{
  "id": "R41950",
  "type": "CRS Report",
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  "number": "R41950",
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      "id": 436763,
      "date": "2013-05-29",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:25:53.380968",
      "title": "The U.S. Postal Service: Common Questions About Post Office Closures",
      "summary": "In 2009 and 2011, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced initiatives to close post offices. Approximately 4,380 retail facilities in rural, suburban, and urban areas could have been closed. In May 2012, the agency apparently changed course. The USPS issued a plan to \u201cpreserve\u201d rural post offices; rather than closing these facilities, the USPS would reduce their operating hours. The agency did not, however, state whether it would continue to shutter post offices in non-rural areas, nor did it provide an estimate of how many post offices it needs to serve the public. Thus, how many post offices may be closed in the coming years remains unclear. At the end of FY2012, the USPS had 34,784 retail postal facilities\u20141,281 fewer than it had in FY2008.\nAt the time of the publication of this report, three bills in the 113th Congress carry provisions that address post offices and the public\u2019s access to retail postal services, including H.R. 630, H.R. 1016, and S. 316.\nColloquially, the term \u201cpost office\u201d often is employed to refer to any place where stamps are sold and postal services are provided by USPS employees. However, the USPS differentiates among several categories of postal facilities, including post offices, post office branches and stations, community post offices, and contract postal units. \nCongress long has permitted the USPS considerable discretion to decide how many post offices to erect and where to place them. Congress also requires the USPS to provide the public with access to retail postal services (e.g., sales of postage, parcel acceptance, etc.).\nBoth federal law and the USPS\u2019s rules prescribe a post office closure process, which takes at least 120 days. The USPS must notify the affected public and hold a 60-day comment period prior to closing a post office. Should the USPS decide to close a post office, the public has 30 days to appeal the decision to the Postal Regulatory Commission. Sixty days after it has made a closure decision, the USPS may shut down a post office.\nThis report will be updated to reflect significant developments.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc818683/",
      "id": "R41950_2012Jun13",
      "date": "2012-06-13",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "The U.S. Postal Service: Common Questions About Post Office Closures",
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