S.Amdt. 4963

1. Adds SEC. ___. RURAL POST OFFICES wherever appropriate

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. ___. RURAL POST OFFICES.

   Inserted: (a) In General.--Section 404(d) of title 39, United States Code, is amended--

   Inserted: (1) in paragraph (1), by striking "post office," and inserting the following: "post office and, with respect to a determination to close a post office in a rural area, as defined by the Census Bureau, including such a post office that has been damaged or completely destroyed by fire, prior to making the determinations required by paragraph (4),";

   Inserted: (2) in paragraph (3), by striking "subsection." and inserting "subsection and, with respect to a determination to close a post office located in a rural area, as defined by the Census Bureau, including such a post office that has been damaged or completely destroyed by fire, a summary of the determinations required under paragraph (4).";

   Inserted: (3) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) as paragraph (5), (6), and (7), respectively;

   Inserted: (4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

   Inserted: "(4) The Postal Service may not make a determination under subsection (a)(3) to close a post office located in a rural area, as defined by the Census Bureau, including such a post office that has been damaged or completely destroyed by fire, unless the Postal Service--

   Inserted: "(A)(i) determines that postal customers served by the post office would continue after the closing to receive substantially similar access to essential items, such as prescription medications and time-sensitive communications, that are sent through the mail; or

   Inserted: "(ii) takes action to substantially ameliorate any projected reduction in access to essential items described in clause (i); and

   Inserted: "(B) determines that--

   Inserted: "(i) businesses located in the community served by the post office would not suffer substantial financial loss as a result of the closing;

   Inserted: "(ii) any economic loss to the community served by the post office as a result of the closing does not exceed the cost to the Postal Service of not closing the post office;

   Show 6 more inserted paragraphsShow less

   Inserted: "(iii) the area served by the post office has adequate access to wired broadband internet service, as identified on the National Broadband Map of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; and

   Inserted: "(iv) there is a road connecting the community to another post office that is not more than 10 miles from the post office proposed to be closed (as measured on roads with year-round access)."; and

   Inserted: (5) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by striking "(5)" and inserting "(6)".

   Inserted: (b) Moratorium on Closing Rural Post Offices.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 404(d) of title 39, United States Code, during the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Postal Service may not close a post office located in a rural area, as defined by the Census Bureau, including such a post office that has been damaged or completely destroyed by fire, except as required for the immediate protection of health and safety, or unless there is no significant community opposition to such closure.

   Inserted: (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to limit the authority of the Postal Service to implement cost-saving measures with respect to the post offices described in that paragraph.

   The amendment doesn't say where this goes; the clerk decides.

   Original wording

   At the appropriate place, insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed