H.R. 11001: Protecting Neighborhood Postal Access

This bill would require the U.S. Postal Service to take specific steps when a post office operating in a leased building is at risk of closing because the building is being sold, the lease is ending, or USPS may lose access to the location.

What USPS would have to do

• Give early notice — Within 15 days of learning a post office may be at risk, USPS would have to notify:
  • the relevant Members of Congress,
  • the Postal Regulatory Commission,
  • local city or county officials,
  • post office employees,
  • any union representing those employees, and
  • all residents in the ZIP Code by mail.
• Submit a continuity plan to Congress — At least 120 days before a closure, USPS would need to explain how retail postal service would continue. The plan would have to say whether service would stay in the same building, move to another temporary or permanent site, or be provided through options such as a mobile retail unit, longer hours at a nearby post office, or a contracted replacement service.
• Try to stay in the same ZIP Code — Before closing or suspending service, USPS would have to seek a new facility in the same ZIP Code, certify to Congress that it made a good-faith effort to find one, and, if no suitable site is found, explain what locations were considered, which landlords were contacted, and what lease terms were reviewed.
• Report after the closure or move — Within 90 days after a post office closes or relocates, USPS would have to send Congress a report describing:
  • its search for a new facility,
  • any barriers it encountered, and
  • the expected effects on customers and employees, including seniors, veterans, small businesses, people with disabilities, and people without reliable transportation.

Practical effect

The bill is mainly designed to increase advance warning and oversight when a neighborhood post office in a leased location may close, and to encourage USPS to keep service in the same ZIP Code whenever possible.

Relevant Companies

None found