[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4174 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4174

To provide emergency appropriations to the United States Postal Service 
to cover losses related to the COVID-19 crisis and to direct the Board 
of Governors of the United States Postal Service to develop a plan for 
         ensuring the long term solvency of the Postal Service.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              July 2, 2020

 Ms. Collins (for herself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Daines, Mr. Jones, and 
  Mr. Tester) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide emergency appropriations to the United States Postal Service 
to cover losses related to the COVID-19 crisis and to direct the Board 
of Governors of the United States Postal Service to develop a plan for 
         ensuring the long term solvency of the Postal Service.

    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 Service Emergency Assistance 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) By law, the Postal Service operates as ``a basic and 
        fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of 
        the United States'' and must serve rural, suburban, and urban 
        areas throughout the United States.
            (2) The Postal Service is a lifeline for businesses and 
        consumers across the United States, especially those in remote 
        and rural areas of the country, delivering business 
        correspondence, educational, cultural and scientific 
        information, critical prescriptions and medications, household 
        items, and commercial goods with affordable, reliable service 
        not fewer than 6 days per week.
            (3) The Postal Service helps small businesses stay 
        connected with their customers no matter where they are located 
        or where their customers live.
            (4) Since 1970, the Postal Service has been charged with 
        operating as a self-sustaining entity and its operations are 
        funded from postage paid for mail and shipping and not 
        primarily by taxpayer funds.
            (5) The Government Accountability Office reports that the 
        Postal Service has lost approximately $78,000,000,000 from 
        fiscal year 2007 through 2019 due primarily to declining mail 
        volumes and rising costs.
            (6) Package delivery volumes have more than doubled since 
        2010, but the Postal Service faces competition in this area.
            (7) The Postal Service is not on a sustainable path and 
        needs reform to be viable over the long term.
            (8) Reforms must be focused on the long term solvency of 
        the Postal Service while ensuring the greatest benefit to the 
        public and 630,000 employees of the Postal Service.
            (9) By law, the authority for operation and strategic 
        direction of the Postal Service, an independent establishment 
        of the executive branch, is delegated to the Board of Governors 
        of the Postal Service, including the Postmaster General.
            (10) On May 6, 2020, the Board of Governors of the Postal 
        Service selected Louis DeJoy as the 75th Postmaster General of 
        the United States.
            (11) The new Postmaster General should be given the 
        opportunity to review the operations and finances of the Postal 
        Service and, in coordination with the rest of the Board of 
        Governors of the Postal Service, propose a plan to ensure its 
        long term viability.
            (12) At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic has 
        significantly contributed to the decline in market dominant 
        mail volumes and revenues while increasing costs, putting 
        additional stress on the financial situation of the Postal 
        Service.
            (13) Now more than ever, affordable mail and package 
        delivery provided by the Postal Service is a lifeline for 
        people in the United States, especially for seniors and others 
        living in remote and rural areas.
            (14) The critical services the Postal Service provides will 
        play a fundamental part of the economic recovery of the United 
        States.
            (15) Congress should provide immediate emergency 
        appropriations to cover financial losses to the Postal Service 
        caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to keep the Postal 
        Service operating without interruptions in service and to give 
        the new Postmaster General and the Board of Governors of the 
        Postal Service time to formulate and propose to Congress a plan 
        to ensure the long term viability of the Postal Service.
            (16) In addition, although Congress recognized the critical 
        role the Postal Service plays by providing $10,000,000,000 in 
        borrowing authority in the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136; 134 
        Stat. 281) to address operating losses caused by the COVID-19 
        pandemic, clarification is required with respect to the terms 
        and conditions imposed by the Secretary of the Treasury on any 
        such borrowing.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) COVID-19.--The term ``COVID-19'' means the coronavirus 
        disease 2019 (COVID-19).
            (2) Postal service.--The term ``Postal Service'' means the 
        United States Postal Service.

SEC. 4. EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE POSTAL SERVICE TO COVER COVID-
              19 INDUCED LOSSES.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Treasury of the United 
States a fund to be known as the Postal Service COVID-19 Emergency 
Fund.
    (b) Appropriations.--There is appropriated, out of any money in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to the Postal Service COVID-19 
Emergency Fund, $25,000,000,000, to remain available until September 
30, 2022, pursuant to this section:  Provided, That such amount is 
designated by Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant 
to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit 
Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(A)(i)).
    (c) Certification.--The Postal Service shall certify in its 
quarterly and audited annual reports to the Postal Regulatory 
Commission under section 3654 of title 39, United States Code, and in 
conformity with the requirements of section 13 or 15(d) of the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m, 78o(d)), any 
expenditures necessary to cover lost revenue or operational expenses 
resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Postal Service shall provide 
copies of these certified filings to the Senate Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs, and the House Committee on Oversight 
and Reform within 15 days of any filing with the Postal Regulatory 
Commission.
    (d) Transfer.--Within 15 days of any filing with the Postal 
Regulatory Commission, as referenced in subsection (c), the Secretary 
of the Treasury shall transfer from the Postal Service COVID-19 
Emergency Fund to the Postal Service Fund such amounts, up to 
$25,000,000,000 certified as expenditures necessary to cover lost 
revenue or operational expenses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, 
pursuant to subsection (c). This transfer authority is in addition to 
any other transfer authority provided in this Act. Any amounts 
transferred to the Postal Service Fund under this section may be used 
for such purposes as the Postal Service considers appropriate, pursuant 
to this section.
    (e) Additional Requirement.--The Postal Service, during the COVID-
19 pandemic, shall prioritize the purchase of, and make available to 
all employees and facilities of the Postal Service, personal protective 
equipment, including gloves, masks, and sanitizers, and shall conduct 
additional cleaning and sanitizing of Postal Service facilities and 
delivery vehicles.

SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF POSTAL SERVICE BORROWING AUTHORITY.

    Section 6001(b)(2) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic 
Security Act (Public Law 116-136) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) the Secretary of the Treasury shall lend up to the 
        amount described in paragraph (1) at the request of the Postal 
        Service subject to the terms and conditions of the note 
        purchase agreement between the Postal Service and the Federal 
        Financing Bank in effect on September 29, 2018.''.

SEC. 6. POSTAL SERVICE REFORM PLAN.

    (a) In General.--The Postmaster General shall, in coordination with 
the rest of the Board of Governors of the Postal Service, develop a 
plan to ensure the long-term solvency of the Postal Service.
    (b) Submission to Congress.--No later than 270 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Postal Service shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, 
the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives, 
and the Postal Regulatory Commission the plan required under this 
section, including recommendations for congressional action.
    (c) Congressional Update.--Prior to submission of the plan required 
under subsection (b) and not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Postal Service shall provide a briefing on 
the status of the plan to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Oversight and 
Reform of the House of Representatives.
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