CIPZIP Act of 2025

(a) Definitions. In this section:

(1) Financial costs. The term financial costs means the direct and indirect costs imposed on the Postal Service attributable to implementing a ZIP code modification through reliably identified causal relationships.

(2) Local government. The term local government has the meaning given that term in section 3702 of title 39, United States Code.

(3) Postal Service. The term Postal Service means the United States Postal Service.

(4) ZIP code. The term ZIP code means the multi-digit nationwide standardized mail code used to identify delivery areas for postal operations that the Postal Service has developed and maintained under the Zone Improvement Plan.

(b) ZIP code modification requests

(1) In general. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Postal Service shall establish and make public an administrative process for considering State, local, and Tribal government requests to modify a ZIP code for an area subject to their jurisdiction by—

(A) amending or altering existing ZIP code boundaries; or

(B) establishing new ZIP codes.

(2) Process

(A) Criteria. The administrative process established under paragraph (1) shall include criteria for the consideration of each request to modify a ZIP code that must include—

(i) the feasibility and impact of the requested ZIP code modification on the operations and network, including mail service;

(ii) financial costs to the Postal Service; and

(iii) an assessment of the foreseeable need for future changes to mailing addresses.

(B) Decisions. The administrative process established under paragraph (1) shall—

(i) permit the Postal Service to consider any ZIP code modification and to implement the appropriate modification to a ZIP code; and

(ii) ensure that a State, local, or Tribal government submitting a request to modify a ZIP code is provided with a written rationale as part of any denial of the request, including whether financial costs to the Postal Service was a factor and, if so, the estimated cost to the Postal Service.

(C) Designated public contact. The administrative process established under paragraph (1) shall require the Postal Service to designate a specific individual who shall act as the point of contact for a State, local, or Tribal government submitting a request to modify a ZIP code.

(D) Resubmission. The administrative process established under paragraph (1) shall—

(i) prohibit a State, local, or Tribal government from submitting an identical or substantially similar request to modify a ZIP code for a period of 5 years from the date that a denial of the original request is communicated to the State, local, or Tribal government;

(ii) not limit the ability of a State, local, or Tribal government to submit an alternative request to modify a ZIP code after a denial of the original request; and

(iii) permit any State, local, or Tribal government that was denied a requested ZIP code modification during the 10-year period immediately preceding the date of enactment of this Act to resubmit such request, regardless of whether the request is substantially the same as the denied original request.

(E) Appeals. Should a request to modify a ZIP code be denied, the administrative process under paragraph (1) shall—

(i) include procedures for an appeals process for the State, local, or Tribal government submitting the request;

(ii) require any appeal to be submitted on or before the date that is 45 days after the issuance of the denial of the request; and

(iii) only allow 1 appeal per request.