Courtney Applauds House Passage of His Bill to Give Scotland, CT A Single ZIP Code
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the bipartisan H.R. 672, which included Rep. Joe Courtney’s provision to mandate the U.S. Postal Service assign Scotland, Connecticut a single, unique ZIP Code. The vote comes after Courtney urged his colleagues to support the measure in a floor speech this afternoon.
Scotland has a population of just under 1,600 and only 625 residencies, but six ZIP Codes. In a letter to Congress, Scotland First Selectman Dana Barrow Jr. described the difficulties Town residents face due to the high number of zip codes, including misplaced packages, difficulty requesting mail-in ballots, paying taxes to the wrong town, and sending students to the wrong schools.
“The people of Scotland face the serious consequences of having six ZIP Codes for a town of less than 1,600 people. Delivery of Social Security notices and checks, Medicaid information, prescription medications, and absentee ballot applications are disrupted day in day out. Residents have paid their taxes to the wrong town and sent their children to the wrong school. Town leaders and my office have worked for years, alongside Senator Chris Murphy, to fix this dysfunctional system that is completely self-inflicted by unacceptable disorganization at the Post Office. Thankfully, with House passage of H.R. 672 directing the USPS to move Scotland into one unifying ZIP code, Congress is delivering a commonsense solution. Last Congress, we got our bill passed through the House, but with only a few months of lead time, the bill ran out of calendar days for a Senate vote in the 118th Congress. Now, with House passage completed early in the 119th Congress, we have 17 months of runway. I urge the Senate to pass H.R. 672 and get it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
In a letter to Congress, Scotland First Selectman Dana Barrow Jr. voiced strong support for H.R. 672:
“As the First Selectman of Scotland, Connecticut, I write to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in support of legislation that will designate a single, unique ZIP Code for our town, including through Rep. Mario Diaz Balart’s H.R. 672 which is also supported by our town’s representative in the US House, Congressman Joe Courtney.” Read the full letter here.
Last Congress, Rep. Courtney and Sen. Murphy joined forces to introduce a bicameral bill to fix the ZIP Code problem. The House passed a measure that incorporated their bill, but it was not taken up in the Senate. In May, Rep. Courtney’s provision was approved by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform as part the bipartisan package, H.R. 672. Now, the bill heads to the Senate.
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