[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9229 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9229

 To provide free post office boxes to individuals who are unhoused or 
       experiencing housing instability, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2024

   Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Norton, Mr. Jackson of 
 Illinois, Mr. Carson, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Ms. Lee of California, 
    Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Cardenas, Mr. Evans, and Ms. Scanlon) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                      Oversight and Accountability

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide free post office boxes to individuals who are unhoused or 
       experiencing housing instability, 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 ``Mail Accessibility and Inclusion for 
Low-Income Families Act'' or the ``MAIL Act''.

SEC. 2. POST OFFICE BOXES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNHOUSED OR 
              EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSTABILITY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the United States Postal Service shall issue 
regulations providing that an unhoused or housing unstable individual 
is eligible for a post office box without any fees if such unhoused or 
housing unstable individual submits to the Postmaster General, at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Postmaster 
General determines appropriate, proof that the annual income of such 
unhoused or housing unstable individual does not exceed the poverty 
line, as established by the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget and revised by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in 
accordance with section 9902(2) of title 42, United States Code, or 
that such unhoused or housing unstable individual is one of the 
following:
            (1) An individual receiving assistance under a State 
        program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
            (2) Receiving housing assistance or benefits under any 
        Federal program for assistance for rental housing, including--
                    (A) the programs for rental assistance under 
                section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 
                U.S.C. 1437f), including the housing choice voucher 
                program and the program for project-based voucher 
                assistance;
                    (B) the public housing program under such Act;
                    (C) the program for supportive housing for elderly 
                persons under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 
                (12 U.S.C. 1701q);
                    (D) the program for supportive housing for persons 
                with disabilities under section 811 of the Cranston-
                Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 
                8013); and
                    (E) the programs for rural housing under title V of 
                the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.).
            (3) Enrolled in the Medicaid program under title XIX of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
            (4) A member of a household receiving assistance under the 
        supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the 
        Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
            (5) Enrolled in the special supplemental nutrition program 
        for women, infants, and children established under section 17 
        of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
    (b) Unhoused or Housing Unstable Individual Defined.--In this 
section, the term ``unhoused or housing unstable individual'' means an 
individual who is--
            (1) homeless (as defined in section 103 of the McKinney-
        Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302)); or
            (2) at risk of homelessness (as defined in section 401 of 
        such Act (42 U.S.C. 11360)).
    (c) Reimbursement of Forgone Revenue.--Section 2401(c) of title 39, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting ``and section 2 of the MAIL 
Act'' after ``3406''.

SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND REPORTS.

    (a) Implementation Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Postmaster General shall submit to the 
Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate, and the Committees on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate a plan for carrying out this 
Act.
    (b) Progress Reports.--Not later five years after the date on which 
Postmaster General submits the plan required under subsection (a), and 
every five years thereafter, the Postmaster General shall submit to the 
committees described in such subsection a report on the provision of 
post office boxes to unhoused or housing unstable individuals (as 
defined in section 2) pursuant to this Act.
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