This bill seeks to enhance the United States Postal Service's (USPS) on-time delivery of periodicals by linking it directly to future rate adjustments. It stipulates that the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) cannot grant the USPS additional rate authority for periodicals in a subsequent fiscal year unless specific performance criteria are met. These criteria include achieving either a 95 percent on-time delivery performance for periodicals or demonstrating an increase of at least 2 percentage points in on-time delivery compared to a previous high-performance year. The legislation also mandates that the Postmaster General submit an annual public report to the PRC, detailing progress in integrating on-time performance data for in-county and out-of-county newspaper mail into existing periodical service measurements. This report, requiring stakeholder input, will continue until the PRC confirms the full incorporation of these mail categories, with the PRC and Postmaster General developing a system to generate data if specific information is unavailable. Finally, the bill directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study on alternative pricing schemes and other options to improve the financial viability of periodicals and other products that do not cover their costs. This study's findings, including an evaluation of potential impacts, must be reported to Congress within two years of the bill's enactment.
This bill seeks to enhance the United States Postal Service's (USPS) on-time delivery of periodicals by linking it directly to future rate adjustments. It stipulates that the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) cannot grant the USPS additional rate authority for periodicals in a subsequent fiscal year unless specific performance criteria are met. These criteria include achieving either a 95 percent on-time delivery performance for periodicals or demonstrating an increase of at least 2 percentage points in on-time delivery compared to a previous high-performance year. The legislation also mandates that the Postmaster General submit an annual public report to the PRC, detailing progress in integrating on-time performance data for in-county and out-of-county newspaper mail into existing periodical service measurements. This report, requiring stakeholder input, will continue until the PRC confirms the full incorporation of these mail categories, with the PRC and Postmaster General developing a system to generate data if specific information is unavailable. Finally, the bill directs the Comptroller General to conduct a study on alternative pricing schemes and other options to improve the financial viability of periodicals and other products that do not cover their costs. This study's findings, including an evaluation of potential impacts, must be reported to Congress within two years of the bill's enactment.