[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 155 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 155
To improve communication between the United States Postal Service and
local communities relating to the relocation and establishment of
Postal Service retail service facilities, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 21, 2025
Mr. Crapo (for himself, Mr. Risch, and Mr. Schatz) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve communication between the United States Postal Service and
local communities relating to the relocation and establishment of
Postal Service retail service facilities, 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. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Mandating Advisable and Informed
Locations and Solutions Act'' or the ``MAILS Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Post office.--The term ``post office''--
(A) means a facility that--
(i) is owned or leased by the Postal
Service;
(ii) is managed by a Postmaster;
(iii) has responsibility for--
(I) customer services;
(II) local delivery; and
(III) receipt and dispatch of all
classes of mail; and
(iv) may have responsibility for processing
and distribution of mail for other such
facilities in the surrounding geographic area;
and
(B) includes a remotely managed post office, a
part-time post office, and an administrative post
office.
(2) Postal service.--The term ``Postal Service'' means the
United States Postal Service.
(3) Temporary relocation.--The term ``temporary
relocation'' means a temporary relocation of retail services
from a post office to support Postal Service business for a
holiday, special event, or overflow business, as described in
paragraph (a)(2)(i) of section 241.4 of title 39, Code of
Federal Regulations.
SEC. 3. REQUESTS FOR NEW POST OFFICES.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Postal Service shall establish by regulation a formal process for a
local government official to request a new post office within the
locality.
SEC. 4. COMMUNICATION RELATING TO POST OFFICE RELOCATION.
The Postal Service shall amend section 241.4 of title 39, Code of
Federal Regulations, to provide the following:
(1) Community input.--The Postal Service may not implement
a temporary relocation, including for a commemorative event,
for a period longer than 2 days without collecting and
considering community input under paragraph (c) of that
section.
(2) Notification.--
(A) Elected officials.--Not later than 30 days
before the date of a temporary relocation, the Postal
Service shall--
(i) submit to 1 or more local elected
officials in the area in which the affected
post office is located a written outline of the
proposal; and
(ii) offer to discuss the proposal with the
elected official under paragraph (c) of that
section.
(B) Public presentation.--The Postal Service
shall--
(i) not later than 15 days before the date
of a temporary relocation, provide public
notice of the temporary relocation in the area
in which the affected post office is located;
and
(ii) not later than 15 days after providing
notice to local elected officials under
subparagraph (A)(i), hold a public presentation
under paragraph (c) of that section.
(3) Periodic updates.--Not later than 60 days after the end
of the initial 30-day comment period under paragraph (c) of
that section, and every 60 days thereafter until the date that
is 60 days after the last day of a temporary relocation, the
Postal Service shall submit to relevant local government
officials updates on the status of the temporary relocation.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
(a) Report Required.--With respect to any temporary relocation for
a period that is longer than 180 days (whether due to the originally
projected length of the relocation or due to an extension), not later
than 30 days after the first day of the temporary relocation (or of the
extension that caused the length of the relocation to exceed 180 days,
if applicable), the Postal Service shall submit a report relating to
the temporary relocation or extension to--
(1) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the
House of Representatives; and
(3) the members of Congress who represent the congressional
district or State in which the affected post office is located.
(b) Contents of Report.--Each report described in subsection (a)
shall include a discussion of--
(1) whether the communication requirements were met within
the required timelines, and if not, an explanation for the
failure to comply with the requirements; and
(2) whether the period of the temporary relocation is being
extended, and if so, an explanation for the extension.
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