The "Protect Postal Performance Act" modifies USPS procedures for post office closures/consolidations, limits processing center changes, and requires transparency and regulatory review to maintain mail delivery standards.
Nicole (Nikki) Budzinski
Representative
IL-13
The "Protect Postal Performance Act" modifies the procedures for the United States Postal Service (USPS) regarding the closure or consolidation of post offices and processing and distribution centers. It mandates public hearings and transparency requirements for proposed closures, limits closures based on proximity to other post offices or population served, and restricts the USPS from closing or downgrading processing centers if it impacts mail delivery. The bill also requires Postal Regulatory Commission review of proposed changes to mail processing facilities and transportation optimization efforts.
New Bill Adds Hurdles to Closing Post Offices and Mail Centers, Mandates Public Input and Delivery Standards
Congress is looking at putting some serious guardrails around how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) can change its operations. The proposed "Protect Postal Performance Act" aims to slow down or stop the closure and consolidation of local post offices and larger mail processing centers by adding new steps and requirements.
Keeping Local Post Offices Open Longer
If you rely on your neighborhood post office, this bill introduces significant changes meant to keep it around. Before the USPS can close or merge a post office, Section 2 mandates they hold a public hearing (in-person or virtual) during a 60-day review period to gather feedback. They'd then have to post a summary online within a week, detailing the comments, and wait a full 180 days after that summary goes live before actually making the change.
Crucially, the bill outright prohibits closing or consolidating any post office if it's not within 15 miles of another one, or if it's the closest option for 15,000 or more people. Think about that small town where the post office is a central hub – this rule could be a lifeline for keeping it open, ensuring continued access for residents who might not have easy alternatives.
Red Tape for Mail Sorting Hubs
It's not just the local branches. Section 3 tackles the bigger processing and distribution centers – the hubs that sort mail for entire regions. The bill stops the USPS from closing, consolidating, or downgrading these centers if doing so would leave a geographically separate area with over 100,000 residents without one. It also specifically halts the ongoing USPS Mail Processing Facility Review.
Furthermore, any proposed changes to these mail processing facilities would first need an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), which could take up to 120 business days. If the PRC thinks a change will slow down mail, the USPS has to publish a plan detailing how they'll prevent delays and then wait another 180 days. There's also a performance metric tied in: centers in districts that missed specific on-time delivery targets (like 93% for 2-day mail) in the previous year can't be closed, consolidated, or have operations moved.
Impact on Mail Flow and Efficiency
Beyond facility closures, the bill also touches on transportation. Section 3 prevents the USPS from cutting back on mail pick-up or drop-off times at any post office through optimization efforts without first getting a PRC opinion. If the PRC advises against the change, the USPS can't implement those specific transportation optimizations anywhere in the country.
What does this all mean? On one hand, it gives communities more say and potentially protects service, especially in rural or underserved areas. On the other hand, these multiple layers of review, waiting periods, and performance requirements could significantly tie the USPS's hands when it comes to adapting its network for efficiency or changing mail volumes. Balancing the desire to preserve local access with the need for a financially sustainable and operationally efficient postal service is the core tension here.