,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ijbd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ag1       
#bjbj,ms4 ,speier introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in
 addition to the ,committee on          
,oversight and ,reform1 for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the       
,speaker1 in each case for consideration
 of such provisions as fall within the  
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of 
,homeland ,security to provide for an   
option under which a person to whom a   
document is sent may elect to use the   
,united ,states ,postal ,service's      
,signature ,confirmation service or     
,priority ,mail ,signature ,confirmation
 ,restricted ,delivery service to send  
secure identity documents1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,strengthening      
,department of ,homeland ,security      
,secure ,mail ,act4  #b4 ,definitions   

,in this ,act-- 7#a7 the terms          
,signature ,confirmation service and    
,priority ,mail ,signature ,confirmation
 ,restricted ,delivery service means the
 services described in section          
#ejc4h4a4a4;a and #ejc4h4a4a4;b1        
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  7#d7 the term
 ,secretary means the ,secretary of     
,homeland ,security2 and  7#e7 the term 
secure identity document means an       
,employment ,authorization ,document1 a 
,permanent ,resident ,card1 a ,travel   
,document 7including advance parole     
document71 or any other document so     
designated by the ,secretary of         
,homeland ,security4  #c4 ,use of       
,signature ,confirmation and ,priority  

,mail ,signature ,confirmation          
,restricted ,delivery services to       
deliver secure identity document  7a7   
,in general ,beginning not later than   
#ah months after the date of enactment  
of this ,act1 the ,secretary of         
,homeland ,security shall provide for an
 option under which a person to whom a  
document is sent may elect to use the   
,united ,states ,postal ,service's      
,signature ,confirmation service or     
,priority ,mail ,signature ,confirmation
 ,restricted ,delivery service 7or any  
successor services7 to send a secure    
identity document4  7b7 ,notice of      
changes2 application  7#a7 ,notice of   
changes ,the ,postal ,service shall     
notify the ,secretary of any changes to 
the ,signature ,confirmation service or 
the ,priority ,mail ,signature          
,confirmation ,restricted ,delivery     
service4  7#b7 ,application ,in carrying
 out subsection 7a71 the ,postal        
,service shall allow any individual     
represented by an attorney or accredited

 representative and who elects to have a
 secure identity document delivered by a
 service described in such subsection to
 elect that such document may be        
delivered to any employee of such       
attorney or accredited representative4  
7c7 ,use of private carrier  7#a7 ,in   
general ,if the ,secretary determines   
that a private carrier that offers      
substantially similar services to the   
,signature ,confirmation service or the 
,priority ,mail ,signature ,confirmation
 ,restricted ,delivery service 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 decline or discontinue
 use of the ,signature ,confirmation    
service or ,priority ,mail ,signature   
,confirmation ,restricted ,delivery     
service under subsection 7a72 and  7,b7 
enter into a contract with the private  
carrier to provide such substantially   
similar services4  7#b7 ,requirements   

,the ,secretary may not exercise the    
authority under paragraph 7#a7 unless   
the ,secretary determines1 and notifies 
the ,postal ,service1 that the private  
carrier offers services that are        
substantially similar to the ,signature 
,confirmation service or ,priority ,mail
 ,signature ,confirmation ,restricted   
,delivery service4  #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 and  
7#b7 the number of times during the     
previous year that a person used a      
service under subsection 7a7 or         
7c77#a77;,b7 of section #c4