Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:45:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Cathy Green <dalek_cag at yahoo.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: A Security Question
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

>
> Since the Post Office hasn't been part of the
> federal
> government for a number of years now, is private
> snooping more of a proglem?
>
> Nicki
>
THe Postal Service is too a part of the federal
goverment.  The Reorganization Act of 1970 did not
remove USPS from the federal goverment.  Rather, it
changed the U.S. Post Office Department, a cabinet
department, into the United States Postal Service, an
independent agency within the executive branch.

And all first class mail (regular letter mail and all
Express and Priority mail) is considered "mail under
seal" according to statute and cannot be oened without
a warrant.  Moreover, even though other classes of
mail are not classified as "mail under seal", USPS
will not open it without a warrant.  The one exception
being the Mail Recovery Center employees (all ofwhom
have to have at least 15 years of service and get
security checks) who are charged with trying to get
undeliverable mail either back to the sender or
delivered to whomeverthe letter/package was intended
for.  Often this requires opening up the letter or
package.

--Cathy Green
USPS attorney speaking purely in her individual
capacity and not as arepresentative of her agency

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