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S. 5070

MAIL Act

Shown here: Introduced in Senate (2026-07-22)

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

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Mail Accessibility and Inclusion for Low-Income Families Act” or the “MAIL Act”.

2. Post office boxes for individuals who are unhoused or experiencing housing instability

(a) Definitions

(1) Eligible individual

The term eligible individual means an unhoused or housing unstable individual—

(A) whose annual income 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;

(B) 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.);

(C) receiving housing assistance or benefits under any Federal program for assistance for rental housing, including—

(i) 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;

(ii) the public housing program under such Act;

(iii) the program for supportive housing for elderly persons under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q);

(iv) 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); or

(v) the programs for rural housing under title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.);

(D) enrolled in the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);

(E) who is 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.); or

(F) 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).

(2) Unhoused or housing unstable individual defined

In this section, the term unhoused or housing unstable individual means an individual who is—

(A) homeless (as defined in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302)); or

(B) at risk of homelessness (as defined in section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11360)).

(b) Availability of free post office boxes for eligible individuals

(1) In general

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the United States Postal Service shall issue regulations providing that an eligible individual may request and receive a post office box without any fees, subject to post office box availability, if the eligible individual submits to the appropriate local or regional Postmaster, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Postmaster General determines appropriate, proof of eligibility.

(2) Authority

The United States Postal Service shall have authority to procure additional post office boxes, as determined appropriate by the United States Postal Service, to carry out the regulations issued under paragraph (1).

(c) Reimbursement of forgone revenue

Section 2401 of title 39, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (e), (f), (g) and (h), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection:

(d) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Postal Service each year—
(1) a sum determined by the Postal Service to be equal to the difference between the revenues the Postal Service would have received if section 2 of the MAIL Act had not been enacted and the estimated revenues to be received in post office box fees under such section; and
(2) a sum equal to the additional funds expended in the acquisition, installation, maintenance, and provision of post office boxes as required by section 2 of the MAIL Act.

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(1) In general

There are authorized to be appropriated to the United States Postal Service for fiscal year 2027, and each fiscal year thereafter, to carry out the acquisition, installation, maintenance, and provision of additional post office boxes under this Act, the amount determined by the Postmaster General under paragraph (2).

(2) Amount

For each fiscal year, the Postmaster General shall determine, and shall submit to Congress for the acquisition, installation, maintenance, and provision of post office boxes a request for, the amount equal to—

(A) the revenues the United States Postal Service would normally have received for the rental of post office boxes provided under section 2 of the MAIL Act; and

(B) the cost of acquiring, installing, maintaining, and provisioning post office boxes as required by section 2 of the MAIL Act, including—

(i) any reconfiguration, retention or procurement of retail space as necessary to accommodate such post office boxes;

(ii) the purchase of equipment required to install and maintain such post office boxes; and

(iii) additional staffing or other labor costs arising from the installation, maintenance, and provision of such post office boxes.

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 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a plan for carrying out this Act.

(b) Progress reports

Not later 5 years after the date on which Postmaster General submits the plan required under subsection (a), and every 5 years thereafter, the Postmaster General shall submit to the committees described in that subsection a report on the provision of post office boxes to eligible individuals pursuant to this Act.

Workspace/Typeset/Bill

S. 5070

MAIL Act

Shown here: Introduced in Senate (2026-07-22)

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

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Mail Accessibility and Inclusion for Low-Income Families Act” or the “MAIL Act”.

2. Post office boxes for individuals who are unhoused or experiencing housing instability

(a) Definitions

(1) Eligible individual

The term eligible individual means an unhoused or housing unstable individual—

(B) 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.);

(C) receiving housing assistance or benefits under any Federal program for assistance for rental housing, including—

(ii) the public housing program under such Act;

(iii) the program for supportive housing for elderly persons under section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959 (12 U.S.C. 1701q);

(iv) 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); or

(v) the programs for rural housing under title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471 et seq.);

(D) enrolled in the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);

(E) who is 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.); or

(F) 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).

(2) Unhoused or housing unstable individual defined

In this section, the term unhoused or housing unstable individual means an individual who is—

(A) homeless (as defined in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302)); or

(B) at risk of homelessness (as defined in section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 11360)).

(b) Availability of free post office boxes for eligible individuals

(1) In general

(2) Authority

(c) Reimbursement of forgone revenue

Section 2401 of title 39, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (e), (f), (g) and (h), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsection:

(d) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Postal Service each year—
(1) a sum determined by the Postal Service to be equal to the difference between the revenues the Postal Service would have received if section 2 of the MAIL Act had not been enacted and the estimated revenues to be received in post office box fees under such section; and
(2) a sum equal to the additional funds expended in the acquisition, installation, maintenance, and provision of post office boxes as required by section 2 of the MAIL Act.

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(1) In general

(2) Amount

(A) the revenues the United States Postal Service would normally have received for the rental of post office boxes provided under section 2 of the MAIL Act; and

(B) the cost of acquiring, installing, maintaining, and provisioning post office boxes as required by section 2 of the MAIL Act, including—

(i) any reconfiguration, retention or procurement of retail space as necessary to accommodate such post office boxes;

(ii) the purchase of equipment required to install and maintain such post office boxes; and

(iii) additional staffing or other labor costs arising from the installation, maintenance, and provision of such post office boxes.