Protect Our Mail Act of 2024

Bill: 118-s-4618
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV]
Introduced: 2024-06-20
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Latest action: action_date: 2024-06-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4618 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 20, 2024 Ms. Rosen introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To limit the closure or consolidation of any United States Postal Service processing and distribution center if the United States Postal Service has failed to meet certain conditions, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protect Our Mail Act of 2024 . 2. Limitation on closing or consolidating processing and distribution centers (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Postal Service The term Postal Service means the United States Postal Service. (2) Processing and distribution center The term processing and distribution center means a facility of the United States Postal Service that processes, distributes, and dispatches, part or all of both originating and destinating volumes of mail for a designated service area. (3) State The term State means a State or the District of Columbia. (b) Limitation The Postal Service may not proceed on any decision to close, consolidate, downgrade, or take any other similar action with respect to a processing and distribution center in a State— (1) if— (A) at any time during the calendar year immediately preceding the action, a processing and distribution center located within any Postal Service area in the State failed to meet the targets described in the fiscal year 2023 performance plan of the Postal Service of— (i) not less than 93 percent on-time delivery performance for 2-day single first-class mail, as measured by the service standards in effect on the date of enactment of this Act; and (ii) not less than 90.3 percent on-time delivery performance for 3- to 5-day first-class mail, as measured by the service standards in effect on the date of enactment of this Act; or (B) such action would result in there being no processing and distribution center located— (i) in the State; or (ii) within 125 miles of the processing and distribution center subject to such action; and (2) unless— (A) the Postal Service has submitted a proposal relating to such action to the Postal Regulatory Commission using the procedures described in section 3661(b) of title 39, United States Code, and provided the Postal Regulatory Commission any information and records necessary to issue an opinion on the proposal, including any access to Postal Service facilities; (B) the Postal Regulatory Commission has issued an opinion on the proposal under subparagraph (A) using the procedures described in section 3661(c) of title 39, United States Code, within 180 business days of submission of the proposal, that— (i) includes a comprehensive review of geographical considerations, including mountain passes, and the impact of those considerations on the effects of the proposal on local mail delivery within the State; and (ii) finds that the proposal would not negatively impact service standards and performance measures for mail originating and destinating within the State; and (C) the deadline for appeals described in subsection (c) has passed and the Postal Regulatory Commission has heard all appeals under that subsection and all such appeals are unsuccessful. (c) Affected customer right To appeal (1) In general Any person regularly served by a processing and distribution center subject to closure, consolidation, downgrading, or any other similar action shall have the right to appeal to the Postal Regulatory Commission a decision described in subsection (b). (2) Deadline Any appeal under paragraph (1) shall be filed not later than the later of— (A) 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act; or (B) 180 days after the date of a decision described in subsection (b). (3) Notice required Not later than 7 days after the date of a decision described in subsection (b), the Postal Service shall publicly and conspicuously display on the website of the Postal Service and at the facility impacted by such decision information relating to the right to appeal under paragraph (1) and the process to file such appeal.