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HR 8491
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Postal Alert and Weather Preparedness Act

To direct the United States Postal Service to conduct a study on the feasibility of carrying out a program to provide electronic notifications to Postal Service customers regarding weather and mail delivery, and for other purposes.

Introduced Apr 23, 2026

Latest action (Apr 23, 2026) Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Referred to
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Policy area
Government Operations and Politics

Summary

The Postal Alert and Weather Preparedness Act would direct the Postmaster General to conduct a feasibility study on using the Postal Service's Informed Delivery platform to send electronic notifications to customers regarding weather and mail delivery. The study would evaluate notifications about mail delivery delays due to weather, post office closures or limited operations, and reminders to clear walkways and mailboxes for carriers. The study would also assess methods to expand customer enrollment in the Informed Delivery platform and determine message delivery criteria and content. The Postal Service could implement such a program after submitting the study results to Congress.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Actions (2)
  1. Apr 23, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. · house
  2. Apr 23, 2026 Introduced in House

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • HR 9120 — To require the Postal Service to implement recommendations from the Inspector General of the United States Postal Service for improving identification and notification of undelivered and partially delivered routes, and for other purposes. · Introduced Jun 3, 2026 · Cong. 119 66%
  • S 4672 — Postal Delivery Accountability Act · Introduced Jun 3, 2026 · Cong. 119 64%
  • HR 3958 — To require the United States Postal Service to notify postal customers and relevant officials when operations are temporarily suspended at a post office, and for other purposes. · Introduced Jun 12, 2025 · Cong. 119 62%
  • HR 8599 — St. Louis Postal Accountability and Reform Act · Introduced Apr 30, 2026 · Cong. 119 62%
  • HR 765 — MAILS Act · Introduced Jan 28, 2025 · Cong. 119 61%
  • HR 9343 — Easy Access to Mail Act · Introduced Jun 18, 2026 · Cong. 119 60%

Full text

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 23, 2026

Ms. Scholten introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To direct the United States Postal Service to conduct a study on the feasibility of carrying out a program to provide electronic notifications to Postal Service customers regarding weather and mail delivery, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Postal Alert and Weather Preparedness Act”.

SEC. 2. FEASIBILITY STUDY ON PROGRAM TO SEND ELECTRONIC NOTIFICATIONS REGARDING WEATHER AND MAIL DELIVERY TO POSTAL SERVICE CUSTOMERS.

(a) Study and Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Postmaster General shall—

(1) conduct a study to evaluate the feasibility of carrying out a program, using the United States Postal Service’s informed delivery platform, under which the Postal Service may send electronic notifications to Postal Service customers regarding weather and mail delivery, including notifications—

(A) with respect to a delay in the delivery of mail as a result of inclement weather or natural disasters;

(B) that post offices and other Postal Service locations may be closed or operating with limited hours and staffing as a result of inclement weather or natural disasters; and

(C) that property owners and renters should clear walkways to their doors and mailboxes for mail carriers in the event of the accumulation of snow, sleet, ice, or debris; and

(2) submit a report on such study to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.

(b) Requirements.—In the study under subsection (a), the Postmaster General shall evaluate the following with respect to carrying out the program:

(1) Methods of how the Postal Service would expand the ability of Postal Service customers to be enrolled in the informed delivery platform.

(2) How electronic messages will be sent under the program, the criteria for sending messages and appropriate content of messages, and who will receive the message.

(c) Contact Information.—For purposes of subsection (b)(1)(B), the term “contact information” shall only include the name, mailing address, email address, or phone number of any Postal Service Customer.

(d) Program.—On or after the date the report is submitted to Congress under subsection (a)(2), the Postal Service may carry out the program described in such study.

(e) Application.—The Postal Service may carry out this Act notwithstanding section 552a of title 5, United States Code, (commonly known as the “Privacy Act of 1974”). <all>

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