H.R. 2098: Deliver for Democracy Act

This bill, known as the Deliver for Democracy Act, aims to improve the delivery performance of periodicals by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Here are the key points of what the bill proposes:

1. Requirements for Rate Increases

Under the bill, the Postal Regulatory Commission must amend existing regulations so that the USPS cannot receive permission for any rate increases related to the delivery of periodicals unless it meets specific performance standards. The two criteria for these standards are:

• The USPS must achieve a 95 percent on-time delivery rate for periodicals in the fiscal year; or
• The USPS must show a 2 percentage point improvement in its on-time delivery performance compared to the best previous performance during the determined fiscal year.

2. Annual Progress Report

The Postmaster General is required to submit an annual report on the USPS's progress in achieving on-time delivery rates specifically for periodical mail. The report should include:

• On-time performance data for both in-county and out-of-county newspaper mail.
• Feedback from stakeholders involved in the mailing process.

3. Implementation of Reporting Requirements

If specific on-time delivery data cannot be obtained for individual pieces of mail, the Postal Regulatory Commission and the Postmaster General will create a system to gather relevant performance data from grouped mailings. This report will continue annually until the USPS successfully incorporates these categories of mail into its existing performance metrics.

4. Alternative Information Reporting

If identifying specific newspaper mail within periodicals proves challenging, the Postal Regulatory Commission can jointly with the Postmaster General decide on alternative metrics to report based on the closest relevant category. They must also provide a public report detailing the rationale behind their decisions and potential costs involved.

5. GAO Study and Report

The bill requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on alternative pricing schemes and other solutions for improving the financial health of periodicals and similar products that do not currently cover their costs. A report on this study must be submitted to designated congressional committees within two years of the bill's enactment.

Relevant Companies

• CMCSA - Comcast Corporation: The company has interests in various media outlets and could be impacted by changes in periodical delivery performance affecting their print publications.
• NWS - News Corp: As a major publisher, they would be directly affected by the performance of USPS in delivering newspapers and magazines on time.
• GOOG - Alphabet Inc.: This company owns several media businesses that rely on timely distribution of digital and print content, potentially making them sensitive to changes in postal delivery standards.