§ 201. — United States Postal Service.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 39USC201]
TITLE 39--POSTAL SERVICE
PART I--GENERAL
CHAPTER 2--ORGANIZATION
Sec. 201. United States Postal Service
There is established, as an independent establishment of the
executive branch of the Government of the United States, the United
States Postal Service.
(Pub. L. 91-375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 720.)
Effective Date
Section effective July 1, 1971, pursuant to Resolution No. 71-9 of
the Board of Governors. See section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as
a note preceding section 101 of this title.
Transfer of Functions; Abolition of Office
Section 4(a) of Pub. L. 91-375 provided that: ``There are hereby
transferred to the United States Postal Service all the functions,
powers, and duties of the Post Office Department and the Postmaster
General of the Post Office Department, and the Post Office Department
and the office of Postmaster General of the Post Office Department are
abolished.''
Provisions of section 4(a) of Pub. L. 91-375 effective within 1 year
after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established therefor by the Board of
Governors of the United States Postal Service and published by it in the
Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an
Effective Date note preceding section 101 of this title.
Inspector General of the United States Postal Service
Pub. L. 104-208, div. A, title I, Sec. 101(f) [title VI,
Sec. 662(e)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-314, 3009-382, provided
that:
``(1) First appointment.--The first Inspector General of the United
States Postal Service appointed pursuant to the amendments made by this
section [amending sections 102, 202, 204, 410, and 1003 of this title,
section 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and
section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95-452, set out
in the Appendix to Title 5, and renumbering another section 8G of the
Inspector General Act of 1978 as 8H] shall be appointed before the end
of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act
[Sept. 30, 1996].
``(2) Transfers.--
``(A) In general.--All measures described in section 8G(b) of
the Inspector General Act of 1978 necessary to establish an Office
of Inspector General within the United States Postal Service
pursuant to this section, including all appropriate transfers, shall
occur--
``(i) no earlier than the date the appointment under
paragraph (1) is made; and
``(ii) no later than 60 days after the date the appointment
under paragraph (1) is made.
``(B) Provisions relating to personnel.--
``(i) Consultation.--Decisions concerning which personnel
are to be transferred pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be made
by the Governors (within the meaning of section 102(3) of title
39, United States Code) in consultation with the Inspector
General appointed under paragraph (1).
``(ii) Transferred personnel.--Personnel transferred
pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall, to the extent not
inconsistent with other provisions of this subsection, be
transferred in accordance with applicable laws and regulations
relating to the transfer of functions within the United States
Postal Service, except that, notwithstanding any provision of
section 1003(b) of title 39, United States Code, as amended by
this section, the classification and compensation of such
personnel shall not be reduced, by reason of having been
transferred, for 1 year after being so transferred.
``(3) Transition provision.--The Chief Postal Inspector may continue
to serve as Inspector General of the United States Postal Service until
the date on which an Inspector General is appointed under paragraph (1)
or, if earlier, the end of the period referred to in such paragraph.
Compensation for any service under this paragraph shall be determined as
if this section had not been enacted.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 102 of this title; title 42
section 15386.