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39 U.S.C. § 403 — General duties
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** The Postal Service shall plan, develop, promote, and provide adequate and efficient postal services at fair and reasonable rates and fees. The Postal Service shall receive, transmit, and deliver throughout the United States, its territories and possessions, and, pursuant to arrangements entered into under sections 406 and 411 of this title, throughout the world, written and printed matter, parcels, and like materials and provide such other services incidental thereto as it finds appropriate to its functions and in the public interest. The Postal Service shall serve as nearly as practicable the entire population of the United States.
**(b)** It shall be the responsibility of the Postal Service—
(1) to maintain an efficient system of collection, sorting, and delivery of the mail nationwide;
(2) to provide types of mail service to meet the needs of different categories of mail and mail users; and
(3) to establish and maintain postal facilities of such character and in such locations, that postal patrons throughout the Nation will, consistent with reasonable economies of postal operations, have ready access to essential postal services.
**(c)** In providing services and in establishing classifications, rates, and fees under this title, the Postal Service shall not, except as specifically authorized in this title, make any undue or unreasonable discrimination among users of the mails, nor shall it grant any undue or unreasonable preferences to any such user.
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_336a98c9d211c72c6d1bf9a2
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-39/section-403-general-duties--31f3294b38.md
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Source location: Title 39, Chapter 4, § 403; chapter-004-general-authority.md
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**(a)** The Postal Service shall plan, develop, promote, and provide adequate and efficient postal services at fair and reasonable rates and fees. The Postal Service shall receive, transmit, and deliver throughout the United States, its territories and possessions, and, pursuant to arrangements entered into under sections 406 and 411 of this title, throughout the world, written and printed matter, parcels, and like materials and provide such other services incidental thereto as it finds appropriate to its functions and in the public interest. The Postal Service shall serve as nearly as practicable the entire population of the United States.
**(b)** It shall be the responsibility of the Postal Service—
(1) to maintain an efficient system of collection, sorting, and delivery of the mail nationwide;
(2) to provide types of mail service to meet the needs of different categories of mail and mail users; and
(3) to establish and maintain postal facilities of such character and in such locations, that postal patrons throughout the Nation will, consistent with reasonable economies of postal operations, have ready access to essential postal services.
**(c)** In providing services and in establishing classifications, rates, and fees under this title, the Postal Service shall not, except as specifically authorized in this title, make any undue or unreasonable discrimination among users of the mails, nor shall it grant any undue or unreasonable preferences to any such user.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
The Panama Canal Commission shall provide written advance notification to the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate regarding—
(1) any proposed change in the rates of tolls for use of the Panama Canal;
(2) any payment estimated to be due the Republic of Panama under paragraph 4(c) of Article XIII of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, as provided by [section 3751 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title22-section3751&num=0&edition=prelim); and
(3) the initiation of any major capital acquisition or construction project exceeding $10,000,000 unless the proposed acquisition or project was included in the budget estimates submitted to Congress for the fiscal year in which the acquisition or project is to be undertaken.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 22 U.S.C. § 3601
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people. The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal services to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities. The costs of establishing and maintaining the Postal Service shall not be apportioned to impair the overall value of such service to the people.
**(b)** The Postal Service shall maintain an integrated network for the delivery of market-dominant and competitive products (as defined in chapter 36 of this title). Delivery shall occur at least six days a week, except during weeks that include a Federal holiday, in emergency situations, such as natural disasters, or in geographic areas where the Postal Service has established a policy of delivering mail fewer than six days a week as of the date of enactment of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022. The Postal Service shall provide a maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to rural areas, communities, and small towns where post offices are not self-sustaining. No small post office shall be closed solely for operating at a deficit, it being the specific intent of the Congress that effective postal services be insured to residents of both urban and rural communities.
**(c)** As an employer, the Postal Service shall achieve and maintain compensation for its officers and employees comparable to the rates and types of compensation pa
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 39 U.S.C. § 101
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** There is established in the Treasury of the United States a revolving fund to be called the Postal Service Fund which shall be available to the Postal Service without fiscal-year limitation to carry out the purposes, functions, and powers authorized by this title (other than any of the purposes, functions, or powers for which the Competitive Products Fund is available).
**(b)** Except as otherwise provided in section 2011, there shall be deposited in the Fund, subject to withdrawal by check by the Postal Service—
(1) revenues from postal and nonpostal services rendered by the Postal Service;
(2) amounts received from obligations issued by the Postal Service;
(3) amounts appropriated for the use of the Postal Service;
(4) interest which may be earned on investments of the Fund;
(5) any other receipts of the Postal Service;
(6) the balance in the Post Office Department Fund established under former [section 2202 of title 39](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title39-section2202&num=0&edition=prelim) as of the commencement of operations of the Postal Service;
(7) amounts (including proceeds from the sale of forfeited items) from any civil forfeiture conducted by the Postal Service;
(8) any transfers from the Secretary of the Treasury from the Department of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund which shall be available to the Postmaster General only for Federal law enforcement related purposes; and
(9) any amounts collected under section 3018.
**(c)** If the Postal Service determines that the moneys of the Fund are in excess of current needs, it may request the investment of such amounts as it deems advisable by the Secretary of the Treasury in obligations of, or obligations guaranteed by, the Government of the United States, and, with t
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 39 U.S.C. § 2003
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a)** There are appropriated to the Postal Service all revenues received by the Postal Service.
**(b)**
(1) As reimbursement to the Postal Service for public service costs incurred by it in providing a maximum degree of effective and regular postal service nationwide, in communities where post offices may not be deemed self-sustaining, as elsewhere, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Postal Service the following amounts:
(A) for each of the fiscal years 1972 through 1979, an amount equal to 10 percent of the sum appropriated to the former Post Office Department by Act of Congress for its use in fiscal year 1971;
(B) for fiscal year 1980, an amount equal to 9 percent of such sum for fiscal year 1971;
(C) for fiscal year 1981, $486,000,000;
(D) for fiscal year 1982, $250,000,000;
(E) for fiscal year 1983, $100,000,000;
(F) for fiscal year 1984, no funds are authorized to be appropriated; and
(G) except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, for each fiscal year thereafter an amount equal to 5 percent of such sum for fiscal year 1971.
(2) After fiscal year 1984, the Postal Service may reduce the percentage figure in paragraph (1)(G) of this subsection, including a reduction to 0, if the Postal Service finds that the amounts determined under such paragraph are no longer required to operate the Postal Service in accordance with the policies of this title.
**(c)** There are authorized to be appropriated to the Postal Service each year a sum determined by the Postal Service to be equal to the difference between the revenues the Postal Service would have received if sections 3217 and 3403 through 3406 had not been enacted and the estimated revenues to be received on mail carried under such sections. In requesting an appropriation
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 39 U.S.C. § 2401
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 15
TITLE 39—POSTAL SERVICE
§ 403
(8) to settle and compromise claims by or
against it;
(9) to exercise, in the name of the United
States, the right of eminent domain for the
furtherance of its official purposes; and to
have the priority of the United States with re-
spect to the payment of debts out of bankrupt,
insolvent, and decedents’ estates; and
(10) to have all other powers incidental, nec-
essary, or appropriate to the carrying on of its
functions or the exercise of its specific powers.
(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 722; Pub. L.
109–435, title IV, § 403(b)(1), title V, § 504, Dec. 20,
2006, 120 Stat. 3227, 3235.)
Editorial Notes
AMENDMENTS
2006—Pub. L. 109–435, § 403(b)(1), substituted ‘‘Subject
to the provisions of section 404a, the’’ for ‘‘The’’ in in-
troductory provisions.
Par. (2). Pub. L. 109–435, § 504, amended par. (2) gen-
erally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: ‘‘to
adopt, amend, and repeal such rules and regulations as
it deems necessary to accomplish the objectives of this
title;’’.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
EFFECTIVE DATE
Pars. (1) and (3) to (10) effective July 1, 1971, pursuant
to Resolution No. 71–9 of the Board of Governors and
par. (2) effective Aug. 12, 1970. See section 15(a) of Pub.
L. 91–375, set out as a note preceding section 101 of this
title.
Executive Documents
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FUNCTIONS
For assignment of certain emergency preparedness
functions to the Postmaster General, see Parts 1, 2, and
26 of Ex. Ord. No. 12656, Nov. 18, 1988, 53 F.R. 47491, set
out as a note under section 5195 of Title 42, The Public
Health and Welfare.
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 13975
Ex. Ord. No. 13975, Jan. 14, 2021, 86 F.R. 6547, which en-
couraged Buy American policies for the United S
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 39 U.S.C. § 403
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