The INFORM Act of 2025 mandates that the Postal Service provide detailed public notice in post office lobbies regarding any nationwide changes to postal services before and after implementation.
Mike Rounds
Senator
SD
The INFORM Act of 2025 establishes new, clearer notification requirements for the Postal Service when implementing significant nationwide changes to postal services. This legislation mandates that the Postal Service must submit proposals to the Postal Regulatory Commission and simultaneously post detailed public notices in affected post office lobbies. These notices must remain visible for at least 30 days after the change takes effect, ensuring the public is fully informed about the service alterations, impact, and opportunities for feedback.
INFORM Act Requires USPS to Post 30-Day Public Notices for Major Nationwide Service Changes
The new INFORM Act of 2025 (formally the Instituting Notification Formalities On Reorganizing Mail Act) isn't about changing stamp prices or delivery schedules—it’s about changing how the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) talks to us when they plan to change those things on a massive scale. Think of it as a mandatory heads-up rule for big, nationwide shifts in how mail actually works.
The New Rulebook for Postal Transparency
Under Section 2 of this Act, if the USPS decides to implement a change that affects postal services across the country, they can’t just drop the news on us last minute. They first have to submit their proposal to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for advice. Crucially, on that very same day, they must start posting a public notice inside the lobbies of all affected post offices. This notice isn't a suggestion; it’s mandatory and must stay up for at least 30 days after the change has already taken effect. This is a huge procedural win for transparency, forcing the USPS to put their plans in writing and in public view before and during the rollout.
What Exactly Has to Be on That Notice?
This isn't just a sticky note saying, “Service change coming soon.” The bill requires the notice to be detailed. It must include the specifics of the change, the exact schedule for the rollout, and, most importantly, what the USPS expects the impact to be on mail service nationwide. It also needs to provide clear information on how the public can give feedback, including details about any public meetings and contact information for comments. For the average person, this means you’ll finally have a clear, centralized source of information about why your mail delivery suddenly changed or why a new process is being implemented.
Real-World Impact: Less Guesswork, More Accountability
For small business owners who rely on timely mail for invoicing or product delivery, or for the millions of people waiting on prescriptions or important documents, this bill translates directly into better planning. If the USPS plans a major consolidation of processing centers—a change that could slow down cross-country mail by a day or two—they now have to state that expected impact clearly in the post office lobby. Before this, those kinds of procedural changes could feel like they came out of nowhere. Now, the public gets a detailed look at the plan and a formal window to provide feedback to the PRC, hopefully leading to better-vetted decisions. The biggest administrative burden falls on the USPS itself, which now has a much stricter set of hoops to jump through before implementing large-scale operational changes.