[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1859 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1859

 To require the United States Postal Service to submit certain reports 
to Congress before implementing the next rate increase for first-class 
 postage, and to provide certain procedures regarding the use and sale 
   of postage stamps during the initial period of such rate increase.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 19, 1999

   Mr. Camp introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the United States Postal Service to submit certain reports 
to Congress before implementing the next rate increase for first-class 
 postage, and to provide certain procedures regarding the use and sale 
   of postage stamps during the initial period of such rate increase.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Postal Rate Transition Act''.

SEC. 2. REPORTS ON RATE INCREASE FOR POSTAGE STAMPS.

    (a) Reports Required.--The United States Postal Service may not--
            (1) request a rate increase for first-class postage until 
        submitting to Congress a report on--
                    (A) the number of one-cent stamps printed to 
                facilitate the first-class postal rate increase 
                implemented as of January 10, 1999;
                    (B) how the United States Postal Service determined 
                how many of such one-cent stamps should be printed to 
                facilitate the implementation of such rate increase;
                    (C) the number of one-cent stamps that would have 
                been printed during calendar year 1999 if such rate 
                increase had not been implemented; and
                    (D) the cost of printing the one-cent stamps 
                printed to facilitate such rate increase; or
            (2) implement a rate increase for first-class postage 
        recommended by the Postal Rate Commission until submitting to 
        Congress a report including an estimate of the number of stamps 
        that need to be printed to facilitate the rate increase for the 
        price of the amount of the difference between 33 cents and the 
        price of a postage stamp reflecting the recommended new rate.
    (b) Applicability.--Subsection (a) shall apply only with respect to 
the first rate increase for first-class postage implemented after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. PROCEDURES REGARDING USE AND SALE OF POSTAGE STAMPS AFTER 
              IMPLEMENTATION OF RATE INCREASE.

    (a) Procedures for Rate Increase.--(1) With respect to the first 
increase in the rate for first-class postage implemented after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, during the 30 days following the first 
day of such rate increase, the United States Postal Service--
            (A) may not fail to accept first-class mail weighing one 
        ounce or less because a 33-cent stamp is used for such mail; 
        and
            (B) shall not sell any 33-cent stamps.
    (2) The procedures described in paragraph (1) shall also apply--
            (A) with respect to a postcard for which a 20-cent postage 
        stamp is used; and
            (B) to the sale of such 20-cent postage stamps.
    (3) The procedures described in paragraph (1) shall not apply to 
metered mail.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 7 months after the date of the 
implementation of the rate increase described in subsection (a)(1), the 
United States Postal Service shall submit to Congress a report on the 
number of stamps printed, for the price of the amount of the difference 
between 33 cents and the price of a stamp printed at the new first-
class rate, in order to facilitate the rate increase.
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