39 U.S.C. § 201: United States Postal Service

There is established, as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, the United States Postal Service. The first Inspector General of the United States Postal Service appointed pursuant to the amendments made by this section [amending sections 102, 202, 204, 410, and 1003 of this title, section 5315 of Title 5 , Government Organization and Employees, and section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95–452 , formerly set out in the Appendix to Title 5, and renumbering another section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 as 8H] shall be appointed before the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [ Sept. 30, 1996 ]. no earlier than the date the appointment under paragraph (1) is made; and no later than 60 days after the date the appointment under paragraph (1) is made. Decisions concerning which personnel are to be transferred pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be made by the Governors (within the meaning of section 102(3) of title 39 , United States Code) in consultation with the Inspector General appointed under paragraph (1). Personnel transferred pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall, to the extent not inconsistent with other provisions of this subsection, be transferred in accordance with applicable laws and regulations relating to the transfer of functions within the United States Postal Service, except that, notwithstanding any provision of section 1003(b) of title 39 , United States Code, as amended by this section, the classification and compensation of such personnel shall not be reduced, by reason of having been transferred, for 1 year after being so transferred. The Chief Postal Inspector may continue to serve as Inspector General of the United States Postal Service until the date on which an Inspector General is appointed under paragraph (1) or, if earlier, the end of the period referred to in such paragraph. Compensation for any service under this paragraph shall be determined as if this section had not been enacted.”