I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9229 

To provide free post office boxes to individuals who are unhoused or 

experiencing housing instability, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2024 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. CARSON, Ms. LEE of Pennsylvania, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. 

WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, Mr. EVANS, and Ms. SCANLON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 

A BILL 

To provide free post office boxes to individuals who are 

unhoused or experiencing housing instability, and for 

other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Mail Accessibility and 

5 Inclusion for Low-Income Families Act’’ or the ‘‘MAIL 

6 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. POST OFFICE BOXES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE 

2 UNHOUSED OR EXPERIENCING HOUSING IN3 STABILITY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 

5 date of the enactment of this Act, the United States Postal 

6 Service shall issue regulations providing that an unhoused 

7 or housing unstable individual is eligible for a post office 

8 box without any fees if such unhoused or housing unstable 

9 individual submits to the Postmaster General, at such 

10 time, in such manner, and containing such information as 

11 the Postmaster General determines appropriate, proof 

12 that the annual income of such unhoused or housing un13 stable individual does not exceed the poverty line, as estab14 lished by the Director of the Office of Management and 

15 Budget and revised by the Secretary of Health and 

16 Human Services in accordance with section 9902(2) of 

17 title 42, United States Code, or that such unhoused or 

18 housing unstable individual is one of the following: 

19 (1) An individual receiving assistance under a 

20 State program funded under part A of title IV of the 

21 Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). 

22 (2) Receiving housing assistance or benefits 

23 under any Federal program for assistance for rental 

24 housing, including— 

25 (A) the programs for rental assistance 

26 under section 8 of the United States Housing 


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1 Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f), including the 

2 housing choice voucher program and the pro3 gram for project-based voucher assistance; 

4 (B) the public housing program under such 

5 Act; 

6 (C) the program for supportive housing for 

7 elderly persons under section 202 of the Hous8 ing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q); 

9 (D) the program for supportive housing for 

10 persons with disabilities under section 811 of 

11 the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable 

12 Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 8013); and 

13 (E) the programs for rural housing under 

14 title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 

15 1471 et seq.). 

16 (3) Enrolled in the Medicaid program under 

17 title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 

18 et seq.). 

19 (4) A member of a household receiving assist20 ance under the supplemental nutrition assistance 

21 program established under the Food and Nutrition 

22 Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). 

23 (5) Enrolled in the special supplemental nutri24 tion program for women, infants, and children estabVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:28 Aug 30, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9229.IH H9229

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1 lished under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act 

2 of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786). 

3 (b) UNHOUSED OR HOUSING UNSTABLE INDIVIDUAL

4 DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘unhoused or hous5 ing unstable individual’’ means an individual who is— 

6 (1) homeless (as defined in section 103 of the 

7 McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 

8 U.S.C. 11302)); or 

9 (2) at risk of homelessness (as defined in sec10 tion 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11360)). 

11 (c) REIMBURSEMENT OF FORGONE REVENUE.—Sec12 tion 2401(c) of title 39, United States Code, is amended 

13 by inserting ‘‘and section 2 of the MAIL Act’’ after 

14 ‘‘3406’’. 

15 SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND REPORTS. 

16 (a) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Not later than 180 

17 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Post18 master General shall submit to the Committee on Over19 sight and Accountability of the House of Representatives, 

20 the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

21 Affairs of the Senate, and the Committees on Appropria22 tions of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 

23 plan for carrying out this Act. 

24 (b) PROGRESS REPORTS.—Not later five years after 

25 the date on which Postmaster General submits the plan 


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1 required under subsection (a), and every five years there2 after, the Postmaster General shall submit to the commit3 tees described in such subsection a report on the provision 

4 of post office boxes to unhoused or housing unstable indi5 viduals (as defined in section 2) pursuant to this Act. 

Æ 


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