# Plain Language Summary: Postal Service Electric Fleet Authorization Act of 2021

The federal government wants to modernize the mail trucks that deliver your packages and letters. Right now, most postal delivery vehicles run on gasoline, but this bill would give the Postal Service $8 billion to replace them with electric or zero-emission vehicles. The goal is to reduce pollution from mail delivery and move toward cleaner transportation. The money would pay for both the new vehicles themselves and the charging stations needed to keep them running.

Here's what the bill actually requires: At least 75 percent of the new delivery vehicles the Postal Service buys with this money must be electric or zero-emission. For the bigger trucks used for medium and heavy-duty delivery, the same 75 percent requirement applies through 2024. But starting in 2030, the Postal Service can only buy electric or zero-emission trucks—no more gas-powered heavy-duty vehicles at all. The bill also requires the Postal Service to install at least one electric charging station at every public-facing post office by January 2026, and to make sure enough charging stations exist at their facilities so the fleet can keep operating smoothly.

For everyday people, this means the mail carriers driving through your neighborhood would eventually be using cleaner vehicles that produce less pollution and noise. If you visit a post office, you might see charging stations available for your own electric vehicle. The bill also includes requirements that the Postal Service follow "Buy American" rules when purchasing vehicles, meaning they should prioritize American-made products. However, all of these requirements only kick in if Congress actually approves and funds the $8 billion—right now, the bill just authorizes the spending but doesn't guarantee it will happen.

Postal Service Electric Fleet Authorization Act of 2021

Lynch, Stephen F.

Postal Service Electric Fleet Authorization Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements for U.S. Postal Service (USPS) acquisition of vehicles and the infrastructure required to operate a fleet of electric vehicles. The bill's provisions only apply if specified funding is appropriated. Specifically, the bill requires the USPS to ensure that at least 75% of the total number of next generation delivery vehicles purchased using such funds are electric or zero-emission vehicles. The bill provides for a phase-out of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles that are not electric or zero-emission vehicles. The USPS must provide by January 1, 2026, at each postal facility accessible to the public, at least one electric vehicle charging station for use by the public or USPS officers and employees.