New Act Creates Dedicated Fund for Fixing USPS Cluster Boxes Maintained for 20+ Years

If you live in a condo complex, an older subdivision, or a rural area that uses those shared, multi-unit mailboxes—often called cluster box units (CBUs)—this bill is for you. The Postal Service Clusterbox Responsibility Act sets up a formal system for the USPS to keep maintaining specific, aging CBUs that they’ve historically repaired, even though the units themselves are privately owned.

The 20-Year Rule: Who Gets Covered and Who Doesn’t

This isn't a blanket maintenance policy for every shared mailbox out there. It creates a special category called a “covered cluster box unit.” To qualify, a unit must be privately owned (not by a government entity), and the USPS must have been primarily responsible for its maintenance and upkeep for at least 20 years. Think of it as grandfathering in the older units the USPS has been quietly fixing for decades.

If you own one of these units, you have to apply to the USPS, provide proof of that 20-year history, and—crucially—give the USPS written permission to keep doing the repairs. The USPS then has to investigate and make a decision within one month. If approved, the USPS must continue to maintain the unit, ensuring it remains functional for mail delivery and collection (Section 2).

Money Talk: The New Maintenance Fund

One of the biggest practical changes is how this maintenance will be paid for. The bill establishes a permanent, dedicated “Cluster Box Unit Maintenance Fund” within the U.S. Treasury. This fund, which will be supported by Congressional appropriations, means the cost of fixing these specific historical units won't have to come out of the USPS’s general operating budget. For the USPS, this provides a stable, long-term source of funding for a known, ongoing liability.

What the USPS Will and Won’t Fix

If your unit qualifies, the USPS is only required to perform work “necessary for the unit to function properly.” This is where things get a little fuzzy. They will fix things like broken locks or damaged compartments that stop mail delivery. But they are not responsible for maintaining the structure the box is attached to (like a brick column or a wall), nor will they pay for damage caused by a resident’s “intentional or willful” actions or unauthorized changes (Section 2). This means if someone drives into the CBU structure, the USPS isn't paying for the structural repair—only the functional mailbox components.

Also, if the USPS repairs a unit and finds out a third party (like a contractor or a vandal) is legally responsible for the damage, they can demand that the owner assign their right to sue the responsible party over to the USPS so the agency can recover its costs. If the owner refuses to cooperate with this reimbursement process, the special maintenance coverage ends immediately.

The Real-World Catch for Owners

While this bill provides certainty for owners of older units, it also creates new administrative burdens and trade-offs. If you’re a property manager or HOA president, you have to actively apply and keep the paperwork straight. Furthermore, if you decide you want to handle the maintenance yourself later, you can withdraw your permission in writing, and the USPS maintenance obligation ends. This bill is essentially a clear contract: the USPS will maintain the functional parts of your historical mailbox, but only if you follow their rules, grant them permission, and help them recover costs when someone else is at fault.