NAPO meets with staffers for members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to discuss postal reform
October 3, 2013
On September 30, 2013, NAPO accompanied the Postal Police Officers Association (PPOA) to meetings with staffers for the following members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee: Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR), Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Senator Rand Paul (R-NY), and Senator Jon Tester (D-MT). During each meeting, NAPO and the PPOA requested the staffers consider language modifications to Title 18, U.S.C., Section 3061 that will positively impact the PPOA, provide cost savings to the United States Government, and enhance public safety.
In Title 18, U.S.C., Section 3061, Congress prescribed law enforcement functions for the Postal Service. These functions are to be carried out by Postal Inspectors and uniformed police. Congress granted the Postal Service the authority to have Postal Police Officers serve warrants and subpoenas and conduct certain postal investigations. The Postal Service has not yet availed itself of this authority. NAPO has been working closely with the PPOA to clarify the language of the aforementioned section of the United States Code to ensure Postal Police Officers are utilized to their full capacity.
Over the past several months, NAPO and the PPOA have focused much effort to providing briefings on this issue to over a dozen members of Congress. We have received a great deal of positive feedback, and we are confident that our language proposals will be considered as both the House and Senate move forward with legislation to reform the U.S. Postal Service (H.R. 2309 & S.1486). (The mark-up of the Postal Reform Act of 2013 (S.1486) is tentatively scheduled for October 9, 2013. However, it will likely be postponed due to the government shutdown).
In addition to discussing language modifications to Title 18, U.S.C., Section 3061, NAPO requested that each of the staffers briefed on September 30th consider removing the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act from the Postal Reform Act of 2013 (S.1486). NAPO stressed that postal reform legislation is not the appropriate vehicle for this text. Senator Tester’s staff strongly supports NAPO’s concerns. We plan to work with Senator Tester’s staff in the coming weeks to urge that the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act be considered as a standalone piece of legislation.
NAPO will continue to provide updates on the progress of the above initiatives. If you have any questions about this issue, please contact Melissa Nee at: mnee@napo.org.