Summary — H.R. 1431 (Introduced)
Title: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2407 State Route 71, Suite 1, in Spring Lake, New Jersey, as the "James J. Howard Post Office"
Purpose
H.R. 1431 is an honorific bill that designates a specific United States Postal Service (USPS) facility in Spring Lake, New Jersey, by the name "James J. Howard Post Office." The bill formally changes the official name of the facility and provides that references to the facility in federal laws, maps, regulations, and records will be treated as references to the new name.
Key provisions
- Designation: The USPS facility at 2407 State Route 71, Suite 1, Spring Lake, NJ, is to be known and designated as the "James J. Howard Post Office." (Text at subsection (a))
- Legal references: Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, or other United States record to that facility shall be deemed to be a reference to the James J. Howard Post Office. (Text at subsection (b))
- No substantive policy, funding, or operational changes are proposed; the bill is limited to naming/renaming and conformity of references.
Who is affected
- The change is primarily ceremonial/administrative. It affects:
- The named postal facility (signage, official references).
- Federal records, maps, regulations, and documents that reference that facility (they would be deemed to refer to the new name).
- The Spring Lake community and constituents who may use or refer to the post office.
- The bill does not alter USPS operations, funding, personnel, mail service, or regulatory authority.
Sponsors
Primary sponsor:
- Rep. Frank Pallone
Cosponsors include:
- LaMonica McIver, Christopher H. Smith, Nellie Pou, Josh Gottheimer, Robert Menendez, Jefferson Van Drew, Donald Norcross, Mikie Sherrill, Bonnie Watson Coleman
Procedural status and timeline
- Introduced in House: February 18, 2025 (filed May 28, 2025 per docket)
- Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: February 18, 2025
- Placed on Local & Consent Calendars and Congratulatory & Memorial Resolutions Calendar: May 29–30, 2025
- House actions (June 1, 2025): Laid before the House; adopted; non-record vote recorded in Journal; reported enrolled
- Next steps (typical): Sent to the Senate for consideration; if passed by the Senate and signed by the President, the designation would become law.
Impact summary
This is an honorific designation with symbolic and administrative effects (name change, updates to records and signage). It does not appropriate funds or change USPS service or regulatory policy.
