To require the Postal Service to consider the effect of closing or consolidating a postal facility on the ability of the affected community to vote by mail and to provide for a moratorium on the closing or consolidation of post offices and postal facilities to protect the ability to vote by mail.

SA 2020. Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Merkley, and Mr.
Tester) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the
bill S. 1789, to improve, sustain, and transform the United States
Postal Service; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 28, strike lines 20 through 24 and insert the
following:
``(i) conduct an area mail processing study relating to
that postal facility that includes--

``(I) a plan to reduce the capacity of the postal facility,
but not close the postal facility; and
``(II) consideration of the effect of the closure or
consolidation of the postal facility on the ability of
individuals served by the postal facility to vote by mail and
the ability of the Postal Service to timely deliver ballots
by mail in accordance with the deadline to return ballots
established under applicable State law;

On page 29, line 13, strike ``and'' and all that follows
through ``publish'' on line 14 and insert the following:

``(II) consider the effect of the closure or consolidation
of the postal facility on the ability of individuals served
by the postal facility to vote by mail and the ability of the
Postal Service to timely deliver ballots by mail in
accordance with the deadline to return ballots established
under applicable State law; and
``(III) publish

On page 30, line 1, after ``the facility'' insert the
following: ``or consideration of the effect of the closure or
consolidation of the postal facility on the ability of
individuals served by the postal facility to vote by mail and
the ability of the Postal Service to timely deliver ballots
by mail in accordance with the deadline to return ballots
established under applicable State law''.
On page 45, strike line 3 and all that follows through
``(c)'' on line 11 and insert the following:
(b) Moratorium on Closing of Post Offices and Postal
Facilities.--
(1) General moratorium.--Notwithstanding section 404(d) of
title 39, United States Code, during the period beginning on
the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date on
which the Postal Service establishes the service standards
under subsection (b), the Postal Service may not close a post
office, except as required for the immediate protection of
health and safety.
(2) Moratorium to protect the ability of voters to vote
absentee or by mail.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) or
subsection (d) or (f) of section 404 of title 39, United
States Code, during the period beginning on the date of
enactment of this Act and ending on November 13, 2012, the
Postal Service may not close or consolidate a post office or
postal facility located in a State that conducts all
elections by mail or permits no-excuse absentee voting,
except as required for the immediate protection of health and
safety.
(c) Notification of Election Officials.--Section 404 of
title 39, United States Code, as amended by this Act, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(g) Notification of Election Officials.--Not later than
120 days before the date on which the Postal Service closes
or consolidates a post office or postal facility (as defined
in subsection (f)), the Postal Service shall notify each
State and local election official for the area affected by
the closing or consolidation of the closing or
consolidation.''.
(d)
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