Change of post office name a step closer

House passes bill to honor educator Hill; it is now with the Senate

The plan to rename a San Bernardino post office after the late educator Margaret Hill got one step closer this week.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed HR 1060, which was introduced by Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-san Bernardino. If approved by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden, it would rename the U.S. Post office at 1663 E. Date Place in San Bernardino after Hill.

Hill, a Black leader in the San Bernardino community and a longtime San Bernardino City Unified school board member, died in December 2021. Hill worked as a teacher, an assistant principal and a principal in San Bernardino City Unified schools from 1971 through 2003. She also wrote a column that appeared regularly in The Sun newspaper.

“Dr. Hill left such an incredible impact on our community, and so many of our residents have had their lives changed for the better because of her compassion, dedication and grace,” Aguilar said in a news release issued by his office. “The Senate acted swiftly on my Wounded Warriors Access Act last year, which was signed into law in November. I will continue advocating for this bill until it receives the president’s signature.”

In a congressional session on track to be one of the least productive in American history, Aguilar was one of only three Inland Empire lawmakers to get legislation passed in 2023. HR 1226 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide an online tool to make requests related to VA claims, records or benefits.

This is Aguilar’s second attempt to get the post office renamed after Hill. He previously introduced HR 6661 in February 2022, the previous session of Congress, but it was never voted on.