Number:  112-15
Date:  April 27, 2012

The Senate Passes S.1789
The 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012

On April 26, 2012, the Senate passed, as amended, S. 1789, the “21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012,” by a vote of 62 - 37.  The bill is intended to improve, sustain, and transform the United States Postal Service.

Following are provisions of interest to SSA.

Section 212—Strategic Advisory Commission on Postal Service Solvency and Innovation

• Would establish an Advisory Commission to create a strategic blue-print for the long-term solvency of the Postal Service.

• Would require the Advisory Commission to study, and incorporate into its blue-print, the advisability of the Postal Service entering into agreements with other government entities to streamline government services and decrease government costs, while improving efficiency and maintaining customer service.1

• Would require the Advisory Commission to report to the Postal Service the findings of this study not later than 1 year after enactment.

• Would require the Postal Service to submit to Congress a plan for entering into such interagency agreements not later than 6 months after the date on which the Advisory Commission reports to the Postal Service.

• Would require any Federal department or agency to provide to the Commission, upon request, any information the Commission deems necessary to carry out its duties.

 

Section 312—Integrity and Compliance

• Would establish the Federal Employees Compensation Act Integrity and Compliance Task Force, comprised of the Secretary of Labor, the Postmaster General, the Attorney General, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and other appropriate Federal officials as determined by the task force.

• Would require the Commissioner to make available Social Security earnings information of living or deceased employees to the Secretary of Labor, the Postmaster General, and each Inspector General. 

• Would require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs to make available to the Secretary of Labor, the Postmaster General, and each Inspector General information from databases they maintain with respect to Federal employees and disabled veterans.

• Would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, upon written request, to make available to the Secretary of Labor, the Postmaster General, each Inspector General, and the Comptroller General of the United States information in the National Directory of New Hires.

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