Bill to End Prohibition-Era Ban Gains Bipartisan Support

A ban put forth by the U.S. Postal Service® during the Prohibition-era has once again been deemed outdated by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. Jackie Speier (D-CA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), along with 17 other co-sponsors, introduced the USPS® Shipping Equity Act, their solution to decades of the USPS prohibiting the shipment of beer, wine, or distilled spirits. Lawmakers believe that banning the shipping of these products has resulted in immeasurable lost income for the USPS.

“The shipping of alcohol would not only be a source of $50 million a year in revenue for the Postal Service, but would also help grow local breweries, distilleries, and wineries,” National Postal Mail Handlers Union President Paul Hogrogian said, throwing his support behind the announcement. “It’s time fix this Prohibition Era regulation, allowing the United States Postal Service the same access to shipping goods as our private sector counterparts.”

The Shipping Equity Act would allow the USPS to ship alcoholic beverages directly from licensed producers and retailers to customers over the age of 21. The bill would give the USPS two years to organize a plan and implement the law, ensuring the law meets state and local guidelines as well as age and identification requirements.

Per PostCom, the USPS Shipping Equity Act is endorsed by the American Postal Workers Union, American Craft Spirits Association, Brewers Association, California State Association of Letter Carriers, Distilled Spirits Council, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Association of Postal Supervisors, National Postal Mail Handlers Union, National Rural Carriers’ Association, ReverveBar.com, United Postmasters and Managers of America, and WineAmerica.

The USPS Shipping Equity Act was originally introduced in 2013 and has been re-introduced four times (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) since it was initially set in motion.