[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 111 (Friday, August 7, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1608]]
           INTRODUCTION OF BILL TO ENSURE ZIP CODE ALLOCATION

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                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 6, 1998

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill, H.R. 4429, 
that would ensure fairness in Zip code allocation. This issue was 
brought to my attention by the ongoing plight of one city in my 
district--that of the city of Signal Hill. Signal Hill is a bustling 
community of over 9,000 residents located in Southern California, 
surrounded completely by the city of Long Beach. Unfortunately, this 
community's growth and economic expansion are hampered by the three way 
division of the city among Zip codes. While the issuance of five little 
numbers may not seem like a big deal to many of those in Washington, it 
is of paramount importance to this community back home.
  This division results in mail addressing and delivery problems and 
higher insurance rates for residents. It is unfair at best and 
inefficient at worst to punish residents of Signal Hill with 
unnecessarily high costs simply because the Postal Service mandated 
this division without any input from this active community. I have 
worked with the U.S. Postal Service to find a solution to this issue 
that benefits both parties, however I am afraid we have come to an 
impasse. The Postal Service refuses to allocate a unique Zip code to 
this city despite the overwhelming evidence that Signal Hill needs and 
deserves its own Zip code. The time has come for a new approach to this 
ongoing problem.
  I introduced H.R. 4429 which today would ensure that all cities like 
Signal Hill can count on efficient mail service and a distinct 
community identity. It says any city with a population of at least 
5,000 residents that is completely surrounded by another city would not 
have to share its Zip code with any other city. This legislation takes 
the politics out of Postal Service decisionmaking and institutes 
instead, a straightforward, fair system for Zip code allocation. H.R. 
4429 will put an end to years of delivery problems, community 
identification problems, and insurance rate problems. Simply put, an 
economically independent community shouldn't be forced to share its 
identity with any other city simply due to geography and the failure of 
the Postal Service to make the right decisions. The city of Signal Hill 
is a distinct and viable city and deserves to be recognized as such. 
The passage of H.R. 4429 will assure that.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the text of H.R. 4429 be printed at this 
point in the Record.

                               H.R. 4429

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ZIP CODE REQUIREMENT.

       (a) Requirement.--Effective 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, no ZIP code that is assigned to a city 
     (or portion of a city) that is completely surrounded by any 
     other city may also be assigned to any area outside of the 
     city so surrounded.
       (b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     ``city'' means any unit of general local government that is 
     classified as a city, town, or municipality by the Bureau of 
     the Census, and within the boundaries of which 5,000 or more 
     individuals reside.

     

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