Carbondale Reporter

U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) introduced the Upending Secret Postal Shutdowns (USPS) Act to prohibit the U.S. Postal Service from shutting down a post office under the guise of an "emergency suspension" without first notifying impacted communities and providing a full justification for the closure.

Under current law, postal operations can be suspended due to emergencies ranging from staffing shortages to natural disasters, with a loose expectation that service be restored within 280 days. Bost’s bill would set strict periodic deadlines for public notifications, require community input, and mandate annual reports to Congress on long-term postal shutdowns.

“Communities rely on the Postal Service for the timely delivery of letters, prescriptions, bills, and other mail,” said Bost. “When a post office closes, especially in a rural area, it hurts the people who depend on it most. My legislation will help clear up the confusion and uncertainty that comes with a postal closure by improving transparency and setting aggressive timelines for communicating with the public about when service will be restored. This is an issue I hear a lot about from my constituents; we can’t rest until we improve postal services in Southern Illinois and across the United States.”

Bost reported that his congressional office has received over 250 complaints over the last two years from constituents in nearly every county of his district regarding post office closures and delays. He recently visited USPS’s regional distribution center in St. Louis and met with postal officials in Washington, D.C., to share his constituents' concerns and urge an immediate resolution.

You can read the USPS Act's bill text here.

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