Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act

Bill: 108-s-1285
Sponsor: Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2003-06-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Advice and consent of the Senate
Affirmative action programs
Airmail service
Auditing
Authorization
Automation
Capital budgets
Capital investments
Civil actions and liability
Collective bargaining
Commerce
Competition
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Dislocated workers
Economics and Public Finance
Employee-management relations in government
Executive reorganization
Federal advisory bodies
Federal law enforcement officers
Federal officials
Fines (Penalties)
Fringe benefits
Government contractors
Government liability
Government paperwork
Government procurement
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Income tax
Independent regulatory commissions
Inspectors general
International Affairs
International cooperation
Investment of public funds
Labor and Employment
Labor contracts
Law
Legislation
Limitation of actions
Marketing
Minorities
Minorities in government
Minority business enterprises
New products
Performance measurement
Periodicals
Postal Rate Commission
Postal service
Presidential appointments
Privatization
Productivity in government
Research
Restrictive trade practices
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
Small business
State laws
Subcontractors
Taxation
United States Postal Service
Waste in government spending
Weights and measures
Women
Women in business
Women in government
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: 
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act - Amends Federal postal service law to direct the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) (established by this Act) to establish a modern system for regulating rates and classes for market-dominant products (all first-class mail, periodicals, non-parcel post standard mail, media mail, library mail, and bound printed matter).
 
Requires the system to establish: (1) a schedule whereby rates, when necessary, would increase at regular intervals by predictable amounts; and (2) procedures that would increase rates on an expedited basis when an unexpected decline in revenue or increase in costs threatens the Postal Service's ability to maintain service at the PRC's standards.
 

 
Directs the Board of Governors to establish rates and classes for products in the competitive category of mail (priority mail, expedited mail, mailgrams, international mail, and parcel post).
 
Authorizes the PRC to establish by regulation a set of service standards for market-dominant products.
 
Establishes the Postal Network Modernization Commission to analyze and report to the President on any recommendations of the Postal Service for closure or consolidation of processing and retail facilities.
 
Provides for the closure and consolidation of the Postal Service facilities, unless a joint resolution of disapproval is enacted.
 
Establishes in the Treasury a revolving Postal Service Competitive Products Fund which shall be available to the Postal Service without fiscal year limitation for the payment of: (1) costs attributable to competitive products; and (2) all other costs of the Postal Service allocable to competitive products.
 
Requires the Postal Service to: (1) compute its assumed Federal income tax (which would be the taxable income of a corporation) on competitive products income for such year; and (2) transfer an equivalent amount from the Competitive Products Fund to the Postal Service Fund.
 
Prohibits the Postal Service from: (1) establishing anti-competitive rules or regulations; (2) compelling the disclosure, transfer, or licensing of intellectual property to any third party; or (3) obtaining information from a person that provides any product, and then offer any product or service that uses or is based in whole or in part on such information, without the person's consent.
 
Makes the Secretary of State responsible for foreign policy related to international postal services and other international delivery services.
 

 
Authorizes the Postal Service to establish programs to provide bonuses or other rewards to Postal Service officers and employees.
 
Replaces the Postal Rate Commission with the Postal Regulatory Commission.
 

 
Repeals the authority of the Postal Service to impose fines on air carriers transporting mail beyond U.S. borders for unreasonable or unnecessary delays and other delinquencies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8138-8153)
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8136-8138)
action_date: 2003-06-18
text: Introduced in Senate