S. 3657 — Protect Postal Performance Act

This section revises limitations on Postal Service closures and consolidations of post offices under 39 U.S.C. §404(d) by (1) requiring a public hearing (in-person or virtual) during the existing 60-day notice period, publication of a hearing summary (including comments and support/opposition percentages) on the agency's website within 7 days thereafter, and delaying any closure or consolidation until 180 days after such publication; and (2) prohibiting closures or consolidations of any post office not located within 15 miles of another post office or that is the closest post office for a population of 15,000 individuals or more.

This section establishes restrictions on the United States Postal Service (USPS) regarding processing and distribution centers (PDCs)—central mail facilities that distribute incoming and outgoing mail for a service area—and local transportation optimization (LTO) and regional transportation optimization (RTO) efforts. Specifically, section 417 (1) prohibits USPS from closing, consolidating, downgrading, or taking similar actions at any PDC in a state if it would leave no PDC in a geographically non-contiguous region (i.e., physically separated by water or another state's land) of that state inhabited by more than 100,000 permanent residents; (2) requires a Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) advisory opinion under 39 U.S.C. §3661 before implementing changes to mail processing facilities (e.g., consolidations), to be issued within 120 business days for each affected PDC, with USPS required to publish a report on maintaining on-time delivery if the opinion finds slower service and to delay changes for 180 days after publication; (3) prohibits USPS from conducting the Mail Processing Facility Review (or successor) using federal funds; and (4) bars closures, consolidations, or relocations from PDCs in districts that failed on-time benchmarks in the prior year (93% for 2-day single-piece First-Class Mail and 90.3% for 3- to 5-day First-Class Mail). Section 418 (1) prohibits LTO and RTO efforts that reduce mail pickups or dropoffs at any post office; (2) requires a PRC opinion under 39 U.S.C. §3661 before changing post office schedules under LTO or RTO; and (3) bars nationwide LTO or RTO implementation if the PRC does not recommend the changes. (State includes the 50 states and District of Columbia.)