NEWS UPDATE - 2001

U.S. Express Mail - Shipping Crisis Update

The Senate and House have both passed the amendment to the postal appropriation we had proposed, H.R. 2590. The amendment is listed below but in a nutshell it states that if you carry poultry as air cargo then you are required to carry poultry as mail for a reasonable surcharge to be determined by the post office. This ends June 30th of 2002. Negotiations will begin immediately to establish rates to get this enacted as soon as possible. Until this is done, shipping will continue in the manner that is presently in place. This is a nice victory for all of us and will be an important first step to gaining a permanent law requiring all shippers with a mail contract to carry live animals. Here is the bill as listed:

The following was agreed to by the Conferees for the Conference Report on H.R.2590 - the appropriations bill for the Treasury, Postal Services and General Government:

Sec. 651. Amendment to Title 39, Section 5402 (d) of Title 39 United States Code, is amended by--

"(2)(A) In an exercise of its authority under paragraph (1), the Postal Service may require any air carrier to accept as mail shipments of day-old poultry and such other live animals as postal regulations allow to be transmitted as mail matter. The authority of the Postal Service under this subparagraph shall not apply in the case of any air carrier who commonly and regularly refuses to accept any live animals as charge.

(B) nothing withstanding any other provision of law, the Postal Service is authorized to assess, as postage to be paid by the mailers of any shipments covered by subparagraph (A), a reasonable surcharge that the Postal Service determines in its discretion to be adequate to compensate air carriers for any necessary additional expenses incurred in handling such shipments.

(C) The authority of the Postal Service under subparagraph (B) shall apply during the period beginning on the date of enactment of the paragraph, and ending June 30, 2002.

We want to thank all of you for your participation in the success of this action. Without your efforts none of this would be possible. This bill will go into effect as soon as the President signs it and the surcharge is determined. We will keep you advised through the web and/or emails as developments are coming very quickly now.

Murray J. McMurray, Chairman
BIRD SHIPPERS OF AMERICA
http://www.birdshippers.org/

Shipping Main Page

Legislation Page