Stop Postal Closures Act introduced in US Congress

A bill which aims to place a moratorium on the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) mail processing facility closure and consolidation plans has been introduced in the US House of Representatives. Congressman Jared Huffman, a Democrat representative from California, introduced the Stop Postal Closures Act of 2016 [H.R.4656] yesterday (1 March).

Essentially, the bill – were it to be passed and enforced – would stipulate that the USPS should not close or consolidate any mail processing postal facility or carry out any network rationalization activity until the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has certified that the Postal Service has met the required national service standards.

The bill text specifies that the term ‘postal facility’ is used to mean “a Postal Service facility that is primarily involved in the preparation, dispatch, or other physical processing of mail, but does not include (A) any post office, station, or branch; or (B) any facility used only for administrative functions”.

The bill would also require USPS to reinstate the national service standards that were in effect on 1 July 2012 (and thereby nullify the revised national service standards that were introduced on 5 January 2015).

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Explaining why he introduced the bill, Congressman Huffman said: ““We all want a modern, efficient Postal Service, but continuing to reduce service standards and close facilities is not the way to deliver for the American people.”

Click here to view the text of the bill, hosted on Thomas.gov.