Sec. 306. Strategic Advisory Commission on Postal Service Solvency, Service, and Innovation
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There is established in the executive branch a Strategic Advisory Commission on Postal Service Solvency, Service, and Innovation (referred to in this section as the Advisory Commission ). The Advisory Commission shall not be subject to the supervision of the Board of Governors of the Postal Service (referred to in this section as the Board of Governors ), any Executive Committee established under section 202(i) of title 39, United States Code, the Postmaster General, or any other officer or employee of the Postal Service.
The purpose of the Advisory Commission is to— provide strategic guidance to the President, Congress, the Board of Governors, the Postmaster General, and the Chief Innovation Officer on enhancing the long-term solvency of the Postal Service; and foster innovative thinking to address the challenges facing the Postal Service without unfairly competing with the private sector. The Advisory Commission shall be composed of 7 members, of whom— 3 members shall be appointed by the President, who shall designate 1 member appointed under this subparagraph to serve as Chairperson of the Advisory Commission; and 1 member shall be appointed by each of— the majority leader of the Senate; the minority leader of the Senate; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
Members of the Advisory Commission shall have— recognized and significant experience in such fields as business, technology, and public administration; a documented record of innovative thinking; familiarity with new and emerging technologies; and experience with revitalizing organizations, corporations, or communities that experienced significant financial challenges or other challenges. An individual who is appointed to the Advisory Commission may not serve as an elected official or an officer or employee of the Federal Government while serving as a member of the Advisory Commission, except in the capacity of that individual as a member of the Advisory Commission.
Each member of the Advisory Commission shall be appointed not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act. The Advisory Commission shall meet at the call of the Chairperson or a majority of the members of the Advisory Commission. 4 members of the Advisory Commission shall constitute a quorum. Any vacancy in the Advisory Commission shall not affect the powers of the Advisory Commission, but shall be filled as soon as practicable in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
The Advisory Commission shall— study matters that the Advisory Commission determines are necessary and appropriate to develop a strategic blueprint for the long-term solvency of the Postal Service, including— the financial, operational, and structural condition of the Postal Service; alternative strategies and business models that the Postal Service could adopt; opportunities for additional postal and nonpostal services that the Postal Service could offer; the comparative postal practices of other countries, including innovative products and services that postal services in other countries have offered, including services that respond to the increasing use of electronic means of communication, and different approaches to mail delivery, including rural delivery, that other countries have adopted; the governance and organizational and management structures of the Postal Service; efforts by the Postal Service to recruit and retain a workforce, particularly in rural areas, capable of meeting the strategic needs of the Postal Service regarding innovation, nationwide service standards, and nationwide delivery schedules; efforts by the Postal Service to protect and enhance the provision of postal services to rural areas of the United States, including additional actions or strategies needed to meet service standards in rural areas; the morale of the workforce of the Postal Service, including strategies to improve morale; and technology that could enhance and protect postal services; and submit the report required under subsection (h).
The Advisory Commission may hold such hearings, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as is necessary to carry out this section. The Advisory Commission may secure directly from the Postal Service, the Board of Governors, the Postal Regulatory Commission, and any other Federal department or agency such information as the Advisory Commission considers necessary to carry out this section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the Advisory Commission, the head of the department or agency shall furnish the information described in the preceding sentence to the Advisory Commission.
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and section 552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Privacy Act of 1974 ), shall apply to the Advisory Commission. The Postmaster General shall provide to the Advisory Commission administrative support and other services for the performance of the functions of the Advisory Commission. An agency of the Federal Government may provide to the Advisory Committee such services, funds, facilities, staff, and other support services that the agency determines to be advisable or is otherwise authorized under law.
Each member of the Advisory Commission 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, United States Code, for each day during which the member is engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the Advisory Commission. Each member of the Advisory Commission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at the rate authorized for employees serving intermittently in the Government service under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, while away from home or regular place of business in the performance of services for the Advisory Commission.
The Chairperson, in accordance with rules agreed upon by the Advisory Commission, shall appoint and fix the compensation of an executive director and such other personnel as may be necessary to enable the Advisory Commission to carry out the functions of the Advisory Commission, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that a rate of pay fixed under this subparagraph may not exceed the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States Code.
Any Federal employee, including an employee of the Postal Service, may be detailed to the Advisory Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of the civil service rights, status, or privilege of the employee. Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Advisory Commission shall submit a report that contains a strategic blueprint for the long-term solvency of the Postal Service to— the President; the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives; the Board of Governors; and the Postmaster General.
The strategic blueprint contained in the report submitted under paragraph
(1)shall include— an assessment of the business model of the Postal Service as of the date on which the report is submitted; an assessment of potential future business models for the Postal Service, including an evaluation of the appropriate balance between— necessary reductions in costs and services; and additional opportunities for growth and revenue; a strategy for addressing significant current and future liabilities; identification of opportunities for further reductions in costs; identification of opportunities for new and innovative products and services, including products and services targeting rural areas; a strategy for future growth; a vision of how the Postal Service will operate in a sustainable manner 20 years after the date of enactment of this Act; a strategy for ensuring that the Postal Service has a sufficient workforce to meet all of its needs and comply with applicable legal requirements; and recommendations for any legislative changes necessary to implement the strategic blueprint described in this paragraph. The Advisory Commission shall conduct a study concerning the advisability of the Postal Service entering into interagency agreements with Federal, State, and local agencies, with respect to post offices, that— streamline and consolidate services provided by Federal, State, and local agencies; decrease the costs incurred by Federal agencies in providing services to the general public; and improve the efficiency and maintain the customer service standards of the Federal, State, and local agencies. The study under clause
(i)shall include consideration of the advisability of the Postal Service entering into an interagency agreement with Federal agencies responsible for providing services to the general public. The Advisory Commission shall— not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, submit to the Postal Service the findings of the study conducted under subparagraph (A); and incorporate the findings described in clause
(i)into the strategic blueprint required under subsection (h). Not later than 6 months after the date on which the Advisory Commission submits to the Postal Service the findings under paragraph (1)(B), the Postal Service shall submit a nonbinding strategic plan for entering into interagency agreements concerning post offices 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 strategic plan submitted under subparagraph
(A)shall be consistent with public interest and demand. The strategic plan submitted under subparagraph
(A)shall include, for each proposed interagency agreement, a projection of cost savings to be realized by the Postal Service and by any other Federal agency that is a party to the agreement. The Advisory Commission shall terminate on the earlier of— the date that is 60 days after the later of— the date on which the Advisory Commission submits the report on the strategic blueprint for long-term solvency under subsection (h); or the date on which the Advisory Commission submits the findings on interagency agreements for post offices under subsection (i); or the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.