{ "id": "RL33488", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL33488", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 378481, "date": "2011-02-02", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T22:09:33.880063", "title": "Changing Postal ZIP Code Boundaries", "summary": "The 112th Congress may address issues related to the application and modification of ZIP Codes. This report assists members in addressing concerns about the use of ZIP Codes as well as offers an overview of the boundary review process that can lead to changes in ZIP Code assignment.\nSince the ZIP Code system for identifying address locations was devised in the 1960s, some citizens have wanted to change the ZIP Codes to which their addresses have been assigned. Because ZIP Codes are often not aligned with municipal boundaries, millions of Americans have mailing addresses in neighboring jurisdictions. The result can be higher insurance rates, confusion in voter registration, misdirected property and sales tax revenues for municipalities, and changes in property values. Some communities that lack delivery post offices complain that the need to use mailing addresses of adjacent areas robs them of a community identity.\nBecause ZIP Codes are the cornerstone of the U.S. Postal Service\u2019s (USPS\u2019s) mail distribution system, USPS has long resisted changing them for any reason other than to improve the efficiency of delivery. Frustrated citizens frequently have turned to members of Congress for assistance in altering ZIP Code boundaries. In the 101st Congress, a House subcommittee heard testimony from members, city officials, and the General Accounting Office (GAO, now the Government Accountability Office) that USPS routinely denied local requests for adjusting ZIP Code boundaries.\nSince then, USPS has developed a \u201cZIP Code Boundary Review Process\u201d that promises \u201cevery reasonable effort\u201d to consider and, if possible, accommodate municipal requests to modify the last lines of an acceptable address or modify ZIP Code boundaries. The process places responsibility on district managers, rather than local postmasters, to review requests for boundary adjustments, to evaluate costs and benefits of alternative solutions to identified problems, and to provide decisions within 60 days. If a district manager rejects the request, the process provides for an appeal to the manager of delivery at USPS headquarters, where a review based on whether or not a \u201creasonable accommodation\u201d was made is to be provided within 60 days.\nThe boundary review process enhances the possibility of accommodating communities that desire ZIP Code changes. One accommodation that can often be made is to allow the use of more than one city name in the last line of an address, while retaining the ZIP Code number of the delivery post office. This can help with community identity problems, though not with problems such as insurance rates or tax remittances that are determined by ZIP Code.\nA congressional constituent desiring a ZIP Code accommodation may not be aware of the boundary review process requirements. Any proposal for change must be submitted in writing to the district manager. The district manager is to work with the local postal managers, headquarters delivery, and headquarters Address Management System to evaluate the request and determine if an accommodation can be made.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33488", "sha1": "b4e59517d447985e9678cbaa67fce99fcf975cc8", "filename": "files/20110202_RL33488_b4e59517d447985e9678cbaa67fce99fcf975cc8.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33488", "sha1": "2f5ea9d8a250b28f5dfd608216f424f118add3af", "filename": "files/20110202_RL33488_2f5ea9d8a250b28f5dfd608216f424f118add3af.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc815639/", "id": "RL33488_2008May13", "date": "2008-05-13", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Changing Postal ZIP Code Boundaries", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080513_RL33488_da62d396654401c44e88718c13f456d64822c131.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080513_RL33488_da62d396654401c44e88718c13f456d64822c131.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs9447/", "id": "RL33488 2006-06-23", "date": "2006-06-23", "retrieved": "2006-12-05T12:21:18", "title": "Changing Postal ZIP Code Boundaries", "summary": "This report discusses the changing of ZIP Code system and the implications of such an action. The process places responsibility on district managers, rather than local postmasters, to review requests for boundary adjustment, to evaluate costs and benefits of alternative solutions to identified problems, and to provide a decision within 60 days.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060623_RL33488_ed202a6b1d6307bf84269c78d4220a67222e074f.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060623_RL33488_ed202a6b1d6307bf84269c78d4220a67222e074f.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Communications", "name": "Communications" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Zip code", "name": "Zip code" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Postal service", "name": "Postal service" } ] } ], "topics": [] }