IIB 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2249
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 22 (legislative day, JULY 21), 2003
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend chapter 10 of title 39, United States Code, to 
include postmasters and postmasters’ organizations in 
the process for the development and planning of certain 
personnel policies, schedules, and programs of the United 
States Postal Service, and for other purposes.
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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 ‘‘Postmasters Equity 
Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. POSTMASTERS AND POSTMASTERS’ ORGANIZA-
TIONS. 
(a) 
PERCENTAGE
REPRESENTATION
REQUIRE-
MENT.—The second sentence of section 1004(b) of title 
39, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘that an organization (other 
than an organization representing supervisors) rep-
resents at least 20 percent of postmasters,’’ after 
‘‘majority of supervisors,’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘supervisors)’’ and inserting 
‘‘supervisors or postmasters)’’. 
(b) CONSULTATION AND OTHER RIGHTS.—Section 
1004 of title 39, United States Code, is amended—
(1) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub-
section (i); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(h)(1) In order to ensure that postmasters and post-
masters’ organizations are afforded the same rights under 
this section as are afforded to supervisors and the super-
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visors’ organization, subsections (c) through (g) shall be 
applied with respect to postmasters and postmasters’ or-
ganizations—
‘‘(A) by substituting ‘postmasters’ organization’ 
for ‘supervisors’ organization’ each place it appears; 
and 
‘‘(B) if 2 or more postmasters’ organizations 
exist, by treating such organizations as if they con-
stituted a single organization, in accordance with 
such arrangements as such organizations shall mu-
tually agree to. 
‘‘(2) If 2 or more postmasters’ organizations exist, 
such organizations shall, in the case of any factfinding 
panel convened at the request of such organizations (in 
accordance with paragraph (1)(B)), be jointly and sever-
ally liable for the cost of such panel, apart from the por-
tion to be borne by the Postal Service (as determined 
under subsection (f)(4)).’’. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—Subsection (i) of section 1004 of 
title 39, United States Code (as so redesignated by sub-
section (b)(1)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period and 
inserting a semicolon; and
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(3) by adding after paragraph (2) the following: 
‘‘(3) ‘postmaster’ means an individual who is 
the manager in charge of the operations of a post 
office, with or without the assistance of subordinate 
managers or supervisors; 
‘‘(4) ‘postmasters’ organization’ means an orga-
nization recognized by the Postal Service under sub-
section (b) as representing at least 20 percent of 
postmasters; and 
‘‘(5) ‘members of the postmasters’ organization’ 
shall be considered to mean employees of the Postal 
Service who are recognized under an agreement—
‘‘(A) between the Postal Service and the 
postmasters’ organization as represented by the 
organization; or 
‘‘(B) in the circumstance described in sub-
section (h)(1)(B), between the Postal Service 
and the postmasters’ organizations (acting in 
concert) as represented by either or any of the 
postmasters’ organizations involved.’’. 
(d) THRIFT ADVISORY COUNCIL NOT TO BE AF-
FECTED.—For purposes of section 8473(b)(4) of title 5, 
United States Code—
(1) each of the 2 or more organizations referred 
to in section 1004(h)(1)(B) of title 39, United
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States Code (as amended by subsection (b)) shall be 
treated as a separate organization; and 
(2) any determination of the number of individ-
uals represented by each of those respective organi-
zations shall be made in a manner consistent with 
the purposes of this subsection. 
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this section shall take ef-
fect 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives July 21, 2003. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.