[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8303 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8303
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 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.
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