Government affairs

Legislative Updates

House lawmaker introduces ‘Shipping Equity Act’

Today, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) introduced the Shipping Equity Act of 2015, which is designed to provide the Postal Service with the authority to ship beer, wine and alcoholic beverages. H.R. 3412, had 24 bipartisan cosponsors at introduction and is essentially similar in scope to previous legislation introduced last Congress.

Under current law, the Postal Service is prevented from shipping beer, wine and distilled spirits to consumers. According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, USPS could generate an additional $50 million per year if given the authority to provide this service, giving the Postal Service a new source of revenue. H.R. 3412 would allow the Postal Service to ship alcoholic beverages directly from licensed producers and retailers to consumers over the age of 21 in accordance with state laws.

“Prohibition is history, and this ban should be too,” she said. “It’s ridiculous that we’re allowing UPS, FedEx, and other companies to ship spirits, wine, and beer to consumers, while banning the U.S. Postal Service from doing the exact same thing. As more states allow direct to consumer delivery, we need to lift this dated ban on so-called ‘spirituous, vinous, malted, fermented, or other intoxicating liquors,’ to give consumers more shipping choices when they check out.”

“The NALC is proud to endorse this bill,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “It provides a common sense way for the Postal Service to use its existing network to meet public demand and to generate revenue for the agency. It’s a win-win.”

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