Bill Overview
Title: To provide States with the authority to name post offices located in the State, and for other purposes.
Description: This bill provides states with the authority to name post offices located in the state. The bill makes exceptions with respect to federally named post offices.
Sponsors: Rep. Rosendale Sr., Matthew M. [R-MT-At Large]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals who receive services from state-named post offices
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The bill allows states to name post offices located within their borders, impacting the naming process of these buildings.
- The primary entities directly affected by this legislation are state governments and postal service entities within those states as they will handle naming responsibilities.
- Individuals could be indirectly impacted by changes in post office names if they are accustomed to a particular name.
- Federally named post offices remain unaffected, limiting the scope of this impact.
Reasoning
- The impact of changing the naming authority from federal to state level for post offices is primarily administrative. It influences entities responsible for the process rather than the general public.
- A post office's name is largely symbolic, and while it may hold historical or cultural significance, the functional impact on individual users is negligible.
- Budget considerations suggest the policy's financial implications are more related to procedural changes at the state administration level rather than affecting individual well-being directly.
- Given the vast scale of the U.S. population, the scope of direct impact is limited to those working in state governments and postal administration.
- Potential indirect effects on individuals would mostly be psychological, related to attachment to names, but these are unlikely to change Cantril wellbeing scores significantly.
Simulated Interviews
Post Office Manager (Austin, Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't think the name change affects our daily operations, but it's a headache to update all the signs and systems.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Graphic Designer (New York, New York)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A post office's name change won't affect how I use their services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Retired Teacher (Sacramento, California)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If they change the name, I might forget it was renamed, but it doesn’t impact my well-being.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
History enthusiast (Charleston, South Carolina)
Age: 29 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Changing historical names feels like losing part of our heritage, but it doesn't affect my day-to-day life.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
State Government Employee (Phoenix, Arizona)
Age: 53 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will affect our workload but isn't especially burdensome.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Postal Clerk (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We have to explain the name changes to customers, but it's part of the job.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Real Estate Agent (Boulder, Colorado)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A name change doesn't matter as long as the location stays the same.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Genealogist (Miami, Florida)
Age: 59 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Consistency in post office names is helpful, but I can adapt if they change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
College Student (Richmond, Virginia)
Age: 18 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I care more about receiving my mail on time than the name on the post office.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Cultural Activist (Albany, New York)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Naming can be an important cultural reference, so it should be handled sensitively.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $7000000)
Year 2: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $2500000)
Year 3: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $1500000)
Year 5: $500000 (Low: $300000, High: $700000)
Year 10: $100000 (Low: $50000, High: $150000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- State governments will need to coordinate with postal service officials to implement name changes, considering local historical and cultural factors in name choices.
- Potential minimal public confusion or delay in service expected initially from name changes, which could be mitigated by effective public communication and app-based mapping updates.
- Transitional impact items include updating records systems, databases, and signage to reflect new names.