I 112th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 3744 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 20, 2011 Mr. Aderholt introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform A BILL To provide that the United States Postal Service shall maintain postal service to rural areas, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Rural Service Preservation Act.

2.

Continuation of rural mail delivery

For the 5-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this section, the United States Postal Service shall continue the rural delivery of mail at not less than the level provided as of such date.

3.

Employee buy-outs and rural post office closings

(a)

Buy-Outs

During the 5-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this section, not more than 10 percent of the total number of buy-outs offered (if any) by the Postal Service to Postal Service employees shall be made to such employees that work in rural post offices. (b)

Rural post office closings

During the 5-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this section, not more than 10 percent of the total number of the post offices closed or consolidated (if any) pursuant to section 404 of title 39, United States Code, shall be rural post offices. (c)

Definitions

For purposes of this section: (1)

Postal Service

The term Postal Service has the meaning given such term in section 102(1) of title 39, United States Code. (2)

Rural post office

(A)

In general

A post office shall be considered to be a rural post office if such post office is located in an area, as set forth in the most recent decennial census by the Bureau of the Census, which is located within a town, village, or city— (i)that has a population not exceeding 10,000 inhabitants; and (ii)is not contiguous or adjacent to a town, village, or city that has a population that is greater than 150,000 inhabitants or an urbanized area of such town, village, or city. (B)

Rule of construction

For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term urbanized area means a densely populated territory, as defined in the most recent decennial census by the Bureau of the Census.