Deliver for Democracy Act
Sponsored By: Senator Peter Welch
Introduced
Summary
Ties future periodical postage increases to measurable on-time delivery performance. The bill allows additional USPS rate authority for periodicals only if on-time delivery for periodicals is 95 percent in the relevant year or improves by at least 2 percentage points from a nearby baseline.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Annual newspaper delivery performance reports
If enacted, the Postmaster General would publish a yearly public report on periodical service progress. The report must show on-time delivery for in-county and out-of-county newspaper mail at each delivery unit. The Postmaster General must ask stakeholders for feedback. If single-piece data is not available, the Postal Regulatory Commission would make a system to produce digital bundle data. Reporting continues until the Commission approves those mail categories in service measurements or proxies.
Limits on periodical postage hikes
If enacted, the Postal Regulatory Commission would change a rule within one year. After that, USPS could not get authority to raise periodical postage for the next fiscal year unless it met delivery targets. The targets are 95% on-time delivery or at least a 2 percentage-point improvement versus the reference year. This conditional rule applies only to additional rate authority for periodicals.
GAO study on periodical pricing
If enacted, the Comptroller General would study alternative pricing and other options to help periodicals and other USPS products that lose money. The study must evaluate likely impacts of those options. The GAO must send a report to two congressional committees within two years of enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Peter Welch
VT • D
Cosponsors
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
John Hoeven
ND • R
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
WI • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov