Rate 
Commission), 
5514(a)(5)(B), 
7342(a)(1)(A), 
7511(a)(1)(B)(ii), 
8402(c)(1), 8423(b)(1)(B), and 8474(c)(4) by striking ‘‘Postal Rate 
Commission’’ and inserting ‘‘Postal Regulatory Commission’’. 
(c) AMENDMENT TO THE ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT ACT OF 1978.—
Section 101(f)(6) of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C.
H. R. 6407—45
App.) is amended by striking ‘‘Postal Rate Commission’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Postal Regulatory Commission’’. 
(d) AMENDMENT TO THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973.—Section 
501(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791(b)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘Postal Rate Office’’ and inserting ‘‘Postal 
Regulatory Commission’’. 
(e) AMENDMENT TO TITLE 44, UNITED STATES CODE.—Section 
3502(5) of title 44, United States Code, is amended by striking 
‘‘Postal Rate Commission’’ and inserting ‘‘Postal Regulatory 
Commission’’. 
(f) OTHER REFERENCES.—Whenever a reference is made in any 
provision of law (other than this Act or a provision of law amended 
by this Act), regulation, rule, document, or other record of the 
United States to the Postal Rate Commission, such reference shall 
be considered a reference to the Postal Regulatory Commission. 
SEC. 605. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE POSTAL REGULATORY 
COMMISSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 8G(a)(2) of the Inspector General 
Act of 1978 is amended by inserting ‘‘the Postal Regulatory Commis-
sion,’’ after ‘‘the United States International Trade Commission,’’. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—Section 504 of title 39, United States 
Code (as so redesignated by section 601) is amended by adding 
after subsection (g) (as added by section 602) the following: 
‘‘(h)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title or 
of the Inspector General Act of 1978, the authority to select, appoint, 
and employ officers and employees of the Office of Inspector General 
of the Postal Regulatory Commission, and to obtain any temporary 
or intermittent services of experts or consultants (or an organization 
of experts or consultants) for such Office, shall reside with the 
Inspector General of the Postal Regulatory Commission. 
‘‘(2) Except as provided in paragraph (1), any exercise of 
authority under this subsection shall, to the extent practicable, 
be in conformance with the applicable laws and regulations that 
govern selections, appointments, and employment, and the 
obtaining of any such temporary or intermittent services, within 
the Postal Regulatory Commission.’’. 
(c) DEADLINE.—No later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act—
(1) the first Inspector General of the Postal Regulatory 
Commission shall be appointed; and 
(2) the Office of Inspector General of the Postal Regulatory 
Commission shall be established. 
TITLE VII—EVALUATIONS 
SEC. 701. ASSESSMENTS OF RATEMAKING, CLASSIFICATION, AND 
OTHER PROVISIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Postal Regulatory Commission shall, at 
least every 5 years, submit a report to the President and Congress 
concerning—
(1) the operation of the amendments made by this Act; 
and 
(2) recommendations for any legislation or other measures 
necessary to improve the effectiveness or efficiency of the postal 
laws of the United States.
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(b) POSTAL SERVICE VIEWS.—A report under this section shall 
be submitted only after reasonable opportunity has been afforded 
to the Postal Service to review the report and to submit written 
comments on the report. Any comments timely received from the 
Postal Service under the preceding sentence shall be attached to 
the report submitted under subsection (a). 
SEC. 702. REPORT ON UNIVERSAL POSTAL SERVICE AND THE POSTAL 
MONOPOLY. 
(a) REPORT BY THE POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 24 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Postal Regulatory Commission 
shall submit a report to the President and Congress on uni-
versal postal service and the postal monopoly in the United 
States (in this section referred to as ‘‘universal service and 
the postal monopoly’’), including the monopoly on the delivery 
of mail and on access to mailboxes. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report under this subsection shall 
include—
(A) a comprehensive review of the history and develop-
ment of universal service and the postal monopoly, 
including how the scope and standards of universal service 
and the postal monopoly have evolved over time for the 
Nation and its urban and rural areas; 
(B) the scope and standards of universal service and 
the postal monopoly provided under current law (including 
sections 101 and 403 of title 39, United States Code), 
and current rules, regulations, policy statements, and prac-
tices of the Postal Service; 
(C) a description of any geographic areas, populations, 
communities (including both urban and rural communities), 
organizations, or other groups or entities not currently 
covered by universal service or that are covered but that 
are receiving services deficient in scope or quality or both; 
and 
(D) the scope and standards of universal service and 
the postal monopoly likely to be required in the future 
in order to meet the needs and expectations of the United 
States public, including all types of mail users, based on 
discussion of such assumptions, alternative sets of assump-
tions, and analyses as the Postal Service considers plau-
sible. 
(b) RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND THE 
MONOPOLY.—The Postal Regulatory Commission shall include in 
the report under subsection (a), and in all reports submitted under 
section 701 of this Act—
(1) any recommended changes to universal service and 
the postal monopoly as the Commission considers appropriate, 
including changes that the Commission may implement under 
current law and changes that would require changes to current 
law, with estimated effects of the recommendations on the 
service, financial condition, rates, and security of mail provided 
by the Postal Service; 
(2) with respect to each recommended change described 
under paragraph (1)—
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(A) an estimate of the costs of the Postal Service attrib-
utable to the obligation to provide universal service under 
current law; and 
(B) an analysis of the likely benefit of the current 
postal monopoly to the ability of the Postal Service to 
sustain the current scope and standards of universal 
service, including estimates of the financial benefit of the 
postal monopoly to the extent practicable, under current 
law; and 
(3) such additional topics and recommendations as the 
Commission considers appropriate, with estimated effects of 
the recommendations on the service, financial condition, rates, 
and the security of mail provided by the Postal Service. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the report required by this 
section, the Postal Regulatory Commission— 
(1) shall solicit written comments from the Postal Service 
and consult with the Postal Service and other Federal agencies, 
users of the mails, enterprises in the private sector engaged 
in the delivery of the mail, and the general public; and 
(2) shall address in the report any written comments 
received under this section. 
(d) CLARIFYING PROVISION.—Nothing in this section shall be 
considered to relate to any services that are not postal services 
within the meaning of section 102 of title 39, United States Code, 
as amended by section 101 of this Act. 
SEC. 703. STUDY ON EQUAL APPLICATION OF LAWS TO COMPETITIVE 
PRODUCTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Federal Trade Commission shall prepare 
and submit to the President and Congress, and to the Postal Regu-
latory Commission, within 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, a comprehensive report identifying Federal and State 
laws that apply differently to the United States Postal Service 
with respect to the competitive category of mail (within the meaning 
of section 102 of title 39, United States Code, as amended by 
section 101) and to private companies providing similar products. 
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Federal Trade Commission shall 
include such recommendations as it considers appropriate for 
bringing such legal differences to an end, and in the interim, 
to account under section 3633 of title 39, United States Code (as 
added by this Act), for the net economic effects provided by those 
laws. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In preparing its report, the Federal Trade 
Commission shall consult with the United States Postal Service, 
the Postal Regulatory Commission, other Federal agencies, mailers, 
private companies that provide delivery services, and the general 
public, and shall append to such report any written comments 
received under this subsection. 
(d) COMPETITIVE PRODUCT REGULATION.—The Postal Regu-
latory Commission shall take into account the recommendations 
of the Federal Trade Commission, and subsequent events that affect 
the continuing validity of the estimate of the net economic effect, 
in promulgating or revising the regulations required under section 
3633 of title 39, United States Code. 
SEC. 704. REPORT ON POSTAL WORKPLACE SAFETY AND WORKPLACE-
RELATED INJURIES. 
(a) REPORT BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the enact-
ment of this Act, the Inspector General of the United States 
Postal Service shall submit a report to Congress and the Postal 
Service that—
(A) details and assesses any progress the Postal Service 
has made in improving workplace safety and reducing 
workplace-related injuries nationwide; and 
(B) identifies opportunities for improvement that 
remain with respect to such improvements and reductions. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report under this subsection shall 
also—
(A) discuss any injury reduction goals established by 
the Postal Service; 
(B) describe the actions that the Postal Service has 
taken to improve workplace safety and reduce workplace-
related injuries, and assess how successful the Postal 
Service has been in meeting its injury reduction goal; and 
(C) identify areas where the Postal Service has failed 
to meet its injury reduction goals, explain the reasons 
why these goals were not met, and identify opportunities 
for making further progress in meeting these goals. 
(b) REPORT BY THE POSTAL SERVICE.—
(1) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 6 months after 
receiving the report under subsection (a), the Postal Service 
shall submit a report to Congress detailing how it plans to 
improve workplace safety and reduce workplace-related injuries 
nationwide, including goals and metrics. 
(2) PROBLEM
AREAS.—The report under this subsection 
shall also include plans, developed in consultation with the 
Inspector General and employee representatives, including rep-
resentatives of each postal labor union and management 
association, for addressing the problem areas identified by the 
Inspector General in the report under subsection (a)(2)(C). 
SEC. 705. STUDY ON RECYCLED PAPER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 12 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Government Accountability Office shall study and 
submit to the Congress, the Board of Governors of the Postal 
Service, and to the Postal Regulatory Commission a report con-
cerning—
(1) a description and analysis of the accomplishments of 
the Postal Service in each of the preceding 5 years involving 
recycling activities, including efforts by the Postal Service to 
recycle undeliverable and discarded mail and other materials 
and its public affairs efforts to promote the increased recycling 
of paper products; and 
(2) additional opportunities that may be available for the 
United States Postal Service to engage in recycling initiatives, 
including consultation with the paper recycling industry and 
encouraging mailers to increase both the recycling of paper 
products and the use of recycled paper, and the projected costs 
and revenues of undertaking such opportunities. 
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The report shall include recommenda-
tions for any administrative or legislative actions that may be 
appropriate.