119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 8491
This bill directs the U.S. Postal Service to study whether it can create a program to send electronic weather and delivery alerts to customers through its existing Informed Delivery platform. The study must be completed within one year and should examine how to expand customer enrollment in the platform, what messages to send, and how to distribute them. Alerts would notify customers about mail delivery delays caused by bad weather or natural disasters, postal location closures or reduced hours, and reminders to clear walkways for mail carriers. After submitting the report to Congress, the Postal Service may begin operating such a program. The bill allows the Postal Service to use customer contact information like names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers for this purpose without violating the Privacy Act of 1974.