Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 Passes House With Bipartisan Support

On February 8, the House of Representatives voted on long-sought-after postal reform, passing the NARFE-supported version of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, H.R. 3076, with strong bipartisan support, 342-92.

The legislation gained NARFE’s support after it was amended to address our concerns. In particular, changes were made to prevent unintended increases to Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program premiums for federal employees and retirees. And unlike past iterations of postal reform, this bill preserves choice for current postal retirees regarding whether or not to enroll in Medicare Part B.

NARFE President Ken Thomas sent a letter in support of the bill to the House of Representatives before the vote, stating, “Previous iterations of leading postal bills in this and past Congresses, while well-intentioned reform efforts, did not adequately protect the earned benefits of both postal retirees (due to a new requirement to enroll in Medicare after retirement) and nonpostal federal employees and retirees (as an altered health insurance risk pool threatened unintended increases in health insurance premiums in the FEHB program). But the version before the House now has addressed these issues, protecting the interests of postal retirees and nonpostal federal employees and retirees while also providing substantial financial relief to the Postal Service.

NARFE is also pleased with included provisions to repeal the burdensome mandate to prefund future postal retiree health benefits and the bill’s codification of mail delivery at six days per week.

H.R. 3076 will provide financial relief to the Postal Service that will improve the agency’s ability to remain a public entity providing a crucial service to the American people while simultaneously protecting the earned health benefits of  postal and federal workers and retirees. The bill creates a new, parallel Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) program that is required to have the same benefits and cost-sharing requirements as the health plans offered through FEHB. The bill is also expected to provide cost savings for FEHB, as the FEHB risk pool will become cheaper to insure.

The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 now awaits Senate consideration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer planned to bring the bill to the floor for a vote this week, but his efforts hit a procedural snag after the House clerk sent an incorrect version of the bill to the Senate. While the House quickly corrected the error via unanimous consent last Friday, Senator Rick Scott, R-FL, objected to expedited consideration of the new bill on Monday. While Leader Schumer vowed to bring the bill to the floor for a vote and pass it, it’s unclear whether that will occur before the Senate leaves town for two weeks.

NARFE President Ken Thomas urged Senators to pass the bill. You can join him by writing your Senators here and urging them to support the legislation.