The United States Postal Service was established as an independent establishment within the executive branch of the government of the United States under the Postal Reorganization Act of August 12, 1970 (Pub. L. 91-375, 84 Stat. 719).

(a) Composition. The Board of Governors consists of 11 members. Nine governors are appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Not more than five governors may be adherents of the same political party. The governors are chosen to represent the public interest generally, and they may not be representatives of specific interests using the Postal Service. The governors may be removed only for cause. The postmaster general and the deputy postmaster general are also voting members of the Board of Governors.

(b) Responsibilities. The Board of Governors directs the exercise of the powers of the Postal Service, reviews the practices and policies of the Postal Service, and directs and controls its expenditures.

(a) Establishment. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) was established as an independent law enforcement and oversight agency for the United States Postal Service under the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 3), as amended in 1988 (Pub. L. 100-504, 102 Stat. 2515) and 1996 (Pub. L. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009).

(b) Responsibilities. The OIG was established to:

(1) Provide an independent and objective unit to conduct and supervise audits and investigations relating to programs and operations of the Postal Service.

(2) Provide leadership and coordination and recommend policies for activities designed to:

(i) Promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of postal programs and operations.

(ii) Prevent and detect fraud and abuse in postal programs and operations.

(3) Provide a means of keeping the governors and Congress fully and currently informed about:

(i) Problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of postal programs and operations.

(ii) The necessity for corrective action.

(iii) The progress of corrective action.

(4) Provide oversight of all activities of the Postal Inspection Service.

(c) Inspector General—(1) Appointment. The inspector general is appointed for a 7-year term by the nine governors.

(2) Responsibilities. The inspector general is responsible for the operations of the OIG: ensuring independent and objective audits and investigations of postal operations and programs; overseeing the Postal Inspection Service; and apprising the governors and Congress of significant observations. The inspector general has no direct responsibility for designing, installing, and/or operating postal operations or programs.

(3) Extent of powers. In addition to the authority otherwise provided by the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, the inspector general is authorized to:

(i) Have unrestricted access to all Postal Service operations, programs, records, and documents, whether in custody of the Postal Service or available by law, contract, or regulation.

(ii) Have direct and prompt access to the governors when necessary for any purpose pertaining to the performance of the functions and responsibilities of the OIG.

(iii) Administer oaths when necessary in performance of the functions assigned to the OIG.

(iv) Require by subpoena the production of all information, documents, reports, answers, records, accounts, papers, and other data and documentary evidence necessary in the performance of the functions of the OIG.

(v) Select, appoint, and employ such officers and employees as may be necessary for carrying out the functions, powers, and duties of the OIG.

(vi) Obtain the temporary or intermittent services of experts or consultants in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

The Board of Governors determines the number of corporate officers and appoints the postmaster general. The governors and the postmaster general appoint the deputy postmaster general. The postmaster general appoints the remaining corporate officers. The corporate officers of the Postal Service are the following:

(a) The postmaster general and chief executive officer.

(b) The deputy postmaster general.

(c) The chief operating officer and executive vice president.

(d) The chief financial officer and executive vice president.

(e) The senior vice presidents.

(f) The general counsel and senior vice president.

(g) The vice presidents.

(h) The chief inspector.

(i) The consumer advocate and vice president.

(j) The judicial officer.

(k) Such other officers as the Board may designate from time to time.

(a) Postmaster General—(1) Appointment. The postmaster general (PMG), the chief executive officer of the Postal Service, is appointed by and can be removed by a majority of the governors in office.

(2) Responsibilities. The postmaster general is responsible for the overall operation of the Postal Service. The postmaster general determines appeals from the actions of staff and corporate officers, except in cases where he or she has delegated authority to make a decision to a subordinate; such subordinate may also determine appeals within the authority delegated.

(3) Extent of powers. The postmaster general, as directed by the Board of Governors, exercises the powers of the Postal Service to the extent that such exercise does not conflict with power reserved to the Board by law. The postmaster general is authorized to direct any officer, employee, or agent of the Postal Service to exercise such of the postmaster general's powers as the postmaster general deems appropriate.

(b) Deputy Postmaster General. The deputy postmaster general is appointed and can be removed by the postmaster general and the governors in office. The deputy postmaster general reports directly to the postmaster general.

(c) Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. The chief operating officer and executive vice president is appointed by the postmaster general and directs all processing, distribution, and customer service functions.

(d) Officers in charge of Headquarters organizational units. The officers in charge of Headquarters organizational units are appointed by the postmaster general. They report directly to the postmaster general, the deputy postmaster general, an executive vice president, a senior vice president, or another officer, as the postmaster general may direct.

(e) Responsibilities. The corporate officers head the organizational units into which Headquarters and the field are divided. They are responsible for the following:

(1) Program planning, direction, and review.

(2) Establishment of policies, procedures, and standards.

(3) Operational determinations not delegated to district officials.

(a) General. There are 8 areas, each with a vice president.

(b) Area locations.

(c) Area functions. Functional units and reporting units are as follows:

(1) Functional units. Each area is divided into functional units responsible for finance, human resources, marketing, and operations support.

(2) Reporting units. Areas are responsible for:

(i) Customer service districts (CSDs).

(ii) Post offices (POs).

(iii) Vehicle maintenance facilities (VMFs).

(iv) Processing and distribution centers (P&DCs).

(v) Processing and distribution facilities (P&DFs).

(vi) Air mail centers (AMCs).

(vii) Air mail facilities (AMFs).

(viii) Bulk mail centers (BMCs).

(ix) Bulk mail facilities (BMFs).

(x) Remote encoding centers (RECs).

(d) Customer Service District Offices. Functional units and reporting relationships are as follows:

(1) Functional units. The 80 district offices coordinate the day-to-day management of post offices and customer service activities other than processing and distribution within a geographical area. EAS-26 and above postmasters report to their district manager. Each district office is organized into functional units responsible for post office operations, operations programs support, customer service support, finance, human resources, information technology, administrative support, and marketing.

(2) Reporting relationships. Independent delivery distribution centers and post offices level EAS-24 and below report to the functional unit responsible for post office operations.

(e) Support—(1) General. Headquarters field units and service centers provide support for area offices.

(2) Headquarters field units. As assigned, Headquarters field units are responsible for legal services, corporate relations, human resources, facility services, finance, information technology, and supply management.

The Postal Service emblem, which is identical with the seal, is registered as a trademark and service mark by the U.S. Patent Office. Except for the emblem on official stationery, the emblem must bear one of the following notations: “Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.”, “Registered in U.S. Patent Office”, or the letter R enclosed within a circle.