H.R. 3958

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3958 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3958

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

June 12, 2025

Mr. Diaz-Balart (for himself and Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

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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