H.R. 2098: Deliver for Democracy Act
Sponsor
Robert Aderholt
Republican · AL
Slow newspaper delivery shouldn't unlock higher postage
Why it matters
Because periodicals mail doesn't cover its own costs, USPS can raise those rates by up to 2 percentage points a year above its regular price cap. H.R. 2098 would switch off that extra increase in any year the Postal Service fails to deliver 95% of periodicals on time, or to beat its best year on record by at least 2 points.
Periodicals — newspapers, magazines, newsletters mailed at the periodicals rate — are one of the few mail classes that bring in less money than they cost USPS to handle. Federal regulators respond by giving the Postal Service extra room to raise those rates each year, on top of the normal cap every mail class gets.
H.R. 2098 would make that extra rate room conditional on delivery: no on-time performance, no additional increase. Within a year of enactment, the Postal Regulatory Commission would have to rewrite its rule so the extra authority is granted only after a year in which USPS delivered 95% of periodicals on time, or beat its best-ever year by at least 2 percentage points.
That second option is tougher than it sounds. The comparison point is the highest on-time rate USPS has recorded under current standards, not the previous year. A bad year followed by a modest rebound would not qualify.
The bill also goes after a measurement gap. Newspapers dropped off at a local post office for local delivery aren't fully captured in USPS's periodicals performance data, and the Postmaster General would have to publish yearly progress reports on adding them. If USPS can't track individual copies, regulators must build a system using digital data from mail bundles — or, if even that proves impractical, pick a stand-in mail category and publicly explain the cost and accuracy trade-offs.
The regular price cap still applies either way; the bill only removes the extra increase when delivery falls short. A GAO study, due within two years, would look at other ways to fix the finances of periodicals and other mail that loses money.
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Mar 14, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
H.R. 2098 Bill Summary
What H.R. 2098 actually does.
Extra periodicals increases depend on on-time delivery
The Postal Regulatory Commission would be barred from granting USPS additional periodicals rate authority for the next fiscal year unless USPS delivered 95% of periodicals on time, or improved by at least 2 percentage points over its highest recorded on-time rate. Performance is measured against the service standards in place when the bill becomes law, so USPS can't meet the target by loosening its own standards.
Local newspaper delivery gets measured and published
The Postmaster General must publish an annual report, with input from stakeholders, on progress toward counting in-county and out-of-county newspaper mail entered at local delivery units in USPS's periodicals performance data. Reports continue until regulators confirm that mail is fully included.
Bundle-level tracking when individual copies can't be traced
If USPS lacks data on each addressed copy, the Postal Regulatory Commission and USPS must develop a way to generate performance data from digital information on mail bundles.
Any stand-in data has to be justified publicly
If regulators and USPS jointly decide newspaper mail can't practically be separated out, they may use the closest relevant mail category — but must publish the reasoning, the expected costs to USPS and businesses, and how accurate the results can be.
GAO looks for a longer-term pricing fix
Within two years, GAO must report on alternative pricing approaches that could improve the finances of periodicals and other USPS products that don't cover their costs, and what those alternatives would mean for mailers.
Who benefits from H.R. 2098?
Local and community newspapers
Weekly and small daily papers that reach readers by mail could avoid the extra periodicals increase in years when delivery misses the mark, and would get published data on how their own local mail is performing.
Magazines, trade journals, and association newsletters
Publishers and membership groups that mail printed issues at periodicals rates would pay only the regular capped increase unless USPS meets the delivery target.
Readers who rely on mailed news
Subscribers in rural areas and older readers who still read print would get delivery performance tied directly to what their publisher pays to reach them.
Who is affected by H.R. 2098?
U.S. Postal Service
USPS would lose access to extra periodicals rate authority in years it misses the delivery test, meaning less revenue from a mail class that already runs at a loss. It would also take on new tracking and annual reporting work.
Postal Regulatory Commission
The commission must rewrite its rate rule within a year, rule each year on whether USPS met the benchmark, and help design bundle-based tracking or approve stand-in data.
Other mailers
The bill doesn't change their rates. But if periodicals bring in less, that shortfall doesn't disappear, and the GAO study could reopen debate over how money-losing mail classes are priced.
HR2098 Legislative Journey
Committee Action
Mar 14, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
About the Sponsor
Robert Aderholt
Republican, Alabama's 4th congressional district · 29 years in Congress
Committees: Appropriations
View full profile →
Cosponsors (17)
This bill has 17 cosponsors: 10 Democrats, 7 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 13 states: California, Florida, Georgia, and 10 more.
Emanuel Cleaver
Democrat · MO
Henry Johnson
Democrat · GA
Donald Davis
Democrat · NC
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick
Democrat · FL
Claudia Tenney
Republican · NY
Angie Craig
Democrat · MN
Joe Wilson
Republican · SC
Earl Carter
Republican · GA
Tom Cole
Republican · OK
Jim Costa
Democrat · CA
Valerie Foushee
Democrat · NC
Michael Lawler
Republican · NY
H.R. 2098 Quick Facts
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Government Operations and Politics
- Introduced
- Mar 14, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Mar 14, 2025
Official Sources
Official bill text, cosponsors, and legislative history for the Deliver for Democracy Act
The independent regulator that this bill would prohibit from granting USPS additional rate authority for periodicals unless delivery benchmarks are met
Quarterly on-time delivery data for periodicals and other mail classes — the measurements this bill ties to rate authority
USPS strategic plan targeting 95% on-time delivery for all mail products — the same benchmark this bill would make legally binding for periodical rate increases
Official USPS resource for publishers using periodicals mail class — the mailers directly affected by this bill's rate authority restrictions
PRC findings on USPS rates and performance — periodicals consistently found non-compensatory, triggering the extra rate authority (39 CFR 3030.222) this bill would restrict
The federal regulation containing Section 3030.222 (additional rate authority for non-compensatory classes) that this bill would amend
The statute that sets the CPI-based price cap on market-dominant mail and the review that produced the extra rate authority for money-losing classes like periodicals
H.R. 2098 Common Questions
What does H.R. 2098 do?
It stops USPS from getting its extra yearly rate increase on newspapers and magazines unless it delivers 95% of them on time, or beats its best-ever on-time rate by at least 2 percentage points.
Would H.R. 2098 freeze postage for newspapers and magazines?
No. The regular price cap that applies to every mail class stays in place. The bill only removes the extra increase USPS can take on periodicals because they lose money, and only in years delivery falls short.
Is the 2-point improvement option an easy way out for USPS?
Not really. The 2 points are measured against USPS's highest on-time rate on record under current standards, not last year's number. Bouncing back from a bad year wouldn't be enough.
How much money is at stake for a publisher?
The extra authority is up to 2 percentage points a year. For a paper spending $40,000 a year on postage, that's up to $800 avoided in a year USPS misses the target, and the savings compound over time.
Does USPS track whether local newspapers arrive on time?
Not fully. Papers dropped at a local post office for local delivery aren't completely counted in periodicals performance data. H.R. 2098 requires annual public reports on progress toward including them.
What if USPS can't track individual newspaper copies?
Regulators and USPS would build a system using digital data from mail bundles. If separating newspapers still isn't practical, they can use the closest mail category, but must publicly explain the costs and accuracy limits.
What would the GAO study look at?
GAO would examine other pricing options that could fix the finances of periodicals and other mail classes that don't cover their costs, and report to Congress within two years.
Who supports H.R. 2098?
Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) introduced it with 17 cosponsors, 10 Democrats and 7 Republicans, including Appropriations Chair Tom Cole. It's waiting in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Based on H.R. 2098 bill text
H.R. 2098 Bill Text
“To require on-time delivery of periodicals to unlock additional rate authority, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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