,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bhge  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ba1
 #bjbc,mr4 ,hawley introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to require the prompt       
reconstruction of and restoration of    
suspended operation of rural post       
offices1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,rural ,post ,office ,reconstruction
 ,act of #bjbc4  #b4 ,findings ,congress
 finds the following3 7#a7 ,rural       
communities rely heavily on post offices
 for daily life4  7#b7 ,many rural towns
 lack access to digital communications  
and high-speed broadband4  7#c7 ,the    
loss of a functioning post office in a  
rural community jeopardizes vital       
services1 including reliable medical    
deliveries1 payment disbursements1 and  
essential communications4  7#d7         
,efficiently and promptly rebuilding    

rural post offices is necessary to      
ensure individuals retain vital         
services4  #c4 ,reconstruction and      
restoration of suspended post offices   
7a7 ,amendment ,chapter #d of title #ci1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by   
adding at the end the following3  #dag4 
,reconstruction and restoration of      
suspended post offices  7a7 ,definitions
 ,in this section-- 7#a7 the term       
damaged rural post office means a rural 
post office-- 7,a7 that becomes         
inoperable or suffers irreparable damage
 on or after the date that is #b years  
before the date of enactment of this    
section2 and  7,b7 for which no         
alternate suitable quarters exist in the
 community2  7#b7 the term rural post   
office means a post office located in an
 area not included within an urban area 
7as defined by the ,bureau of the       
,census72 and  7#c7 the term suspended  
rural post office means a rural post    
office that suspends operation due to a 
lease or rental agreement termination on

 or after the date that is #b years     
before the date of enactment of this    
section4  7b7 ,reconstruction  7#a7 ,in 
general ,the ,postal ,service shall     
commence reconstruction of a damaged    
rural post office1 which shall be       
carried out in consultation with the    
,administrator of the ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency if the   
damage is due to a natural disaster--   
7,a7 if the damaged rural post office   
becomes inoperable or suffers           
irreparable damage on or after the date 
of enactment of this section1 not later 
than #ij days after the date of such    
inoperability or irreparable damage2 and
  7,b7 if the damaged rural post office 
became inoperable or suffered           
irreparable damage not more than #b     
years before the date of enactment of   
this section1 not later than #ij days   
after the date of such enactment4  7#b7 
,exception ,the ,postal ,service shall  
delay reconstruction of a damaged rural 
post office under paragraph 7#a7 if     

individuals directly involved with the  
reconstruction will be subject to       
physical injury or undue risk due to the
 reconstruction efforts until such time 
as it would be safe for those           
individuals to proceed with the         
reconstruction4  7c7 ,restoration of    
suspended operation ,the ,postal        
,service1 in consultation with the      
,administrator of ,general ,services1   
shall secure a suitable replacement     
lease or rental agreement for a         
suspended rural post office-- 7#a7 if   
the suspended rural post office suspends
 operation on or after the date of      
enactment of this section1 not later    
than #ij days after the date of         
suspension of operation2 and  7#b7 if   
the suspended rural post office         
suspended operation not more than #b    
years before the date of enactment of   
this section1 not later than #ij days   
after the date of such enactment4  7d7  
,report required ,if the ,postal        
,service does not execute the measures  

described in subsection 7b7 or 7c7      
within the time period required under   
the applicable subsection1 the          
,postmaster ,general shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,homeland ,security and  
,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,oversight and    
,accountability of the ,house of        
,representatives a report that-- 7#a7   
describes in detail the specific reasons
 why reconstruction of the damaged rural
 post office or restoration of operation
 of the suspended rural post office was 
not performed2  7#b7 describes in detail
 any remediation efforts for individuals
 adversely affected by the suspension of
 mail operations2 and  7#c7 provides a  
specific timeline for completion of the 
reconstruction or restoration of        
operations1 as applicable4  4  7b7      
,technical and conforming amendment ,the
 table of sections for chapter #d of    
title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #daf the following3 

#dag4 ,reconstruction and restoration of
 suspended post offices4  4  #d4        
,funding ,no additional funds are       
authorized to be appropriated to carry  
out the amendments made by this ,act4   
#e4 ,effective date ,the amendments made
 by this ,act shall take effect on the  
date that is #ij days after the date of 
enactment of this ,act4