The United States Postal Service proudly provides mail delivery for local businesses and residents.

As a 250-year-old self-funded institution, we remain committed to this mission. Unfortunately, proposed legislation in Congress – H.R. 672 and H.R. 3095 – threatens to disrupt local mail service by unilaterally redrawing and redefining ZIP Codes in many local communities. If enacted, these changes would significantly degrade mail service.

The Postal Service created ZIP Codes to support and enable delivery operations. ZIP Codes are generally based on the physical facility where local letter carriers deliver from. Legislated ZIP Code changes often overlook how ZIP Codes function and operational consequences. Instead, they focus on secondary considerations – tax collection, insurance rates, or community identity. Changing ZIP Codes by Congressional decree will force inefficient and costly operational changes – rerouting mail to different facilities; substantial changes to truck and carrier routes – at a time when we are working to improve our financial and service performance.

The Postal Service already works with local communities to resolve similar requests by allowing customers to use their preferred city name in combination with their existing ZIP Code. This ensures that third-party use of ZIP Codes does not disrupt mail service, while resolving nearly all of the requests of local communities.

Providing consistent, reliable mail delivery will be more difficult if lawmakers dictate ZIP Codes without consideration for the implications on Postal operations and our customers. We stand ready to work with Congress to make it easier – not harder – to deliver the nation’s mail.

Sincerely,

David Guiney
District Manager, Florida 3 District
United States Postal Service