{
  "id": "R40983",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R40983",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 411493,
      "date": "2012-08-24",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:58:07.119322",
      "title": "The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006",
      "summary": "President George W. Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA; P.L. 109-435; 120 Stat. 3198) on December 20, 2006. The PAEA was the first broad revision of the 1970 statute that replaced the U.S. Post Office with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), a self-supporting, independent agency of the executive branch.\nThis report describes Congress\u2019s pursuit of postal reform and summarizes the major provisions of the new postal reform law. The report also suggests possible PAEA-related oversight issues for Congress. \nLegislatively, the pursuit of reform of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) began during the 104th Congress, in 1996. A number of factors encouraged the movement for postal reform. Perhaps foremost were the financial challenges of the USPS.\nA decade later, Congress enacted the PAEA, which made over 150 changes to postal law. Some of the more significant alterations are defining the term \u201cpostal service\u201d; restricting the USPS\u2019s authority to provide nonpostal services; altering the USPS\u2019s budget submission process; requiring the USPS to prefund its future retiree health benefits by establishing the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund; and replacing the USPS\u2019s regulator, the Postal Rate Commission, with the more powerful Postal Regulatory Commission.\nThe inherent complexity of lawmaking and the execution thereof invites disagreement and confusion over what a law means and how it should be implemented. In the six years since the enactment of the PAEA, some issues and questions concerning the law\u2019s provisions have arisen. These include, but are not limited to, possible executive branch concerns about the PAEA and the separation of powers; the cost of prefunding USPS future retiree health benefits; the role of the public in the closure of nonretail postal facilities; the USPS\u2019s authority to provide nonpostal products and services, and the viability of the USPS\u2019s business model.\nThis report will be updated should events warrant.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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          "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40983",
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      "topics": []
    },
    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc627174/",
      "id": "R40983_2009Dec14",
      "date": "2009-12-14",
      "retrieved": "2015-06-15T14:46:40",
      "title": "The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues for Congress",
      "summary": "This report describes Congress's pursuit of postal reform, and summarizes the major provisions of the new postal reform law. The report also suggests PAEA-related oversight issues for Congress.      President George W. Bush signed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA; P.L. 109-435; 120 Stat. 3198) on December 20, 2006. The PAEA was the first broad revision of the 1970 statute that replaced the U.S. Post Office with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), a self-supporting, independent agency of the executive branch.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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          "filename": "files/20091214_R40983_36d4be95dc8a510213515202b52c88993b0e12e7.pdf"
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          "format": "HTML",
          "filename": "files/20091214_R40983_36d4be95dc8a510213515202b52c88993b0e12e7.html"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Postal service",
          "name": "Postal service"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Communications",
          "name": "Communications"
        },
        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Postal law and legislation",
          "name": "Postal law and legislation"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Economic Policy",
    "Intelligence and National Security"
  ]
}