National Association of Postal Supervisors

Serving the Northern Illinois District

From the desk of:
Michael B. Fuechtmann
NAPS State Legislative Representative

Postal Reform—House Postal Service Subcommittee Chairman John McHugh (R-NY) is preparing to introduce a new proposal for postal reform. The new version of H.R. 22, the "Postal Modernization Act," would eliminate the postal private law corporation, but pre-serve pricing flexibility for the USPS.

NAPS supports postal reform that protects universal service and uniform rates, provides greater market-based pricing flexibility to the Postal Service, and that does not privatize the U.S. Postal Service or unnecessarily expand Postal Rate Commission regulatory authority. 

Action needed: Contact your U.S. representative and ask for his or her support of postal reform. 

Repeal of the Payroll Tax on Postal and Federal Retirement Contributions—The Senate has given a preliminary okay to repeal of the increased payroll tax on postal and federal employee contributions to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund in its non binding Fiscal Year 2001 budget resolution. The House version does not expressly call for repeal of the payroll tax, but arithmetically provides the funding to accomplish repeal. NAPS supports S. 1472, introduced by Sen. Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), and H.R. 2631, introduced by Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), free-standing bills to repeal the increased payroll tax on postal and federal employee contributions that began two years ago. The Clinton Administration’s FY-01 budget also pro-poses to repeal the payroll tax. 

Action needed: Ask your representative and your senators to co-sponsor H.R. 2631 and S. 1472.

Long-Term Care Insurance—The House has approved legislation making it possible for postal and federal employees, members of the military and retirees to purchase long-term care insurance for themselves and their family members. H.R. 4040, the "Long-Term Care Security Act," would authorize the Office of Personnel Management to arrange and contract with one or more insurance carriers to offer group long-term care insurance policies at affordable group rates. Action on long-term care insurance for postal and federal employees now shifts to the Senate, where there was a hearing on S. 2218 on May 16. 

Action needed: Thank your representative for passage of H.R. 4040 and ask your senators to co-sponsor S. 2218. 

Law Enforcement Retirement Status for Postal Police Officers—New House co-sponsors have signed-on in support of H.R. 1228, which would extend early retirement status to postal police officers as law enforcement personnel. H.R. 1228, introduced by Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), would extend to members of the postal police and certain other non-postal employees the same Civil Service retirement status as other federal law enforcement officers.

Action needed: Ask your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 1228.

Retiree Benefit Reform—Legislation to alleviate the impact of the Government Pension Offset, which unfairly strips widows’ public pension benefits, now has 230 co-sponsors in the House, easily more than half of the House membership. Pressure is mounting for the House Ways and Means Committee to take up the popular measure. NAPS supports H.R.1217, introduced by Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), and S. 717, introduced by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), to alleviate the impact of the Government Pension Offset.

Action needed: Ask your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 1217, and your senators to co-sponsor S. 717. 

 or contact your local Representative at... www.house.gov