Pappas, Postal Caucus Chairs Introduce Bipartisan Postal Suspension Transparency Act
Legislation would bring transparency to how temporary post office closures, also known as “emergency suspensions,” are reported by the U.S. Postal Service
Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Jack Bergman (MI-01), and Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), the bipartisan Co-Chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, introduced bipartisan legislation to increase transparency around temporary post office closures, known as “emergency suspensions.” The Postal Suspension Transparency Act would require the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to publicly post all temporary closures, alternative services available, and the estimated end date of the disruption in service.
“Without proper public notice, the temporary suspension of mail service at local post offices can leave people without the ability to receive essential packages and medication, respond to their mail in a timely fashion, and can harm the operations of our small businesses, non-profits, and more,” said Congressman Pappas. “Our legislation is a simple fix that will bring transparency to the emergency suspension process and guarantee that everyone knows how they will be able to receive their mail through the duration of any temporary post office closure.”
“When local post offices are unexpectedly suspended, residents are often left in the dark - unsure when service will resume and forced, especially in rural areas, to travel to neighboring towns just to collect their mail. For many elderly residents, that burden can be especially difficult. In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, some post offices have remained ‘suspended’ for years - Ramsay has been closed since 2019, and just last week Deerton was suspended, leaving residents with more questions than answers. Our communities deserve timely, transparent communication when postal services are disrupted, and I’m proud to help co-lead this bipartisan bill with Representatives Pappas, Garbarino, and Budzinski,” said Congressman Bergman.
“A post office is a core part of any community, and when it’s not operating, the public deserves timely and transparent notice. When people are left in the dark, it disrupts businesses, delays critical packages, and hinders access to essential mail that can impact someone's health and wellbeing. This legislation provides a clear and necessary fix to ensure communities are kept informed. It is one of many steps we as Members of Congress must take to strengthen mail service and ensure reliability for the American people,” said Congresswoman Budzinski.
“When a local post office is suddenly closed, families, seniors, and small businesses are often left in the dark about how to receive essential mail,” said Congressman Garbarino. “This bipartisan legislation brings common-sense transparency to the emergency suspension process by ensuring the Postal Service clearly communicates when closures are happening, what services are available, and when normal operations are expected to resume. As Co-Chair of the Postal Service Caucus, I’m proud to work across the aisle to make sure communities have the information they need when disruptions occur.”
Specifically, this bill would require USPS to establish a publicly accessible and searchable website that provides the following information on each “covered post office”, which the bill defines as a post office at which “operations have been temporarily suspended pursuant to subchapter 61 of the Postal Service Handbook PO-101, or any successor policy.” Information required to be shared for each post office under emergency suspension would include: street address; suspension date; reason for emergency suspension; alternative services available, including how to request curbside delivery; the location of and hours of operation for the nearest retail postal facility; and to the extent reasonable, an estimated date for the resumption of retail postal service.