republic-os/legal/us/code/title-39/chapter-20/section-2002.md

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LegalText	39 U.S.C. § 2002	Capital of the Postal Service	us	united_states_code	code_section	39	POSTAL SERVICE	20	FINANCE	2002	39 U.S.C. § 2002	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc39@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t39/s2002	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-39/usc39.xml	09520c7c59087d199b83cfa0448bb83f9ba71fca6ef8ab71f4b07de8b1461e64	ccea35969be78d053165f1170bf2aa826a68e5b4dea1fe3356d8a09e86e19a65	6571551f6c3682e6a0c85d91a2c6cac91d3a851b15f00b90170da3c9650f8f61	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

39 U.S.C. § 2002 - Capital of the Postal Service

Text

(a) The initial capital of the Postal Service shall consist of the equity, as reflected in the budget of the President, of the Government of the United States in the former Post Office Department. The value of assets and the amount of liabilities transferred to the Postal Service upon the commencement of operations of the Postal Service shall be determined by the Postal Service subject to the approval of the Comptroller General, in accordance with the following guidelines:

(1) Assets shall be valued on the basis of original cost less depreciation, to the extent that such value can be determined. The value recorded on the former Post Office Department’s books of account shall be prima facie evidence of asset value.

(2) All liabilities attributable to operations of the former Post Office Department shall remain liabilities of the Government of the United States, except that upon commencement of operations of the Postal Service, the unexpended balances of appropriations made to, held or used by, or available to the former Post Office Department and all liabilities chargeable thereto shall become assets and liabilities, respectively, of the Postal Service.

(b) The capital of the Postal Service at any time shall consist of its assets, including the balance in the Fund and the balance in the Competitive Products Fund, less its liabilities.

(c) The Postal Service, and the Administrator of General Services where properties under the jurisdiction of the Administrator are involved, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall determine which Federal properties shall be transferred to the Postal Service and which shall remain under the jurisdiction of any other department, agency, or establishment of the Government of the United States upon the commencement of operations of the Postal Service. The transfer shall be accomplished at the time of or as near as possible to the commencement of operations of the Postal Service and the valuation of the assets and capital of the Postal Service shall be adjusted accordingly. The following properties shall be included in the transfer:

(1) the mail equipment shops located in Washington, District of Columbia;

(2) all machinery, equipment, and appurtenances of the former Post Office Department;

(3) all real property whose ownership was acquired by the Postmaster General under former section 2103 of this title, as in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this section, or which immediately prior to such effective date, is under the administration of the former Post Office Department for the purpose of constructing a postal building from funds appropriated or transferred to the former Post Office Department, together with all funds appropriated or allocated therefor;

(4) all real property 55 percent or more of which is occupied by or under control of the former Post Office Department immediately prior to the effective date of this section;

(5) all contracts, records, and documents relating to the operation of the departmental service and the postal field service of the former Post Office Department; and

(6) all other property and assets of the former Post Office Department.

(d) After the commencement of operations of the Postal Service, the President is authorized to transfer to the Postal Service, and the Postal Service is authorized to transfer to other departments, agencies, or independent establishments of the Government of the United States, with or without reimbursement, any property of that department, agency, or independent establishment and the Postal Service, respectively, when the public interest would be served by such transfer.

(Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 738; Pub. L. 109–435, title IV, § 401(b)(2), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3225.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe effective date of this section, referred to in subsec. (c)(3), (4), is July 1, 1971. See Effective Date note set out under section 2001 of this title.

Amendments2006—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–435 substituted “Fund and the balance in the Competitive Products Fund,” for “Fund,”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection 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.

Assets of Postal ServicePub. L. 91–375, § 4(b), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 774, provided that: “Postal revenues and fees collected on and after the effective date of this section [see note below] shall be considered assets of the Postal Service.” [Provisions of section 4(b) 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.]

Executive Documents

Ex. Ord. No. 11672. Transfer or Furnishing of Property Ex. Ord. No. 11672, June 6, 1972, 37 F.R. 11455, provided: By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Postal Reorganization Act (39 U.S.C. 2002(d)) and section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. The authority conferred upon the President by section 2002(d) of title 39 of the United States Code is hereby delegated to the Administrator of General Services subject to the provisions of this order. Sec. 2. Property transferred to the Postal Service under this order shall be subject to reimbursement at fair market value, as agreed to by the Administrator of General Services and the Postmaster General, unless the Director of the Office of Management and Budget finds that a different basis of valuation, or transfer without reimbursement, is more equitable or better serves the public interest. Sec. 3. Reimbursement of fair market value required for property transfers to the Postal Service under this order may consist of cash payments or, subject to approval by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, property transferred from the Postal Service to other departments, agencies, or independent establishments of the Government of the United States, or both cash and approved properties. Sec. 4. Heads of agencies furnishing property to the Postal Service under section 411 of title 39 of the United States Code shall require reimbursement at fair market value of such property or at a rate based on appropriate commercial charges for comparable property, as agreed to by the agency head and the Postmaster General, unless the Director of the Office of Management and Budget finds that a different basis of valuation is more equitable or better serves the public interest. Sec. 5. Delegations of authority made in this order may be redelegated. Richard Nixon.