II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4581 

To ensure the availability of mail collection boxes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 

Mr. TESTER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To ensure the availability of mail collection boxes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Post Office Security 

5 and Transparency Act of 2020’’ or the ‘‘POST Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MAIL COLLECTION BOXES. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

8 (1) the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com9 mittees’’ means— 

10 (A) the Committee on Homeland Security 

11 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; 


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1 (B) the Committee on Appropriations of 

2 the Senate; 

3 (C) the Committee on Oversight and Re4 form of the House of Representatives; and 

5 (D) the Committee on Appropriations of 

6 the House of Representatives; 

7 (2) the term ‘‘collection box’’ means a recep8 tacle where a postal customer can deposit mail, in9 cluding— 

10 (A) a blue, freestanding unit; 

11 (B) a post-mounted unit; and 

12 (C) a chute in a building; and 

13 (3) the term ‘‘Postal Service’’ means the United 

14 States Postal Service. 

15 (b) MORATORIUM ON COLLECTION BOX REMOVAL; 

16 RESTORATION OF REMOVED BOXES.— 

17 (1) MORATORIUM.—The Postal Service may not 

18 remove any collection box during the period begin19 ning on the date of enactment of this Act and end20 ing on the later of— 

21 (A) the date that is 180 days after the 

22 date of enactment of this Act; or 

23 (B) the date on which the Postal Service 

24 submits the report to Congress under sub25 section (c). 


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1 (2) RESTORATION OF REMOVED COLLECTION

2 BOXES.—Not later than 14 days after the date of 

3 enactment of this Act, the Postal Service shall re4 store or replace any collection box that the Postal 

5 Service removed during the period beginning on 

6 June 16, 2020, and ending on the day before the 

7 date of enactment of this Act. 

8 (c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—As soon as practicable 

9 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Postal Service 

10 shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional 

11 committees that includes— 

12 (1) the metrics used to make decisions on col13 lection box removals during fiscal year 2020; 

14 (2) the methods used to provide public notice of 

15 collection box removals during fiscal year 2020; 

16 (3) a cost-benefit analysis of collection box re17 movals that occurred during fiscal year 2020; 

18 (4) a demographic analysis of the individuals 

19 who were most likely to use collection boxes during 

20 fiscal year 2020; and 

21 (5) with respect to collection boxes that were 

22 relocated during fiscal year 2020 to increase public 

23 access to collection boxes— 

24 (A) the new and old location of each collec25 tion box; and 


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1 (B) the reason for each relocation, includ2 ing density metrics used in determining whether 

3 and where to relocate the collection box. 

Æ 


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