Postal Service Reform Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Post Office and civil serviceThe career federal workforce, hired by merit and protected from being fired for political reasons. About 2 million people, the vast majority of the executive branch.Read the full definition (opens a new tab).
Postal Service Reform Act - States that the Postal Service shall keep the Postal Rate Commission informed with respect to the operation of the Postal Service. Requires that the Postal Service shall furnish to the Commission information with respect to: (1) internal Postal Service management matters; (2) plans and policies of the Postal Service with respect to proposed changes in the nature of postal services; and (3) evaluations undertaken by or at the direction of the Postal Service with respect to the operation of the Postal Service. Provides that the terms of the Postmaster General and the Deputy Postmaster General shall be fixed by the Governors of the Board of Governors. Sets forth the requirements governing the annual authorization of appropriations. States that there shall be appropriated to the Postal Service, pursuant to annual authorizations enacted by the Congress, amounts equal to all revenues received by the Postal Service. Provides that the Postal Rate Commission shall have the authority to initiate reviews and hearings with respect to the activities of the Board of Governors and the Postal Service under this chapter. Enumerates the procedures governing such reviews and hearings. Requires that when the Postal Service determines that there should be a change in the nature of postal services which will not generally affect service on a nationwide or substantially nationwide basis, it shall post notice of such proposed change at any postal facility which will be substantially affected by such proposed change and at any other appropriate place or location. Requires that the Postal Rate Commission shall, on a regular basis, conduct regional hearings to afford interested parties with an opportunity to bring to the attention of the Commission problems, questions, and issues with respect to postal service and rates of postage.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 30, 1974. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 30, 1974: Referred to House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JOHN BUCHANAN (R-AL) introduced it on July 30, 1974. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 30, 1974, 19082 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19082 days ago, on July 30, 1974.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers