I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4335 
To amend title 39, United States Code, to allow the Postal Regulatory 
Commission to set aside determinations by the United States Postal 
Service to close or consolidate postal facilities that would deny essential 
postal services to rural areas, communities, or small towns, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 29, 2012 
Mr. RAHALL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
A BILL 
To amend title 39, United States Code, to allow the Postal 
Regulatory Commission to set aside determinations by 
the United States Postal Service to close or consolidate 
postal facilities that would deny essential postal services 
to rural areas, communities, or small towns, 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 ‘‘Postal Service Ac-
countability Act of 2012’’. 
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SEC. 2. CLOSING OR CONSOLIDATION OF POST OFFICES. 
(a) ECONOMIC EFFECTS.—Section 404(d)(2)(A)(i) of 
title 39, United States Code, is amended by striking the 
semicolon and inserting ‘‘, including any economic ef-
fects;’’. 
(b) INCREASE IN LENGTH OF WAITING PERIOD.— 
Section 404(d)(4) of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘60’’ and inserting ‘‘120’’. 
(c) SPECIFIC BASIS TO EXERCISE AUTHORITY TO 
SET ASIDE.—Subparagraph (C) of section 404(d)(5) of 
title 39, United States Code, is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(C) unsupported by substantial evidence on 
the record, including any determination, finding, or 
conclusion of the Postal Service with respect to 
clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of paragraph (2)(A) 
(each of which clauses the Postal Service shall spe-
cifically address under paragraph (3) with respect to 
the post office involved).’’. 
(d) PRC CONCURRENCE REQUIRED.—Section 404(d) 
of title 39, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(7) If an appeal is filed under paragraph (5) with 
respect to the closure or consolidation of a post office, the 
Postal Service may not proceed with its determination to 
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close or consolidate such post office without the written 
concurrence of at least 3 of the Commissioners.’’. 
(e) REVIEW.—Section 404(d) of title 39, United 
States Code, is amended by adding after paragraph (7) 
(as added by subsection (d)) the following: 
‘‘(8) Within 1 year after the date on which a post 
office is closed or consolidated, the Postal Service shall 
conduct a review and make public its findings and deter-
minations in regard to— 
‘‘(A) the accuracy of the findings which the 
Postal Service had made earlier, with respect to the 
considerations under paragraph (2)(A), in connec-
tion with the proposed closing or consolidation of 
such post office; and 
‘‘(B) what substitute services are being pro-
vided for those previously provided by the post office 
that was closed or consolidated, and whether those 
substitute services are meeting community needs.’’. 
SEC. 3. PROVISIONS RELATING TO CERTAIN OTHER FACILI-
TIES. 
Section 404 of title 39, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f)(1) The Postal Service, prior to making a deter-
mination as to the necessity for the closing or consolida-
tion of any mail processing facility, shall provide adequate 
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notice of its intention to close or consolidate such mail 
processing facility at least 60 days prior to the proposed 
date of such closing or consolidation to the employees at 
that facility and the community in which such facility is 
located to ensure that such persons will have an oppor-
tunity to present their views. 
‘‘(2) The Postal Service, in making a determination 
whether or not to close or consolidate a mail processing 
facility— 
‘‘(A) shall consider— 
‘‘(i) the effect of such closing or consolida-
tion on the community in which such facility is 
located, including any economic effects; 
‘‘(ii) the effect of such closing or consolida-
tion on employees of the Postal Service em-
ployed at such facility; 
‘‘(iii) whether such closing or consolidation 
is consistent with the policy of the Government, 
as stated in section 101(b), that the Postal 
Service shall provide a maximum degree of ef-
fective and regular postal services to rural 
areas, communities, and small towns where post 
offices are not self-sustaining; 
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‘‘(iv) the economic savings to the Postal 
Service resulting from such closing or consolida-
tion; and 
‘‘(v) such other factors as the Postal Serv-
ice determines are necessary; and 
‘‘(B) may not consider compliance with any 
provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 
of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.). 
‘‘(3) Any determination of the Postal Service to close 
or consolidate a mail processing facility shall be in writing 
and shall include the findings of the Postal Service with 
respect to the considerations required to be made under 
paragraph (2). Such determination and findings shall be 
made available to employees at the facility and the com-
munity in which such facility is located. 
‘‘(4) The Postal Service shall take no action to close 
or consolidate a mail processing facility until 120 days 
after its written determination is made available to em-
ployees of that facility and the community in which such 
facility is located. 
‘‘(5) A determination of the Postal Service to close 
or consolidate any mail processing facility may be ap-
pealed to the Postal Regulatory Commission, by any em-
ployee at such facility or member of the community in 
which such facility is located, within 30 days after such 
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