Executive Order 13278: President's Commission on the United States Postal Service
President: George W. Bush
Created a presidential commission to examine the Postal Service’s finances, governance, universal service and long-term viability.
Status: Revoked — by EO 13316 on September 17, 2003.
Is Executive Order 13278 still in effect? No. EO 13316 revoked it in 2003.
What does Executive Order 13278 do?
The order assigned these duties: Postal Service commission, USPS Board of Governors, Congress and the President — Created a presidential commission to examine the Postal Service’s finances, governance, universal service and long-term viability.
Checked the commission’s mandate and disposition against the signed order and Federal Register disposition record. EO 13316 revoked the temporary commission in September 2003; its report remains a historical output.
Before and after
Before the order
The Postal Service faced declining revenues and structural pressures requiring a government-wide review.
After the order
The commission issued recommendations on governance, finance and universal service; Congress later enacted postal reforms and the commission itself was temporary. EO 13316 revoked the commission in September 2003 after it submitted its report.
Later executive orders, statutes and agency rules could amend or replace the presidential direction.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Postal Service commission, USPS Board of Governors, Congress and the President | Created a presidential commission to examine the Postal Service’s finances, governance, universal service and long-term viability. | Commission report due within 120 days |
What happened next
EO 13278 signed.
Postal Service commission report and recommendations
EO 13316 revoked EO 13278 and dissolved the temporary commission after its report.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order created an advisory body and did not change postal rates, collective-bargaining rights or statutory universal-service duties.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — official executive-order record (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →