#aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,s4   
#abjh  ,,an ,,act  ,to direct the       
,secretary of ,homeland ,security to    
provide for an option under the ,secure 
,mail ,initiative under which a person  
to whom a document is sent under that   
initiative may elect to have the ,united
 ,states ,postal ,service use the ,hold 
for ,pickup service or the ,signature   
,confirmation service in delivering the 
document1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,strengthening the ,department of   
,homeland ,security ,secure ,mail       
,initiative ,act4  #b4 ,definitions ,in 
this ,act--  7#a7 the terms ,hold for   
,pickup service and ,signature          
,confirmation service mean the services 
described in sections #ejg4c4j and      
#ejc4h4a4a4;a1 respectively1 of the     
,domestic ,mail ,manual 7or any         
successor services72  7#b7 the term     
,immigration ,examinations ,fee ,account
 means the account established under    
section #bhf7m7 of the ,immigration and 

,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4         
#acef7m772  7#c7 the term ,postal       
,service means the ,united ,states      
,postal ,service2 and  7#d7 the term    
,secretary means the ,secretary of      
,homeland ,security4  #c4 ,offering     
,hold for ,pickup and ,signature        
,confirmation services under the ,secure
 ,mail ,initiative  7a7 ,in general     
,beginning not later than #a year after 
the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary shall provide for an option  
under the ,secure ,mail ,initiative 7or 
any successor program7 under which a    
person to whom a document is sent under 
that initiative may elect1 except as    
provided in subsection 7e71 to have the 
,postal ,service use the ,hold for      
,pickup service or the ,signature       
,confirmation service in delivering the 
document4  7b7 ,fee  7#a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary1 in accordance with     
section #bhf7m7 of the ,immigration and 
,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4         
#acef7m771 shall require the payment of 

a fee from a person electing a service  
under subsection 7a71 which shall be set
 at a level that ensures recovery of--  
7,a7 the full costs of providing all    
such services2 and  7,b7 any additional 
costs associated with the administration
 of the fees collected4  7#b7           
,allocation of funds ,of the fees       
collected under paragraph 7#a71 the     
,secretary shall--  7,a7 deposit as     
offsetting receipts into the            
,immigration ,examinations ,fee ,account
 the portion representing--  7i7 the    
cost to the ,secretary of providing the 
services under subsection 7a72 and  7ii7
 any additional costs associated with   
the administration of the fees          
collected2 and  7,b7 transfer to the    
,postal ,service the portion            
representing the cost to the ,postal    
,service of providing the services under
 subsection 7a74  7c7 ,regulations ,the 
,postal ,service may promulgate         
regulations that-- 7#a7 subject to      
paragraph 7#b71 minimize the cost of    

providing the services under subsection 
7a72 and  7#b7 do not require the       
,postal ,service to incur additional    
expenses that are not recoverable under 
subsection 7b74  7d7 ,notice of changes 
,the ,postal ,service shall notify the  
,secretary of any changes to the ,hold  
for ,pickup service or the ,signature   
,confirmation service4  7e7 ,use of     
private carrier  7#a7 ,in general ,if   
the ,secretary determines that a private
 carrier that offers substantially      
similar services to the ,hold for       
,pickup and ,signature ,confirmation    
services would provide better service   
and value than the ,postal ,service     
provides under subsection 7a71 the      
,secretary may1 in accordance with      
paragraph 7#b7 of this subsection--     
7,a7 discontinue use of the services of 
the ,postal ,service under subsection   
7a72 and  7,b7 enter into a contract    
with the private carrier under which a  
person to whom a document is sent under 
the ,secure ,mail ,initiative 7or any   

successor program7 may elect to have the
 private carrier use one of the         
substantially similar services in       
delivering the document4  7#b7          
,requirements ,the ,secretary may not   
exercise the authority under paragraph  
7#a7 unless the ,secretary-- 7,a7       
determines1 and notifies the ,postal    
,service1 that the private carrier      
offers services that are substantially  
similar to the ,hold for ,pickup and    
,signature ,confirmation services2  7,b7
 provides for an option under the       
,secure ,mail ,initiative 7or any       
successor program7 under which a person 
to whom a document is sent under that   
initiative may elect a service under    
paragraph 7#a77;,b72  7,c7 requires the 
payment of a fee from a person electing 
a service under paragraph 7#a77;,b71    
which shall be set at a level that      
ensures recovery of--  7i7 the full cost
 of contracting with the private carrier
 to provide all such services2 and  7ii7
 any additional costs associated with   

the administration of the fees          
collected2 and  7,d7 deposits the fees  
collected under subparagraph 7,c7 as    
offsetting receipts into the            
,immigration ,examinations ,fees        
,account4  #d4 ,report ,not later than  
#b years after the date of enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to ,congress a report that describes--  
7#a7 the implementation of the          
requirements under section #c2  7#b7 the
 fee imposed under subsection 7b7 or    
7e77#b77;,c71 as applicable1 of section 
#c2 and  7#c7 the number of times during
 the previous year that a person used a 
service under subsection 7a7 or         
7e77#a77;,b7 of section #c4  ,passed the
 ,senate ,december #ba1 #bjag4,secretary