TITLE III—MODERN SERVICE 
STANDARDS 
SEC. 301. ESTABLISHMENT OF MODERN SERVICE STAND-
ARDS. 
Chapter 36 of title 39, United States Code, as 
amended by this Act, is further amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER VII—MODERN SERVICE 
STANDARDS 
‘‘§ 3691. Establishment of modern service standards 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY GENERALLY.—Not later than 12 
months after the date of enactment of this section, the 
Postal Service shall, in consultation with the Postal Regu-
latory Commission, by regulation establish (and may from 
time to time thereafter by regulation revise) a set of serv-
ice standards for market-dominant products. 
‘‘(b) OBJECTIVES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Such standards shall be de-
signed to achieve the following objectives: 
‘‘(A) To enhance the value of postal serv-
ices to both senders and recipients. 
‘‘(B) To preserve regular and effective ac-
cess to postal services in all communities, in-
cluding those in rural areas or where post of-
fices are not self-sustaining. 
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‘‘(C) To reasonably assure Postal Service 
customers delivery reliability, speed and fre-
quency consistent with reasonable rates and 
best business practices. 
‘‘(D) To provide a system of objective ex-
ternal performance measurements for each mar-
ket-dominant product as a basis for measure-
ment of Postal Service performance. 
‘‘(2) 
IMPLEMENTATION
OF
PERFORMANCE 
MEASUREMENTS.—With 
respect 
to 
paragraph 
(1)(D), with the approval of the Postal Regulatory 
Commission an internal measurement system may be 
implemented instead of an external measurement 
system. 
‘‘(c) FACTORS.—In establishing or revising such 
standards, the Postal Service shall take into account— 
‘‘(1) the actual level of service that Postal Serv-
ice customers receive under any service guidelines 
previously established by the Postal Service or serv-
ice standards established under this section; 
‘‘(2) the degree of customer satisfaction with 
Postal Service performance in the acceptance, proc-
essing and delivery of mail; 
‘‘(3) the needs of Postal Service customers, in-
cluding those with physical impairments; 
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‘‘(4) mail volume and revenues projected for fu-
ture years; 
‘‘(5) the projected growth in the number of ad-
dresses the Postal Service will be required to serve 
in future years; 
‘‘(6) the current and projected future cost of 
serving Postal Service customers; 
‘‘(7) the effect of changes in technology, demo-
graphics, and population distribution on the efficient 
and reliable operation of the postal delivery system; 
and 
‘‘(8) the policies of this title and such other fac-
tors as the Postal Service determines appropriate. 
‘‘(d) REVIEW.—The regulations promulgated pursu-
ant to this section (and any revisions thereto), and any 
violations thereof, shall be subject to review upon com-
plaint under sections 3662 and 3663.’’. 
SEC. 302. POSTAL SERVICE PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 6 months after the estab-
lishment of the service standards under section 3691 of 
title 39, United States Code, as added by this Act, the 
Postal Service shall, in consultation with the Postal Regu-
latory Commission, develop and submit to Congress a plan 
for meeting those standards. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The plan under this section shall— 
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(1) establish performance goals; 
(2) describe any changes to the Postal Service’s 
processing, transportation, delivery, and retail net-
works necessary to allow the Postal Service to meet 
the performance goals; 
(3) describe any changes to planning and per-
formance management documents previously sub-
mitted to Congress to reflect new performance goals; 
and 
(4) describe the long-term vision of the Postal 
Service for rationalizing its infrastructure and work-
force, and how the Postal Service intends to imple-
ment that vision. 
(c) POSTAL FACILITIES.— 
(1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 
(A) the Postal Service has more than 400 
logistics facilities, separate from its post office 
network; 
(B) as noted by the President’s Commis-
sion on the United States Postal Service, the 
Postal Service has more facilities than it needs 
and the streamlining of this distribution net-
work can pave the way for the potential consoli-
dation of sorting facilities and the elimination 
of excess costs; 
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(C) the Postal Service has always revised 
its distribution network to meet changing condi-
tions and is best suited to address its oper-
ational needs; and 
(D) Congress strongly encourages the 
Postal Service to— 
(i) expeditiously move forward in its 
streamlining efforts; and 
(ii) keep unions, management associa-
tions, and local elected officials informed 
as an essential part of this effort and abide 
by any procedural requirements contained 
in the national bargaining agreements. 
(2) IN
GENERAL.—The Postal Service plan 
shall include a description of— 
(A) the long-term vision of the Postal 
Service for rationalizing its infrastructure and 
workforce; and 
(B) how the Postal Service intends to im-
plement that vision. 
(3) CONTENT OF FACILITIES PLAN.—The plan 
under this subsection shall include— 
(A) a strategy for how the Postal Service 
intends to rationalize the postal facilities net-
work and remove excess processing capacity and 
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