S. 1002: Deliver for Democracy Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

The Deliver for Democracy Act aims to improve the on-time delivery of periodicals by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Here are the main components of the bill:

On-Time Delivery Standards

The Postal Regulatory Commission is required to set new rules that will only allow USPS to increase postage rates for periodicals if they meet one of the following criteria:

Achieve at least a 95% on-time delivery rate for periodicals during the fiscal year.
Show an increase in on-time delivery performance of at least 2 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Annual Progress Report

The Postmaster General must submit an annual report to the Postal Regulatory Commission, publicly detailing USPS's performance in delivering periodicals. This report must include:

On-time performance data for both in-county and out-of-county newspapers that are sent through the mail.
Input from stakeholders to ensure the report addresses relevant concerns.

If detailed delivery information is not available, a method to generate data for relevant mail bundles will be developed for the report.

Termination of Report Requirement

The reporting requirement will continue until USPS is deemed to have effectively incorporated delivery performance measurements for the relevant categories of mail.

Proxy Information

If it is not feasible to identify specific newspaper mail categories within periodicals, the Postal Regulatory Commission can authorize the use of the closest applicable mail category for reporting purposes. A public document will then outline the reasoning behind this decision, including:

Costs incurred by USPS and affected businesses.
The ability of USPS to accurately report results.
Any other contributing factors.

GAO Study and Report

The Comptroller General is tasked with conducting a study on alternative pricing schemes and other options for USPS that may help improve the financial situation of periodicals and similar products. The findings from this study must be compiled and submitted to Congress within two years of the bill's enactment.