Sec. 303. Innovation and accountability
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Chapter 2 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: There shall be in the Postal Service a Chief Innovation Officer appointed by the Postmaster General who shall have proven expertise and a record of success in— the postal and shipping industry; innovative product research and development; marketing brand strategy; emerging communications technology; or business process management. The Chief Innovation Officer shall— lead the development of innovative nonpostal products and services that maximize the revenue of the Postal Service; develop innovative postal products and services, particularly products and services that use emerging information technologies, to maximize the revenue of the Postal Service; supervise the implementation of products and services described in paragraphs
(1)and (2); and monitor the performance of products and services described in paragraphs
(1)and
(2)and modify the products and services as needed to address changing market trends. The Chief Innovation Office shall take into consideration comments or advisory opinions, if applicable, issued by the Postal Regulatory Committee before the initial sale of innovative postal or nonpostal products and services. As soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this section, and not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Postmaster General shall appoint a Chief Innovation Officer. The Chief Innovation Officer may not, while serving as Chief Innovation Officer, hold any other office or position in the Postal Service. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an individual who holds another office or position in the Postal Service at the time the individual is appointed Chief Innovation Officer from serving as the Chief Innovation Officer under this section. There is established the Postal Innovation Advisory Commission (hereinafter the Commission ). The Commission shall be composed of— the Chief Innovation Officer established under subsection (a), who shall serve as Chairperson of the Commission; and 5 other members as the Postal Regulatory Commission shall appoint, of whom— 1 member shall have expertise in labor; 1 member shall have expertise in small business issues; 1 member shall have expertise in consumer protection; 1 member shall have expertise in small periodicals and newspapers; and 1 member shall have expertise in the postal industry. Members shall be appointed for 5-year terms. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the powers of the Commission, but shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson. A majority of the members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings. The Commission shall study— additional postal and nonpostal services that the Postal Service may offer to raise revenue; and services that postal services in foreign countries have offered to respond to the increasing demand for high-tech services, including— banking and insurance services; communication services; physical delivery of e-mail correspondence to individuals who do not have Internet access; scanning physical mail and delivering that mail through e-mail; and communication through secure servers. The Commission shall generate recommendations for additional services that the Postal Service should provide based on the study conducted under subparagraph (A). Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and each year thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the Postmaster General a report that contains each recommendation described under subparagraph
(B)that the Commission approves by a majority vote. The Commission may hold such hearings, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as is necessary to carry out this subsection. The Commission may secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the Commission considers necessary to carry out this subsection. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of such department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission. The Commission may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property. Each member of the Commission who is not an officer or employee of the Federal Government (including the Postal Service) shall be compensated at a rate equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5 for each day (including travel time) during which such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Commission. All members of the Commission who are officers or employees of the United States, including the Postal Service, shall serve without compensation in addition to that received for their services as officers or employees of the United States. The members of the Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5 while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Commission. The Chairperson of the Commission may, without regard to the civil service laws and regulations, appoint and terminate an executive director and such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the Commission to perform its duties. The employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the Commission. The Chairperson of the Commission may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5 relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5. Any Federal Government employee, including an employee of the Postal Service, may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege. The Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5 at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5. Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Commission. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to the Commission to carry out this Act. Any sums appropriated under the authorization contained in this section shall remain available, without fiscal year limitation, until expended. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Postmaster General shall submit, at the same time the President submits the annual budget request under section 1105 of title 31 for that year, and together with the report on performance under subsection (g), a comprehensive strategy for maximizing the revenue of the Postal Service through innovative postal and nonpostal products and services to— the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives; and the Postal Regulatory Commission. At a minimum, the strategy required by this subsection shall address— the specific innovative postal and nonpostal products and services to be developed and offered by the Postal Service, including the nature of the market demand to be satisfied by each product and service and the estimated date by which each product and service will be introduced; the cost of developing and offering each product or service; the anticipated sales volume for each product and service; the anticipated revenues and profits expected to be generated by each product and service; the likelihood of success of each product and service and the risks associated with the development and sale of each product and service; the trends anticipated in market conditions that may affect the success of each product and service during the 5-year period following the submission of the report; and the metrics that will be used to assess the effectiveness of the innovation strategy. The Postmaster General shall— update the strategy required under this subsection every 2 years; and submit the updated strategy, at the same time the President submits the annual budget request under section 1105 of title 31 for that year, and together with the report on performance under subsection (g), to— the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives; and the Postal Regulatory Commission. The Postmaster General shall submit an annual report that describes the progress of the Postal Service in implementing the strategy under this section, at the same time the President submits the annual budget request under section 1105 of title 31, to— the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives; and the Postal Regulatory Commission. At a minimum, a report under this subsection shall include— the revenue generated by each product and service developed through the strategy under this section and the costs of developing and offering each product or service for the preceding year; the total sales volume and revenue generated by each product and service on a monthly basis for the preceding year; trends in each market in which a product or service is intended to satisfy a demand; products and services identified in the strategy under this section that are to be discontinued, the date on which the discontinuance will occur, and the reasons for the discontinuance; alterations in products and services identified in the strategy under this section that will be made to address changing market conditions, and an explanation of how the alterations will ensure the success of the products and services; and the performance of the strategy under this section according to the metrics identified under subsection (e)(2)(G). The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on the implementation of the strategy under this section that assesses the effectiveness of the Postal Service in identifying, developing, and selling innovative postal and nonpostal products and services. The study under subparagraph
(A)shall include— an audit of the costs of developing each innovative postal and nonpostal product and service developed or offered by the Postal Service; the sales volume of each product and service; the revenues and profits generated by each product and service; and the likelihood of continued success of each product and service. Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General shall submit a report concerning the study under paragraph
(1)to— the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives. . The table of sections for chapter 2 of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 209. Innovation and accountability. .