PERFORM Act

119th Congress Introduced by Robert Aderholt and 6 co-sponsors

The PERFORM Act would ban the Postmaster General from receiving bonuses or performance pay in certain years and require detailed annual congressional reporting with IG review.

Introduced in House

Summary of HR 9936 (119th Congress) – PERFORM Act

Purpose and intent

The bill is titled the Postal Executive Responsibility, Fiscal Oversight, and Results-based Management Act (PERFORM Act).

Its primary aim is to reform compensation practices at the United States Postal Service (USPS) by restricting bonuses and other performance-based pay for the Postmaster General, and by enhancing reporting and oversight related to executive compensation and performance.

Key provisions and changes

Limitation on bonuses and other performance-based pay

Amends Section 3686 of title 39, United States Code.
Adds a new subsection (e) that prohibits the Postmaster General from receiving a bonus, incentive award, retention payment, or other performance-based compensation in a given fiscal year if, in the preceding fiscal year:
(A) USPS total costs exceeded total revenue; or
(B) USPS failed to meet established national service performance targets; or
(C) USPS issuer a material weakness, adverse opinion, or disclaimer in its financial audit; or
(D) USPS failed to submit a required report to Congress.

Reporting requirements

The Postmaster General must, no later than 30 days after the end of each fiscal year, submit an annual report to Congress detailing:
(A) any bonuses, incentive awards, retention payments, or other performance-based compensation paid to any officer or employee in senior executive or equivalent positions.
(B) the performance metrics used to justify each such bonus or compensation.
(C) the overall financial performance of the USPS for the preceding fiscal year.
(D) national and district-level service performance data.

Inspector General review

The USPS Inspector General is required to review the annual report to determine compliance with the subsection’s requirements.

Who would be affected

Primary: The Postmaster General and other senior USPS executives who would otherwise be eligible for bonuses or performance-based pay.

USPS reporting and oversight: The bill imposes explicit reporting obligations to Congress and places a supervisory role with the USPS Inspector General.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Legislative status: Introduced July 23, 2026, and referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Implementation timing: The eligibility restriction for bonuses and the reporting/IG review would apply in relation to each fiscal year’s outcomes (with annual reporting due within 30 days after fiscal year-end).

Potential impact and considerations

Financial governance: By tying executive incentive compensation to financial health, service performance targets, audit outcomes, and compliance with reporting requirements, the bill seeks to align leadership pay with fiscal discipline and performance.

Transparency: The annual reporting requirement increases transparency around executive compensation and the metrics used to justify any such pay.

Accountability: The Inspector General’s role adds an explicit verification step to ensure compliance with the new restrictions.

Operational effects: If USPS experiences financial losses or misses performance targets, the Postmaster General and senior executives could be disincentivized from receiving bonuses, potentially affecting executive compensation strategies.

This summary presents the bill’s substantive provisions and their implications in clear terms. For readers, key takeaways are the new annual prohibition on certain bonuses under specified conditions, the mandated annual congressional report with defined content, and the IG review mechanism.