Strengthening Department of Homeland Security Secure Mail Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 9024 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for an option under which a person to whom a document is sent may elect to use the United States Postal Service’s Signature Confirmation service or Priority Mail Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery service to send secure identity documents, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DECEMBER 17, 2020 Ms. SPEIER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Re- form, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for an option under which a person to whom a document is sent may elect to use the United States Postal Serv- ice’s Signature Confirmation service or Priority Mail Sig- nature Confirmation Restricted Delivery service to send secure identity documents, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Jan 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9024.IH H9024 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 9024 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Depart- 2 ment of Homeland Security Secure Mail Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 4 In this Act— 5 (1) the terms ‘‘Signature Confirmation service’’ 6 and ‘‘Priority Mail Signature Confirmation Re- 7 stricted Delivery service’’ means the services de- 8 scribed in section 503.8.1.1.a and 503.8.1.1.b, re- 9 spectively, of the Domestic Mail Manual (or any suc- 10 cessor services); 11 (2) the term ‘‘Immigration Examinations Fee 12 Account’’ means the account established under sec- 13 tion 286(m) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 14 (8 U.S.C. 1356(m)); 15 (3) the term ‘‘Postal Service’’ means the United 16 States Postal Service; 17 (4) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 18 of Homeland Security; and 19 (5) the term ‘‘secure identity document’’ means 20 an Employment Authorization Document, a Perma- 21 nent Resident Card, a Travel Document (including 22 advance parole document), or any other document so 23 designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Jan 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9024.IH H9024 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 9024 IH SEC. 3. USE OF SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION AND PRIORITY 1 MAIL SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION RE- 2 STRICTED DELIVERY SERVICES TO DELIVER 3 SECURE IDENTITY DOCUMENT. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 18 5 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec- 6 retary of Homeland Security shall provide for an option 7 under which a person to whom a document is sent may 8 elect to use the United States Postal Service’s Signature 9 Confirmation service or Priority Mail Signature Confirma- 10 tion Restricted Delivery service (or any successor services) 11 to send a secure identity document. 12 (b) NOTICE OF CHANGES; APPLICATION.— 13 (1) NOTICE OF CHANGES.—The Postal Service 14 shall notify the Secretary of any changes to the Sig- 15 nature Confirmation service or the Priority Mail Sig- 16 nature Confirmation Restricted Delivery service. 17 (2) APPLICATION.—In carrying out subsection 18 (a), the Postal Service shall allow any individual rep- 19 resented by an attorney or accredited representative 20 and who elects to have a secure identity document 21 delivered by a service described in such subsection to 22 elect that such document may be delivered to any 23 employee of such attorney or accredited representa- 24 tive. 25 (c) USE OF PRIVATE CARRIER.— 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Jan 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9024.IH H9024 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 9024 IH (1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary determines 1 that a private carrier that offers substantially simi- 2 lar services to the Signature Confirmation service or 3 the Priority Mail Signature Confirmation Restricted 4 Delivery service would provide better service and 5 value than the Postal Service provides under sub- 6 section (a), the Secretary may, in accordance with 7 paragraph (2) of this subsection— 8 (A) decline or discontinue use of the Sig- 9 nature Confirmation service or Priority Mail 10 Signature Confirmation Restricted Delivery 11 service under subsection (a); and 12 (B) enter into a contract with the private 13 carrier to provide such substantially similar 14 services. 15 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary may not 16 exercise the authority under paragraph (1) unless 17 the Secretary determines, and notifies the Postal 18 Service, that the private carrier offers services that 19 are substantially similar to the Signature Confirma- 20 tion service or Priority Mail Signature Confirmation 21 Restricted Delivery service. 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Jan 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9024.IH H9024 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 9024 IH SEC. 4. REPORT. 1 Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 2 of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re- 3 port that describes— 4 (1) the implementation of the requirements 5 under section 3; and 6 (2) the number of times during the previous 7 year that a person used a service under subsection 8 (a) or (c)(1)(B) of section 3. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:55 Jan 02, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H9024.IH H9024 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS