Congress Passes USPS Reform Bill That Could Bring Relief To The Baltimore Area

DUNDALK, Md. (WJZ) -- A long-awaited bill to fix the nation's deteriorating mail service has passed in both chambers of Congress. The Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 will shore up the U.S. Postal Service and ensure six-day-a-week mail delivery. 

It comes after many across the country and locally were seeing sporadic mail service. 

"It's like two days a week we'll get mail," said Frank Austin, a Dundalk resident. 

As WJZ has reported throughout the pandemic, many people in communities across the Baltimore area have received letters and packages much later than expected or only get mail a few days per week. 

"I got mail that should have been here on the first but it hasn't been here. I just got it yesterday," said John Wenck, who also lives in Dundalk. 

The bill would also require  USPS retirees to enroll in Medicare when they become eligible. 

The bill strips away an unusual requirement to pre-fund retirees' health care costs for the next 75 years, saving the agency 50 billion dollars. 

"What we thought to do was to take away that requirement and to mandate that employees enroll right into Medicare and to find a way also to use the savings to further enhance the things that the postal service has to do," said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. 

Congressman Mfume also said that there are strict enforcement mechanisms for that six-day delivery requirement. He believes postal customers will begin to see improvements gradually over the coming months, 

WJZ first told you over the summer about the USPS Inspector General launching an investigation that targeted the slowdown in mail delivery in Baltimore City and surrounding areas. 

The results of the audit, released last December, revealed a USPS hub in Baltimore is processing millions of fewer pieces of mail compared to last year, even though work hours and overtime have gone up significantly.

The bill also requires that the post office set up an online dashboard that allows customers to see how long it will take to deliver packages and mail based on zip code. 

The bill is next off to President Joe Biden's desk, and he is expected to sign it.