Executive Order 13278 of December 11, 2002


 
                President's Commission on the United States 
                Postal Service


                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to ensure the efficient operation of the 
                United States Postal Service while minimizing the 
                financial exposure of the American taxpayers, it is 
                hereby ordered as follows:


                Section 1. Establishment. There is established the 
                President's Commission on the United States Postal 
                Service (Commission).


                Sec. 2. Membership. Commission shall be composed of 
                nine members appointed by the President. The President 
                shall designate two members of the Commission to serve 
                as Co-Chairs.


                Sec. 3. Mission. (a) The mission of the Commission 
                shall be to examine the state of the United States 
                Postal Service, and to prepare and submit to the 
                President a report articulating a proposed vision for 
                the future of the United States Postal Service and 
                recommending the legislative and administrative reforms 
                needed to ensure the viability of postal services.


                    (b) In fulfilling its mission, the Commission shall 
                consider the following issues and such other issues 
                relating to the Postal Service as the Commission 
                determines appropriate:


  (i) the role of the Postal Service in the 21st century and beyond;


  (ii) the flexibility that the Postal Service should have to change 
prices, control costs, and adjust service in response to financial, 
competitive, or market pressures;


  (iii) the rigidities in cost or service that limit the efficiency of the 
postal system;


  (iv) the ability of the Postal Service, over the long term, to maintain 
universal mail delivery at affordable rates and cover its unfunded 
liabilities with minimum exposure to the American taxpayers;


  (v) the extent to which postal monopoly restrictions continue to advance 
the public interest under evolving market conditions, and the extent to 
which the Postal Service competes with private sector services; and


  (vi) the most appropriate governance and oversight structure for the 
Postal Service.


                Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The Department of the 
                Treasury or any organizational entity subject to the 
                direction of the Secretary of the Treasury shall, to 
                the extent permitted by law, provide administrative 
                support and funding for the Commission. The Commission 
                is established within the Department of the Treasury 
                for administrative purposes only.


                    (b) Members of the Commission shall serve without 
                any compensation for their work on the Commission. 
                Members appointed from among private citizens of the 
                United States, however, while engaged in the work of 
                the Commission, may be allowed travel expenses, 
                including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as 
                authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in 
                Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), to the extent 
                funds are available.
                    (c) The Commission shall have a staff headed by an 
                Executive Director.
                    (d) The Commission, with the concurrence of the 
                Secretary of the Treasury, may establish subcommittees, 
                consisting of Commission members, as appropriate, to 
                aid in its work.


[[Page 76672]]


                    (e) Consistent with such guidance as the President 
                or, on the President's behalf, the Secretary of the 
                Treasury, may provide, the Commission shall exchange 
                information with and obtain advice from Members of 
                Congress; Federal, State, local, and tribal officials; 
                commercial, nonprofit, and residential users of the 
                United States Postal Service; and others, as 
                appropriate, including through public hearings.
                    (f) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 
                as amended, may apply to the Commission, any functions 
                of the President under that Act, except for those in 
                section 6 of that Act, shall be performed by the 
                Secretary of the Treasury, in accordance with the 
                guidelines that have been issued by the Administrator 
                of General Services.
                    (g) Nothing in this order shall be construed to 
                impair or otherwise affect the functions of the 
                Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
                relating to budget, administrative, or legislative 
                proposals.


                Sec. 5. Report. The Commission shall submit its report, 
                consistent with its mission set forth in section 3 of 
                this order, to the President, through the Secretary of 
                the Treasury, not later than July 31, 2003.


                Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) This order is intended 
                only to improve the internal management of the Federal 
                Government and it is not intended to, and does not 
                create, any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party 
                against the United States, its departments, agencies, 
                instrumentalities or entities, its officers or 
                employees, or any other person.


                    (b) The Commission shall terminate 30 days after 
                submitting its report and in no event later than August 
                30, 2003.


                    (Presidential Sig.)B


                THE WHITE HOUSE,


                     December 11, 2002.