I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4711 
To provide that the delivery vehicle fleet of the United States Postal Service 
be replaced by electric motor vehicles. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 26, 2010 
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia (for himself and Ms. NORTON) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Gov-
ernment Reform 
A BILL 
To provide that the delivery vehicle fleet of the United States 
Postal Service be replaced by electric motor vehicles. 
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 Service Electric 
Motor Vehicle Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) Postal Service delivery vehicles which oper-
ate using gasoline have an average fuel economy of 
8 to 12 miles per gallon; 
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(2) the Inspector General of the United States 
Postal Service recently estimated that, for each de-
livery vehicle converted from gasoline to electric, the 
Postal Service would save approximately $1,500 in 
fuel costs each year; 
(3) 97 percent of Postal Service delivery routes 
are less than 40 miles long; and 
(4) it is in the national interest to reduce Amer-
ican dependence on foreign oil and to support do-
mestic automobile manufacturing. 
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Postmaster General shall— 
(1) during each year in the 5-year period begin-
ning on the date of enactment of this Act, replace 
at least 10 percent of the gasoline-powered motor ve-
hicles in the Postal fleet with electric motor vehicles; 
(2) take such measures as may be necessary to 
ensure that, by the end of the 5-year period de-
scribed in paragraph (1), at least 75 percent of the 
Postal fleet is comprised of electric motor vehicles; 
and 
(3) carry out the preceding provisions of this 
subsection, in coordination with local electric dis-
tribution companies, in a manner consistent with the 
goals of— 
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(A) maintaining electric grid reliability; 
and 
(B) minimizing charging costs of electric 
motor vehicles in the Postal fleet. 
(b) BUY AMERICAN.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, electric motor vehicles acquired to carry 
out this Act shall be electric motor vehicles manufactured 
in the United States. The Postmaster General shall ensure 
that manufacturers of electric motor vehicles so acquired 
solicit competitive bids for electric drive components and 
storage devices from domestic manufacturers that partici-
pate in the Department of Energy’s Electric Drive Vehicle 
Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative (or suc-
cessor program, as determined by the Postmaster General 
in consultation with the Secretary of Energy). 
(c) OVERSIGHT.—Not later than 30 days after the 
end of each fiscal year, the Postal Service shall submit 
to the Postal Regulatory Commission a report that in-
cludes a detailed accounting of the expenditures made, 
savings realized, and revenues received by the Postal Serv-
ice pursuant to this section. Within 90 days after receiving 
a report under the preceding sentence, the Postal Regu-
latory Commission shall submit to Congress a copy of such 
report, together with any findings and recommendations 
which the Commission considers appropriate. In addition 
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to any information otherwise required, each report under 
this subsection shall include— 
(1) an assessment of how replacing gasoline- 
powered motor vehicles with electric motor vehicles 
meets goals or objectives established by the Postal 
Service for the replacement of the Postal fleet; and 
(2) the economic and environmental impact 
which the actions taken by the Postal Service under 
subsection (a) have had, including with respect to— 
(A) projected per vehicle operating costs 
per mile; 
(B) projected revenues from vehicle-to-grid 
and other grid-related services; and 
(C) emissions reduction and other environ-
mental benefits. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘motor vehicle’’ means any self- 
propelled vehicle designed for transporting persons 
or property on a street or highway; 
(2) the term ‘‘electric motor vehicle’’ means a 
motor vehicle powered solely by an electric motor 
that draws current from rechargeable storage bat-
teries, fuel cells, photovoltaic arrays, or other 
sources of electric current; 
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(3) the term ‘‘Postal fleet’’ means that portion 
of the Federal fleet (within the meaning of section 
303(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
13212(b)) which is owned, operated, leased, or oth-
erwise controlled by or assigned to the Postal Serv-
ice and used primarily in the delivery of mail; 
(4) the term ‘‘Postal Service’’ means the United 
States Postal Service; and 
(5) the term ‘‘United States’’, as used in a geo-
graphical sense, includes the District of Columbia, 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United 
States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
and any other Commonwealth, territory, or posses-
sion of the United States. 
Æ 
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