A bipartisan bill co-introduced by Sen. Mike Rounds aims to help rural newspaper delivery.
This is in response to increased USPS rates on periodicals. Rounds said since January 2021, rates have increased over 40%.
The Deliver for Democracy Act requires the USPS to achieve specific guidelines before raising rates.
Rounds said the act helps safeguard rural newspapers and consumers against “unjustified price hikes.”
Currently, USPS operates under regulations that allow rates to increase “for any class or product of mail where costs exceed revenue.”
The rules came from a 2020 Postal Regulatory Committee decision that addressed the financial health and net losses of the USPS in the previous fiscal years.
The bill was cosponsored by many other senators including Minnesota Democrat Tina Smith. The South Dakota NewsMedia Association, the National Newspaper Association and News/Media Alliance all endorsed the bill.