The House passed two bills Monday night that would authorize the U.S. Postal Service to create 76 new ZIP codes for communities nationwide.
These bipartisan bills, led by Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO), could help smaller communities by speeding up mail delivery and emergency response times. Díaz-Balart‘s bill passed by voice vote, and Boebert’s legislation passed 278-121.
This is not the first proposed ZIP code upgrade. In December 2024, Boebert’s previous version of the ZIP code bill passed unanimously in the House. However, the bill lost momentum, and the Senate session ended before lawmakers could vote.
Boebert’s 2025 bill includes 17 more districts than her original plan, with eight other districts proposed by Díaz-Balart.
Both bills have bipartisan support, with 32 cosponsors, many of whom are from the affected districts. They hope to solve timeliness problems with updated ZIP codes.
Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) are cosponsoring a bill introduced in April in the Senate to establish new ZIP codes. There has been no movement on this bill yet.
However, despite bipartisan support, USPS told the Washington Examiner that it opposes the legislation due to high financial and operational costs. Prior to the bills moving to the House floor, USPS sent multiple letters to House members stating that the legislation “would harm delivery service rather than improve it.”
“These changes to ZIP Codes would significantly degrade mail service in the affected communities and cause pervasive, chaotic service disruptions in the communities affected, and some around them,” Martha Johnson, a senior public relations representative at USPS, said.
Why are ZIP codes important?
The ZIP code system was implemented in the United States in the 1960s. While the Postal Service utilizes it to deliver mail, economic developers, insurers, and emergency personnel also rely heavily on ZIP codes.
Boebert’s office told the Washington Examiner that first responders have slower response times in the affected areas, businesses go through the wrong city or town for permitting, sales tax revenue from online sales is miscalculated, and mail gets to residents slower.
“Residents in these communities will see clear benefits through a unique ZIP code for their town, from more of their tax revenue staying and benefiting their communities to improving the response times of first responders, which could save lives and reduce crime,” Boebert said in a press release. “We haven’t had an updated ZIP code bill pass through Congress in almost two decades.”
In 2006, former Rep. Tom Davis’s (R-VA) “Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act” became a law, requiring the USPS to assign new ZIP codes to four communities in Ohio, South Carolina, and California.
If a town or community is experiencing ZIP code problems, it can petition the USPS for a new code, but those are rarely approved. If the petition is denied, the community cannot appeal the decision for up to 10 years.
In the past nine years, Díaz-Balart has proposed five provisions for new ZIP codes, but none have passed in the Senate. He said in a press release that the problem is long overdue, and is “affecting funding for vulnerable populations like seniors,” creating inaccurate census data, and confusing voters at election polls due to “unclear precinct assignments.”
Boebert’s proposal: H.R. 3095
Boebert’s bill proposes 68 new ZIP codes to help small communities gain more representation. The areas that would get a new ZIP code are:
California: Canyon Lake, Hidden Hills, Industry, North Tustin, and Tehachapi.
Colorado: Castle Pines, Centennial, Cherry Hills Village, Frederick, Greenwood Village, Highlands Ranch, Keystone, Lone Tree, Mountain Village, Mt. Crested Butte, Severance, Silver Cliff, Sterling Ranch, Superior, and Telluride.
Florida: Hollywood, Oakland Park, Lighthouse Point, Coconut Creek, Parkland, Deerfield Beach, and Wilton Manors.
Illinois: Burr Ridge.
Indiana: Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield, and Zionsville.
Kentucky: Camargo.
Louisiana: Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge), and Montz.
Minnesota: Quartzite Township and Springwater Township.
Nevada: Grass Valley.
New Hampshire: Swanzey.
New Jersey: Kinnelon.
New York: Flanders, Glendale, Riverside, Pendleton, and Wheatfield.
North Carolina: Harnett County and Weddington.
Ohio: Green.
Oklahoma: Hochatown.
South Carolina: Goose Creek and Mauldin.
Texas: Fairview, Fate, Heath, Josephine, Murphy, Northlake, Parker, and Sargent.
Virginia: Fairlawn.
Wisconsin: Caledonia, Franklin, Glendale, Greenfield, Rochester, Village of Mount Pleasant, Village of Somers, and Village of Harrison.
Díaz-Balart’s proposal: H.R. 672
In Díaz-Balart’s bill, he proposes that USPS designate ZIP codes for eight communities:
Eastvale, California; Scotland, Connecticut; Cooper City, Florida; Miami Lakes, Florida; Ocoee, Florida; Village of Estero, Florida; Urbandale, Iowa; Mills, Wyoming.
“This situation is unacceptable. Now well over two decades after its incorporation into Miami-Dade County, it is long past time for Miami Lakes to receive its own unique ZIP code,” Diaz-Balart said in a press release. “I remain steadfast in my efforts to support the people of Miami Lakes and to improve their quality of life.”
What does this mean for the communities?
If these bills pass, the affected areas will hopefully see less “confusion” in the postal system and more community relief. USPS would have 270 days to create and implement the codes.
One small community in Colorado, Lone Tree, has mentioned to Boebert that sharing a ZIP code with a neighboring town has cost them tax revenue, and this legislation could combat that.
“For far too long, Glendale has struggled with postal confusion, being split among three different ZIP Codes that all default to ‘Milwaukee’ in mailing system databases,” Mayor Bryan Kennedy said in a statement. “This has caused serious issues for our residents, businesses, and emergency services—especially with delays in delivery of absentee ballots, utility bill payments, and property tax payments. HR 3095 provides a long-overdue fix by directing the USPS to assign a unique ZIP Code to cities like ours that have formally petitioned for clarity.”
Kennedy also said this legislation will help towns like Glendale, Wisconsin, reduce mail delivery errors, eliminate confusion in sales tax and car insurance, and ultimately protect local economies.
“It may not be an issue that draws headlines, but zip code reform is a topic I continue to be passionate about because it impacts the daily lives of so many small-town residents in the 4th District and beyond,” Boebert said in a statement.
USPS OPPOSES BIPARTISAN ZIP CODE LEGISLATION: ‘WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY DEGRADE MAIL SERVICE’
While House members claim it will help small communities with mail delivery times, USPS said these pieces of legislation are motivated by “third-party reliance on ZIP Codes, such as for tax collection, insurance rates, community identity or other non-mail considerations.”
After passage in the House, the ZIP code bills now go to the Senate.
