8-2.17 Eligibility Requirements (for Suppliers)

Any individual 21 years of age or older, any partnership in which at least one partner is 21 years of age or older, and any corporation in which at least one of the officers is 21 years of age or older may hold mail transportation contracts. See chapter 7 for restrictions concerning contracts with Postal Service employees and business organizations substantially owned or controlled by Postal Service employees or their immediate families. RFPs may establish other eligibility requirements as needed.

The following persons are ineligible to perform services under a contract:

• Persons on parole or under suspended sentence for commission of a felony.
• Persons with known criminal records which involve convictions for offenses involving moral turpitude or dishonesty.
• Persons who associate with convicted felons.
• Persons known to engage in the illegal use, possession, sale, or transfer of narcotics or other drugs.
• Persons who knowingly submit false data or conceal data for the purpose of gaining employment.
• Persons whose traffic records indicate that their driving motor vehicles would be hazardous (applies only to drivers and assistants).
• Pilots with unsatisfactory aircraft operations safety performance records. Persons who through their abusive or disruptive behavior would pose a danger to fellow workers.

Supplier employees engaged as drivers of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 10,001 lbs. or more must be at least 21 years old. All other drivers must be at least 18 years old. No supplier, subcontractor, or employee of a supplier or subcontractor may be allowed access to mail matter or postal operational areas unless he or she displays a valid identification card issued by the Postal Service. Unless they have been excepted (“exempted”), the Postal Service will not issue the identification cards described above to individuals until they have been screened to determine their suitability for that access. Forms and procedures for screening are as set forth in Handbook PO-508 and in any applicable Management Instruction.

8-2.17.1 Exceptions

Persons employed by suppliers whose own security screening procedures have been approved by the CO and reviewed by the inspector-in-charge.

Persons who are civil service personnel otherwise subject to investigation under EO 10450.

• Persons previously screened under another contract with a break in service of less than 1 year.
• Persons hired for service in an emergency of not more than 15 days. (This does not exempt regular relief or substitute employees or those repeatedly hired on an emergency basis.)
• Persons employed to transport plant-load mail, but only if such mail is not generated with regularly recurring frequency.

Notification of supplier — The CO will notify the supplier of the grounds on which any person has been denied access to the mails under the procedure set out herein. Any decision as to whether a supplier, subcontractor, or contract or subcontract employee is to be denied access to the mail or precluded from operating a vehicle transporting mail must be made by the CO in accordance with the eligibility requirements above.

Disclosure of Information — All information obtained or developed in the screening program must be restricted from disclosure outside the Postal Service to anyone other than the supplier, subcontractor, or contract or subcontract employee concerned.