I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2615 
To amend title 39, United States Code, to cap rural post office closures 
at no more than 5 percent of total closures in any given year, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 8, 2013 
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska (for himself, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mrs. LUMMIS, and Mr. 
ENYART) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To amend title 39, United States Code, to cap rural post 
office closures at no more than 5 percent of total closures 
in any given year, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing Access to 
Rural Postal Services Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF CLOSURES AND CONSOLIDATIONS. 
(a) RURAL POST OFFICE ANNUAL CLOSURE LIMITA-
TION.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 404a(a) of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe-
riod and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) in any calendar year, close, consolidate, or 
suspend the operations of more than 5 percent of 
the postal facilities that— 
‘‘(A) were operating as of the first day of 
such calendar year; and 
‘‘(B) were within the K or L cost ascer-
tainment grouping as of June 23, 2011.’’. 
(2) DEFINITION.—Section 404a of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(d) For purposes of subsection (a)(4), the term 
‘postal facility’ means a post office, post office branch, 
post office classified station, or other facility which is op-
erated by the Postal Service, and the primary function of 
which is to provide retail postal services.’’. 
(b) ALTERNATIVE POSTAL ACCESS CHOICE.—Sec-
tion 404(d) of title 39, United States Code, is amended 
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by striking all that precedes paragraph (2) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(d)(1) The Postal Service, prior to making a deter-
mination under subsection (a)(3) as to the necessity for 
the closing or consolidation or any post office, shall— 
‘‘(A) provide adequate notice of its intention to 
close or consolidate such post office at least 60 days 
prior to the proposed date of such closing or consoli-
dation to postal customers served by such post of-
fice; 
‘‘(B) conduct a nonbinding survey on the pro-
posed closing or consolidation to allow postal cus-
tomers served by such post office an opportunity to 
indicate their preference between or among— 
‘‘(i) the closing or consolidation; and 
‘‘(ii) 1 or more alternative options; and 
‘‘(C) ensure that— 
‘‘(i) should the closure or consolidation of 
a post office be deemed necessary, it shall be 
the policy of the Postal Service to provide alter-
native access to postal services to those served 
by the post office by— 
‘‘(I) the alternative option under sub-
paragraph (B)(ii); or 
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