Post Office Services for Trustworthy Identity Act

“3705. Identity proofing and identity-related services for private sector

“(a) Definition—In this section, the term identity proofing and identity- related services means any service whereby an individual provides sufficient information, such as identity history, credentials, or other identifying information, to support establishing the identity of the individual.

“(b) Option to offer identity proofing and identity-related services to private sector—The Postal Service may offer identity proofing and identity-related services to the private sector in accordance with this section.

“(c) Required elements—If the Postal Service chooses to offer identity proofing and identity-related services under this section, the services shall—

“(1) support establishing the identity of an individual using such government-issued documentation as the Postal Service determines sufficient; and

“(2) include the issuance of authenticators to the individual being identified, as necessary to facilitate enrollment in services for which the individual is being verified, which authenticators may—

“(A) be specific to a given service for which the individual is being identified;

“(B) be general purpose, for use in identity proofing with future services;

“(C) be physical devices;

“(D) be issued in a digital format to an account or other system; or

“(E) be single use.

“(d) Optional elements—If the Postal Service chooses to offer identity proofing and identity-related services under this section, the services may—

“(1) be offered at any post office;

“(2) be offered by an authorized employee of the Postal Service at any other location, such as the home of an individual being verified;

“(3) include, subject to the consent of the individual being verified, concurrent enrollment with or verification for multiple customers or other entities for which the Postal Service provides identity proofing services, including public agencies;

“(4) include multiple levels of assurance, such as the assurance levels described in Special Publication 800–63, “Digital Identity Guidelines”, published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology;

“(5) include enrollment in or creation of a digital account for use in digitally authenticating the individual in the future, including to third parties; and

“(6) include a mechanism whereby any entity may sponsor an individual by paying the cost of the identity verification of the individual.

“(e) Fees—The Postal Service shall charge fees for the identity proofing and identity-related services offered under this section under such structure and at such rates as the Postal Service determines appropriate to cover at least 100 percent of the costs attributable to the provision of those services.

“(f) Postal Regulatory Commission regulations—The Postal Regulatory Commission may issue such regulations as the Commission determines necessary to—

“(1) ensure that the identity proofing and identity-related services under this section would provide a net contribution to the Postal Service, defined as revenue that covers at least 100 percent of the costs attributable to the provision of those services in each year; and

“(2) ensure that offering identity proofing and identity-related services under this section does not conflict with the core mission of the Postal Service.

“(g) Limitations—Nothing in this section shall be construed to—

“(1) authorize the Postal Service to offer any service to the private sector, other than identity proofing and identity-related services, that is not otherwise authorized by law; or

“(2) obligate the Postal Service to offer any service.

“(h) Savings clause—Nothing in this section shall be construed to inhibit, restrict, or place any new obligation on any identity proofing or identity-related service offered by the Postal Service as of the day before the date of enactment of the Post Office Services for Trustworthy Identity Act.”