Trends in Print and Mail

US Code Title 39 §101(a): The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people.

The first post in this series proposed a new reporting structure of the US Postal Service (USPS) and the Postmaster General (PMG). The second post reviewed the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and provide a minimum standards for a new USO..

This post will reimagine what services the US Postal Service may provide in the future – within and beyond the limits of what the current laws allow.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation

The last blog post proposed a new reporting structure of the US Postal Service (USPS) and the Postmaster General (PMG). This post will review the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and provide a draft USO for your consideration.

The USO is the vaguely defined responsibility of the USPS to provide consistent service at affordable rates to all citizens irrespective of geography. The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) calculates the costs of the USO and publishes a report on those costs.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission / Vote by mail / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation / The Berkshire Company

In last month’s post, we reviewed the lack of real reform in the “Postal Service Reform Act of 2022”. While the bill does address some financial issues, it falls short of introducing meaningful change to the US Postal Service (USPS).

A common reply to the post has been, “What would you consider ‘real’ reform?”

That’s a good question, and one that will be answered in three parts. Part One will cover governance and accountability, and Part Two will address universal service and the final part will discuss future services the USPS may provide.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Reform / Postal Regulatory Commission / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation

On March 8, 2022, the Senate Passed HR 3076 – “The Postal Reform Act of 2022”. This is an important law that will address several issues affecting the US Postal Service (USPS). However, no matter how this law is promoted, it isn’t comprehensive reform, and it doesn’t overhaul the USPS.

What’s included? In summary:

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United States Postal Service / USPS / Postal Reform / Postmaster General / Universal Service Obligation

The day before Thanksgiving, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) published Order No. 6047 – Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Regulations Pertaining to Section 601. The technical title veils the importance of the ruling. The section being discussed – 39 U.S. Code 601 – describes when the letter monopoly of the US Postal Service (USPS) doesn’t apply to a mailpiece. This is the core of the Private Express Statutes.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Regulatory Commission / Universal Service Obligation

On December 10, 2020, The Postal regulatory Commission issued Order Number 5777, requesting comment on Docket No. PI2021-1: Public Inquiry on the Universal Service Obligation Valuation Methodology. The Berkshire Company submitted the following document in response to the PRC.

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United States Postal Service / USPS / U.S. Postal Service / Postal Regulatory Commission / Universal Service Obligation