# 119-s-5070: MAIL Act

119-s-5070, MAIL Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-13).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5070
- As of: 2026-08-13
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5070
- Congress: 119
- Title: MAIL Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-07-22
- Sponsor: Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-08-13

## Summary

**Free post office boxes for unhoused and housing-unstable people** is the central goal of the MAIL Act. The bill would tie eligibility to low income or enrollment in programs like Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, Section 8, and public housing and would authorize federal payments to reimburse the Postal Service for lost box fees and costs. - Families and individuals: Unhoused and housing-unstable people who meet income or program criteria could get a free post office box, subject to box availability. Eligibility links to the poverty line or participation in specific federal, state, or local assistance programs. - Postal Service operations: USPS would be reimbursed via annual appropriations for lost box revenue and for extra costs such as buying and installing boxes, retail reconfiguration, equipment, and additional staffing. Appropriations are set to begin in fiscal year 2027 and continue each year thereafter. - Oversight and implementation: The Postmaster General would need to submit an implementation plan within 180 days and then report on box provision every 5 years. *Would increase federal spending by authorizing annual appropriations to reimburse the Postal Service for forgone box fees and related costs.*

## Provisions PRIA read

- Money to reimburse Postal Service: benefit, high. If enacted, beginning in fiscal year 2027 and each year after, the Postmaster General would calculate and submit to Congress an annual funding request equal to lost PO box rental revenue plus the costs to acquire, install, maintain, provision, and staff the boxes. Congress would need to appropriate…
- Free PO boxes for unhoused: benefit, low. If enacted, the Postal Service would provide free post office boxes to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. You would qualify if you are unhoused or housing‑unstable (McKinney‑Vento definitions) and meet at least one test: income at or below the federal poverty line; state TANF (titl…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026
- 119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-5070 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5070)

## Related
- [119-s-4949: Water Resources Development Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4949)
- [119-s-2838: Protecting Our Democracy Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2838)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1507)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5070 (as of 2026-08-13).