,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dagd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #b1      
#bjbj,ms4 ,collins 7for herself1 ,mrs4  
,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,mr4 ,jones1  
and ,mr4 ,tester7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to provide emergency        
appropriations to the ,united ,states   
,postal ,service to cover losses related
 to the ,,covid-#ai crisis and to direct
 the ,board of ,governors of the ,united
 ,states ,postal ,service to develop a  
plan for ensuring the long term solvency
 of the ,postal ,service4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,postal ,service ,emergency ,assistance 
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress     
finds the following3 7#a7 ,by law1 the  
,postal ,service operates as a basic and
 fundamental service provided to the    
people by the ,government of the ,united
 ,states and must serve rural1 suburban1

 and urban areas throughout the ,united 
,states4  7#b7 ,the ,postal ,service is 
a lifeline for businesses and consumers 
across the ,united ,states1 especially  
those in remote and rural areas of the  
country1 delivering business            
correspondence1 educational1 cultural   
and scientific information1 critical    
prescriptions and medications1 household
 items1 and commercial goods with       
affordable1 reliable service not fewer  
than #f days per week4  7#c7 ,the       
,postal ,service helps small businesses 
stay connected with their customers no  
matter where they are located or where  
their customers live4  7#d7 ,since      
#aigj1 the ,postal ,service has been    
charged with operating as a             
self-sustaining entity and its          
operations are funded from postage paid 
for mail and shipping and not primarily 
by taxpayer funds4  7#e7 ,the           
,government ,accountability ,office     
reports that the ,postal ,service has   
lost approximately #gh1jjj1jjj1jjj from 

fiscal year #bjjg through #bjai due     
primarily to declining mail volumes and 
rising costs4  7#f7 ,package delivery   
volumes have more than doubled since    
#bjaj1 but the ,postal ,service faces   
competition in this area4  7#g7 ,the    
,postal ,service is not on a sustainable
 path and needs reform to be viable over
 the long term4  7#h7 ,reforms must be  
focused on the long term solvency of the
 ,postal ,service while ensuring the    
greatest benefit to the public and      
#fcj1jjj employees of the ,postal       
,service4  7#i7 ,by law1 the authority  
for operation and strategic direction of
 the ,postal ,service1 an independent   
establishment of the executive branch1  
is delegated to the ,board of ,governors
 of the ,postal ,service1 including the 
,postmaster ,general4  7#aj7 ,on ,may   
#f1 #bjbj1 the ,board of ,governors of  
the ,postal ,service selected ,louis    
,de,joy as the #geth ,postmaster        
,general of the ,united ,states4  7#aa7 
,the new ,postmaster ,general should be 

given the opportunity to review the     
operations and finances of the ,postal  
,service and1 in coordination with the  
rest of the ,board of ,governors of the 
,postal ,service1 propose a plan to     
ensure its long term viability4  7#ab7  
,at the same time1 the ,,covid-#ai      
pandemic has significantly contributed  
to the decline in market dominant mail  
volumes and revenues while increasing   
costs1 putting additional stress on the 
financial situation of the ,postal      
,service4  7#ac7 ,now more than ever1   
affordable mail and package delivery    
provided by the ,postal ,service is a   
lifeline for people in the ,united      
,states1 especially for seniors and     
others living in remote and rural areas4
  7#ad7 ,the critical services the      
,postal ,service provides will play a   
fundamental part of the economic        
recovery of the ,united ,states4  7#ae7 
,congress should provide immediate      
emergency appropriations to cover       
financial losses to the ,postal ,service

 caused by the ,,covid-#ai pandemic in  
order to keep the ,postal ,service      
operating without interruptions in      
service and to give the new ,postmaster 
,general and the ,board of ,governors of
 the ,postal ,service time to formulate 
and propose to ,congress a plan to      
ensure the long term viability of the   
,postal ,service4  7#af7 ,in addition1  
although ,congress recognized the       
critical role the ,postal ,service plays
 by providing #aj1jjj1jjj1jjj in        
borrowing authority in the ,,cares ,act 
7,public ,law #aaf-acf2 #acd ,stat4     
#bha7 to address operating losses caused
 by the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1           
clarification is required with respect  
to the terms and conditions imposed by  
the ,secretary of the ,treasury on any  
such borrowing4  #c4 ,definitions ,in   
this ,act3 7#a7 ,,covid-#ai ,the term   
,,covid-#ai means the coronavirus       
disease #bjai 7,,covid-#ai74  7#b7      
,postal ,service ,the term ,postal      
,service means the ,united ,states      

,postal ,service4  #d4 ,emergency       
appropriations for the ,postal ,service 
to cover ,,covid-#ai induced losses  7a7
 ,in general ,there is established in   
the ,treasury of the ,united ,states a  
fund to be known as the ,postal ,service
 ,,covid-#ai ,emergency ,fund4  7b7     
,appropriations ,there is appropriated1 
out of any money in the ,treasury not   
otherwise appropriated1 to the ,postal  
,service ,,covid-#ai ,emergency ,fund1  
#be1jjj1jjj1jjj1 to remain available    
until ,september #cj1 #bjbb1 pursuant to
 this section3 ,provided1 ,that such    
amount is designated by ,congress as    
being for an emergency requirement      
pursuant to section #bea7;b77#b77;,a77i7
 of the ,balanced ,budget and ,emergency
 ,deficit ,control ,act of #aihe 7#b    
,u4,s4,c4 #ija7;b77#b77;,a77i774  7c7   
,certification ,the ,postal ,service    
shall certify in its quarterly and      
audited annual reports to the ,postal   
,regulatory ,commission under section   
#cfed of title #ci1 ,united ,states     

,code1 and in conformity with the       
requirements of section #ac or #ae7;d7  
of the ,securities ,exchange ,act of    
#aicd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #ghm1 #gho7d771 any
 expenditures necessary to cover lost   
revenue or operational expenses         
resulting from the ,,covid-#ai pandemic4
 ,the ,postal ,service shall provide    
copies of these certified filings to the
 ,senate ,committee on ,homeland        
,security and ,governmental ,affairs1   
and the ,house ,committee on ,oversight 
and ,reform within #ae days of any      
filing with the ,postal ,regulatory     
,commission4  7d7 ,transfer ,within #ae 
days of any filing with the ,postal     
,regulatory ,commission1 as referenced  
in subsection 7c71 the ,secretary of the
 ,treasury shall transfer from the      
,postal ,service ,,covid-#ai ,emergency 
,fund to the ,postal ,service ,fund such
 amounts1 up to #be1jjj1jjj1jjj         
certified as expenditures necessary to  
cover lost revenue or operational       
expenses resulting from the ,,covid-#ai 

pandemic1 pursuant to subsection 7c74   
,this transfer authority is in addition 
to any other transfer authority provided
 in this ,act4 ,any amounts transferred 
to the ,postal ,service ,fund under this
 section may be used for such purposes  
as the ,postal ,service considers       
appropriate1 pursuant to this section4  
7e7 ,additional requirement ,the ,postal
 ,service1 during the ,,covid-#ai       
pandemic1 shall prioritize the purchase 
of1 and make available to all employees 
and facilities of the ,postal ,service1 
personal protective equipment1 including
 gloves1 masks1 and sanitizers1 and     
shall conduct additional cleaning and   
sanitizing of ,postal ,service          
facilities and delivery vehicles4  #e4  
,clarification of ,postal ,service      
borrowing authority ,section            
#fjja7;b77#b7 of the ,coronavirus ,aid1 
,relief1 and ,economic ,security ,act   
7,public ,law #aaf-acf7 is amended to   
read as follows3  7#b7 the ,secretary of
 the ,treasury shall lend up to the     

amount described in paragraph 7#a7 at   
the request of the ,postal ,service     
subject to the terms and conditions of  
the note purchase agreement between the 
,postal ,service and the ,federal       
,financing ,bank in effect on ,september
 #bi1 #bjah4  4  #f4 ,postal ,service   
reform plan  7a7 ,in general ,the       
,postmaster ,general shall1 in          
coordination with the rest of the ,board
 of ,governors of the ,postal ,service1 
develop a plan to ensure the long-term  
solvency of the ,postal ,service4  7b7  
,submission to ,congress ,no later than 
#bgj days after the date of enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,postal ,service shall  
submit to the ,committee on ,homeland   
,security and ,governmental ,affairs of 
the ,senate1 the ,committee on          
,oversight and ,reform of the ,house of 
,representatives1 and the ,postal       
,regulatory ,commission the plan        
required under this section1 including  
recommendations for congressional       
action4  7c7 ,congressional update      

,prior to submission of the plan        
required under subsection 7b7 and not   
later than #ahj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,postal     
,service shall provide a briefing on the
 status of the plan to the ,committee on
 ,homeland ,security and ,governmental  
,affairs of the ,senate and the         
,committee on ,oversight and ,reform of 
the ,house of ,representatives4