To require the United States Postal Service to notify postal customers and relevant officials when operations are temporarily suspended at a post office, and for other purposes.

Bill: 118-hr-8303
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Diaz-Balart, Mario [R-FL-26]
Introduced: 2024-05-08
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Latest action: action_date: 2024-05-08
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8303 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 8, 2024 Mr. Diaz-Balart introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability A BILL To require the United States Postal Service to notify postal customers and relevant officials when operations are temporarily suspended at a post office, and for other purposes.

1. Notice of temporary post office closure (a) In general If the United States Postal Service temporarily suspends operations at a post office, either voluntarily or involuntarily, the United States Postal Service shall— (1) submit the notices required by subsection (b); (2) provide persons served by such post office an opportunity for comment in accordance with subsection (c); and (3) provide services to persons served by such post office in accordance with subsection (d). (b) Notices (1) Suspension notice (A) In general The United States Postal Service shall notify persons served by a post office and the relevant officials for such post office of the temporary suspension of operations at such post office. (B) Contents (i) In general Except as provided by clause (ii), the notice required under subparagraph (A) with respect to the temporary suspension of operations at a post office shall include— (I) in the case of a temporary suspension of operations that the United States Postal Service plans or expects, the expected date on which such temporary suspension of operations will begin; (II) the reasons for such temporary suspension of operations; (III) plans for— (aa) providing retail postal services to persons served by such post office during such temporary suspension of operations; (bb) providing persons served by such post office the opportunity required by subsection (c); and (cc) resuming the operations of such post office; and (IV) an estimate of when the operations of such post office will resume. (ii) Onsite notices Notwithstanding clause (i), a notice required under subparagraph (A) placed at the physical location of a post office shall include instructions for accessing a website of the United States Postal Service containing the information described in clause (i) and may contain such information. (C) Timing The United States Postal Service shall provide the notice required under subparagraph (A)— (i) in the case of a temporary suspension of operations that the United States Postal Service plans or expects, not later than the later of— (I) 60 days prior to the expected date on which such temporary suspension of operations will begin; or (II) the earliest date on which the United States Postal Service plans or expects such temporary suspension of operations; and (ii) in all other cases, not later than 14 days after the date on which operations are temporarily suspended. (D) Notice required The United States Postal Service may not temporarily suspend operations at a post office unless the United States Postal Service provides the notice required under this paragraph, except that this subparagraph shall not apply if such temporary suspension of operations is not at the discretion of the United States Postal Service or is necessary due to health or safety concerns. (2) Status updates If the United States Postal Service temporarily suspends operations at a post office for a period of more than six months, not later than six months after the date on which such temporary suspension of operations begins, and every three months thereafter until the date on which such temporary suspension of operations ends, the United States Postal Service shall provide to persons served by such post office and the relevant officials for such post office a notice on the status of such temporary suspension of operations. (3) Reopening notice Upon determining the date on which operations will resume at a post office at which operations are temporarily suspended, the United States Postal Service shall notify persons served by such post office and the relevant officials for such post office of the date of such resumption of operations at such post office and, in the case of a post office that has been relocated, the location of such post office. (4) Notice distribution For each notice required under this subsection with respect to a post office, the United States Postal Service shall— (A) mail such notice to persons served by such post office; (B) place such notice at the physical location of such post office; (C) make such notice publicly available on a website of the United States Postal Service; (D) publish such notice on relevant social media websites; and (E) send such notice to a valid email of each relevant official. (5) Relevant officials defined In this subsection, the term relevant officials , with respect to a post office, means— (A) each Member of the House of Representatives (including a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to Congress) representing a congressional district which includes all or part of the geographic area served by such post office; (B) each Senator representing a State which includes all or part of the geographic area served by such post office; and (C) the head of each local government with jurisdiction over all or part of the geographic area served by such post office. (c) Opportunity for comment The United States Postal Service shall provide persons served by a post office at which operations are temporarily suspended an opportunity to present their views on such temporary suspension of operations, including the relocation of such post office. (d) Replacement retail postal services (1) In general Not later than 10 days after the temporary suspension of operations at a post office, the United States Postal Service shall provide to persons served by such post office the services described in paragraph (2)— (A) in the same geographic area as such post office, to the extent practicable; and (B) to the extent that such post office provided such services immediately before such temporary suspension of operations. (2) Retail postal services The services described in this paragraph are the following services not available from the post office at which operations are temporarily suspended: (A) Retail postal services, including the sale of boxes and other packaging material sold by the United States Postal Service. (B) A means for holders of post office boxes at such post office to receive mail sent to the post office box of such holder. (C) Providing, accepting, and processing forms necessary for persons to request a change of mailing address or a temporary halt to the delivery of mail to such person. (3) Duration The United States Postal Service shall provide the services required by paragraph (1) until the end of the temporary suspension of operations with respect to which the United States Postal Service is providing such services under such paragraph. (e) Applicability This section shall apply only with respect to temporary suspensions of operations at post offices that begin after the date of the enactment of this Act.