Service Standards for Destination Sectional Center Facility Rate Standard Mail, 376-378 [2013-31442]
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376
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 2 / Friday, January 3, 2014 / Proposed Rules
9.2.6 Postage Affixed to Business
Reply Mail
[Revise the seventh sentence of 9.2.6
to read as follows:]
* * * A charge of $50.00 per hour, or
fraction thereof, is assessed for the
workhours used to process the credit or
refund. * * *
*
*
*
*
*
9.3.2 General Standards for Metered
Indicia Refunds
* * * For both types of unused
metered indicia, submit refund requests
as follows:
*
*
*
*
*
b. * * * Charges for processing a
refund request for unused, dated meter
indicia are as follows, depending on the
total face value of the indicia:
[Revise 9.3.2b1 and 9.3.2b2 to read as
follows:]
1. When the total face value of the
indicia is $500.00 or less, the amount
refunded is 90% of the face value. USPS
may process the refund payment via a
no-fee postal money order; or
2. When the total face value of the
indicia is more than $500.00, the
amount refunded is the total face value
reduced by $50.00 per hour for the
USPS time to process the refund, with
a minimum charge of $50.00. The
charge is $50.00 for each hour spent,
with the last fraction of an hour treated
as a full hour. Payment processing for
refunds of $500.01 or more is through
the Accounting Service Center.
*
*
*
*
*
We will publish an appropriate
amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to reflect
these changes if our proposal is
adopted.
*
*
*
*
*
Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2013–31443 Filed 1–2–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 121
Service Standards for Destination
Sectional Center Facility Rate Standard
Mail
Postal ServiceTM.
Proposed rule
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Postal Service seeks
public comment on proposed revisions
to the service standards for Standard
Mail that is eligible for Destination
Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) rates.
The revisions would change the service
standard (a) from three days to four days
SUMMARY:
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16:05 Jan 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
for Standard Mail pieces that are eligible
for a DSCF rate and that are properly
accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time on a Friday or Saturday, and
(b) from four days to five days for DSCF
Standard Mail properly accepted at the
SCF in San Juan, Puerto Rico and
destined to the United States Virgin
Islands, and properly accepted DSCF
Standard Mail destined to American
Samoa.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before February 3, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be mailed to the Manager, Industry
Engagement and Outreach, United
States Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza
SW., Room 4107, Washington, DC
20260–4107, or transmitted by email to
industryfeedback@usps.com. Copies of
all comments will be available for
inspection and photocopying at the
Postal Service Headquarters Library, 475
L’Enfant Plaza SW., 11th Floor North,
Washington, DC 20260, between 9 a.m.
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, by
appointment (please call 202–268–5585
to schedule an appointment).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anthony Frost, Industry Engagement
and Outreach, at 202–268–8093; or
Prathmesh Shah, Processing and
Distribution Center Operations, at 404–
792–3195.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
Standard Mail may include any
mailable matter weighing less than 16
ounces that is not otherwise required to
be mailed as First-Class Mail or
Periodicals mail. Of the Standard Mail
products, High Density and Saturation
Letters, High Density and Saturation
Flats/Parcels, Carrier Route, Letters,
Flats, and Parcels are eligible for the
DSCF rate, provided that the mail meets
the standards for such a rate.1 Among
other requirements, to qualify for a
DSCF rate, a mailing must contain at
least 200 addressed pieces or 50 pounds
of addressed pieces; 2 mailers must
make an appointment to deposit DSCF
Standard Mail; 3 and mail must be
prepared and delivered in a specific
manner.4 DSCF Standard Mail primarily
consists of direct mail letters, catalogs,
flyers, and other advertising mail.
Currently, DSCF Standard Mail has a
3-day service standard.5 Monday is the
1 (Draft) Mail Classification Schedule secs.
1200.1(a) and 1200.2, revised December 5, 2013.
2 Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 246.2.2(a).
3 DMM 246.2.6.3.
4 DMM 246.4.0.
5 39 CFR 121.3(b)(2). DSCF Standard Mail that is
dropped at the SCF in Puerto Rico and destined to
the U.S. Virgin Islands, or mail destined to
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
expected delivery date for the DSCF
Standard Mail entered on Thursday and
Friday, which are two of the three
heaviest days for acceptance of such
mail. Moreover, in Fiscal Year 2013,
DSCF Standard Mail comprised 62
percent of Standard Mail volume and 32
percent of overall mail volume.
Accordingly, DSCF Standard Mail has a
significant impact on processing and
delivery operations through which it
passes.
The Postal Service faces an uneven
workload for postal delivery operations
and extraordinary allocations of
resources to meet Monday delivery
expectations, based on current service
standards. Specifically, the high volume
of Standard Mail with a service standard
that creates a Monday delivery
expectation contributes to the
significant challenge faced by the Postal
Service in seeking to achieve efficient
and timely completion of delivery
operations on Monday, and to make
dispatch of collection mail picked up by
carriers to mail processing plants for
timely cancellation. This general
imbalance in the proportion of volume
with a Monday delivery expectation
contributes significantly to increased
overtime workhours in delivery
operations at a time when the Postal
Service is faced with increased costs
while revenues decline as a result of the
overall reduction in mail volumes.
The Postal Service seeks to address
these issues by proposing an adjustment
to the service standard applicable to
DSCF Standard Mail entered on
designated days of the week. Realization
of a more balanced distribution of DSCF
Standard Mail across delivery days
requires a modification to the current
service standards for that mail.
Accordingly, the Postal Service is
exploring a proposal (the Proposal) to
revise service standards applicable to
DSCF Standard Mail that is entered on
a Friday or Saturday. The Proposal
would change the delivery day for DSCF
Standard Mail accepted on Friday and
Saturday. DSCF Standard Mail that is
accepted before the Critical Entry Time
(CET) on Friday will have a Tuesday
delivery expectation, rather than
Monday. DSCF Standard Mail that is
accepted before the CET on Saturday
will have a Wednesday delivery
expectation, rather than Tuesday. The
proposed changes will apply to DSCF
Standard Mail that is dropped at the
SCF in Puerto Rico and destined to the
American Samoa has a 4-day service standard. 39
CFR 121.3(b)(3). The proposed changes will also
apply to the service standard for mail that is
dropped at the SCF in Puerto Rico and destined to
the U.S. Virgin Islands, and mail that is destined
to American Samoa.
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03JAP1
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 2 / Friday, January 3, 2014 / Proposed Rules
U.S. Virgin Islands, or mail destined to
American Samoa, which currently has a
4-day service standard and would have
a 5-day service standard under the
Proposal. By adjusting the processing
and delivery of DSCF Standard Mail
accepted on Friday and Saturday, the
Postal Service seeks to achieve a more
even distribution of mail volume
delivered throughout the week.6
Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3661(b), the Postal
Service has also requested an advisory
opinion from the Postal Regulatory
Commission regarding these changes in
the nature of DSCF Standard Mail
service.7
II. Proposed Revisions to Service
Standards
Before describing how service
standards will be revised, it is important
to explain how service standards are
structured. Service standards are
comprised of two components: (1) A
delivery day range within which all
mail in a given product is expected to
be delivered; and (2) business rules that
determine, within a product’s
applicable day range, the specific
number of delivery days after
acceptance of a mail piece by which a
customer can expect that piece to be
delivered, based on the 3-digit ZIP Code
prefixes associated with the piece’s
point of entry into the mail stream and
its delivery address.
Business rules are based on the CET.
The CET is the latest time on a
particular day that a mail piece can be
entered into the postal network and still
have its service standard calculated
based on that day (this day is termed
‘‘day-zero’’). In other words, if a mail
piece is entered before the CET, the mail
piece’s service standard is calculated
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
6 Under the proposed schedule, Wednesday
becomes the expected delivery date for DSCF
Standard Mail entered on both Saturday and
Sunday. Due to the relatively small volume of mail
accepted on Saturdays and Sundays, the Postal
Service does not believe that the Proposal will
present a challenge regarding the ability to more
evenly distribute mail volume throughout the week.
7 Request of the United States Postal Service for
an Advisory Opinion on Changes in the Nature of
Postal Services, Docket No. N2014–1 (Dec. 27,
2013). Documents pertaining to the Request are
available at the Postal Regulatory Commission
(PRC) Web site, https://www.prc.gov, under Docket
No. N2014–1.
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16:05 Jan 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
from the day of entry, whereas if the
mail piece is entered after the CET, its
service standard is calculated from the
following day. For example, if the
applicable CET is 4:00 p.m., and a letter
is entered at 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, its
service standard will be calculated from
Tuesday, whereas if the letter is entered
at 5:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, its service
standard will be calculated from
Wednesday.
The Postal Service is proposing to
revise the Standard Mail service
standards for pieces that qualify for a
DSCF rate and are accepted before the
day zero CET at the proper DSCF on
Friday or Saturday, to enable a more
balanced distribution of Standard Mail
volume across delivery days. For these
Standard Mail pieces entered on Friday
or Saturday at the DSCF rate, the Postal
Service is proposing to change the
current three-day delivery expectation
to a four-day delivery expectation. And
for pieces entered at the SCF in San
Juan, PR and destined for the U.S.
Virgin Islands, as well as all DSCF entry
pieces destined for American Samoa,
the delivery expectation for pieces
entered on Friday or Saturday would
change from four days to five days.
The Postal Service is not proposing
any other revisions to its service
standards in this notice.
III. Request for Comments
Although exempt from the notice and
comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act [5 U.S.C.
553(b), (c)] regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the
Postal Service invites public comment
on the proposed revisions to 39 CFR
part 121 and on the Proposal generally.
A more extensive discussion of the
Proposal and its associated operational
and service implications is available in
the materials filed by the Postal Service
with the Postal Regulatory Commission
in Docket No. N2014–1, available at
https://www.prc.gov. If the Postal Service
determines to implement the Proposal,
it will publish a final rule in the Federal
Register.
Accordingly, for the reasons stated,
the Postal Service proposes the
following amendment to 39 CFR part
121:
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PART 121—SERVICE STANDARDS
FOR MARKET DOMINANT MAIL
PRODUCTS
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR
part 121 continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404,
1001, 3691.
2. In part 121, revise § 121.3
paragraph (b)(2) and (b)(3) to read as
follows:
■
PART 121—SERVICE STANDARDS
FOR MARKET-DOMINANT MAIL
PRODUCTS
*
*
§ 121.3
*
*
*
Standard Mail.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) * * *
(2) Standard Mail pieces that qualify
for a DSCF rate and that are accepted
before the day-zero Critical Entry Time
at the proper DSCF have a 3-day service
standard when accepted on Sunday
through Thursday and a 4-day service
standard when accepted on Friday or
Saturday, except for mail dropped at the
SCF in the territory of Puerto Rico and
destined to the territory of the U.S.
Virgin Islands, or mail destined to
American Samoa.
(3) Standard Mail pieces that qualify
for a Destination Sectional Center
Facility (DSCF) rate and that are
accepted before the day zero Critical
Entry Time at the SCF in the territory
of Puerto Rico and destined for the
territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, or
are destined to American Samoa, have
a 4-day service standard when accepted
on Sunday through Thursday and a 5day service standard when accepted on
Friday or Saturday.
*
*
*
*
*
■ 3. In Appendix A to part 121, revise
Tables 5 and 6 to read as follows:
Appendix A to Part 121—Tables
Depicting Service Standard Day Ranges
The following tables reflect the service
standard day ranges resulting from the
application of the business rules applicable
to the market-dominant mail products
referenced in §§ 121.1 through 121.4:
*
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*
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378
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 2 / Friday, January 3, 2014 / Proposed Rules
TABLE 5—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE STANDARD DAY RANGES FOR MAIL TO THE CONTIGUOUS 48 STATES AND THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Contiguous United States
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
Mail class
DDU
(days)
Periodicals .......................................................................................................
Standard Mail ...................................................................................................
Package Services ............................................................................................
SCF
(days)
1
2
1
ADC
(days)
1
3–4
2
NDC
(days)
1–2
........................
........................
1–2
5
3
TABLE 6—DESTINATION ENTRY SERVICE STANDARD DAY RANGES FOR MAIL TO NON-CONTIGUOUS STATES AND
TERRITORIES
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
SCF (days)
Mail class
DDU
(days)
Alaska
Hawaii,
Guam, &
American
Samoa
ADC (days)
Puerto
Rico &
USVI
Periodicals ................
1
1–2
1
1–2
Standard Mail ...........
Package Services ....
2
1
3–4
2
3–5
2
3–5
2–3
Alaska
1–3 (AK)
11 (JNU)
11 (KTN)
................
................
Hawaii,
Guam, &
American
Samoa
NDC (days)
Puerto
Rico &
USVI
Alaska
Hawaii,
Guam, &
American
Samoa
Puerto
Rico &
USVI
1 (HI)
2 (GU)
1–2
10–11
10
8–10
................
................
................
................
14
12
13
11
12
11
AK = Alaska 3-digit ZIP Codes 995–997; JNU = Juneau AK 3-digit ZIP Code 998; KTN = Ketchikan AK 3-digit.
ZIP Code 999; HI = Hawaii 3-digit ZIP Codes 967 and 968; GU = Guam 3-digit ZIP Code 969.
*
*
*
*
*
Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2013–31442 Filed 1–2–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA–R09–OAR–2013–0668; FRL–9902–73–
Region 9]
Revisions to the California State
Implementation Plan, Antelope Valley
Air Quality Management District,
Mojave Desert Air Quality Management
District, Monterey Bay Unified Air
Pollution Control District, and South
Coast Air Quality Management District
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
AGENCY:
The Environmental Protection
EPA is proposing to approve revisions
to the Antelope Valley Air Quality
Management District, Mojave Desert
AQMD, Monterey Bay Unified Air
Pollution Control District, and South
Coast AQMD portion of the California
State Implementation Plan (SIP). These
revisions concern volatile organic
compound (VOC) emissions from
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:05 Jan 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
architectural coatings, liquefied
petroleum gas transfer, and ignition of
barbecue charcoal. We are approving
three local rules and rescinding one
local rule that regulate these emission
sources under the Clean Air Act (CAA
or the Act).
DATES: Any comments on this proposal
must arrive by February 3, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments,
identified by docket number EPA–R09–
OAR–2013–0668, by one of the
following methods:
1. Federal eRulemaking Portal:
www.regulations.gov. Follow the on-line
instructions.
2. Email: steckel.andrew@epa.gov.
3. Mail or deliver: Andrew Steckel
(Air-4), U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Region IX, 75 Hawthorne Street,
San Francisco, CA 94105–3901.
Instructions: All comments will be
included in the public docket without
change and may be made available
online at www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information
provided, unless the comment includes
Confidential Business Information (CBI)
or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Information that
you consider CBI or otherwise protected
should be clearly identified as such and
should not be submitted through
www.regulations.gov or email.
www.regulations.gov is an ‘‘anonymous
access’’ system, and EPA will not know
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
your identity or contact information
unless you provide it in the body of
your comment. If you send email
directly to EPA, your email address will
be automatically captured and included
as part of the public comment. If EPA
cannot read your comment due to
technical difficulties and cannot contact
you for clarification, EPA may not be
able to consider your comment.
Electronic files should avoid the use of
special characters, any form of
encryption, and be free of any defects or
viruses.
Docket: Generally, documents in the
docket for this action are available
electronically at www.regulations.gov
and in hard copy at EPA Region IX, 75
Hawthorne Street, San Francisco,
California 94105–3901. While all
documents in the docket are listed at
www.regulations.gov, some information
may be publicly available only at the
hard copy location (e.g., copyrighted
material, large maps), and some may not
be publicly available in either location
(e.g., CBI). To inspect the hard copy
materials, please schedule an
appointment during normal business
hours with the contact listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicole Law, EPA Region IX, (415) 947–
4126, law.nicole@epa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
proposal addresses the following local
E:\FR\FM\03JAP1.SGM
03JAP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 2 (Friday, January 3, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 376-378]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-31442]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 121
Service Standards for Destination Sectional Center Facility Rate
Standard Mail
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Proposed rule
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Postal Service seeks public comment on proposed revisions
to the service standards for Standard Mail that is eligible for
Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) rates. The revisions would
change the service standard (a) from three days to four days for
Standard Mail pieces that are eligible for a DSCF rate and that are
properly accepted before the day zero Critical Entry Time on a Friday
or Saturday, and (b) from four days to five days for DSCF Standard Mail
properly accepted at the SCF in San Juan, Puerto Rico and destined to
the United States Virgin Islands, and properly accepted DSCF Standard
Mail destined to American Samoa.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 3, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed to the Manager, Industry
Engagement and Outreach, United States Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant
Plaza SW., Room 4107, Washington, DC 20260-4107, or transmitted by
email to industryfeedback@usps.com. Copies of all comments will be
available for inspection and photocopying at the Postal Service
Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., 11th Floor North,
Washington, DC 20260, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday,
by appointment (please call 202-268-5585 to schedule an appointment).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anthony Frost, Industry Engagement and
Outreach, at 202-268-8093; or Prathmesh Shah, Processing and
Distribution Center Operations, at 404-792-3195.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
Standard Mail may include any mailable matter weighing less than 16
ounces that is not otherwise required to be mailed as First-Class Mail
or Periodicals mail. Of the Standard Mail products, High Density and
Saturation Letters, High Density and Saturation Flats/Parcels, Carrier
Route, Letters, Flats, and Parcels are eligible for the DSCF rate,
provided that the mail meets the standards for such a rate.\1\ Among
other requirements, to qualify for a DSCF rate, a mailing must contain
at least 200 addressed pieces or 50 pounds of addressed pieces; \2\
mailers must make an appointment to deposit DSCF Standard Mail; \3\ and
mail must be prepared and delivered in a specific manner.\4\ DSCF
Standard Mail primarily consists of direct mail letters, catalogs,
flyers, and other advertising mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ (Draft) Mail Classification Schedule secs. 1200.1(a) and
1200.2, revised December 5, 2013.
\2\ Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 246.2.2(a).
\3\ DMM 246.2.6.3.
\4\ DMM 246.4.0.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently, DSCF Standard Mail has a 3-day service standard.\5\
Monday is the expected delivery date for the DSCF Standard Mail entered
on Thursday and Friday, which are two of the three heaviest days for
acceptance of such mail. Moreover, in Fiscal Year 2013, DSCF Standard
Mail comprised 62 percent of Standard Mail volume and 32 percent of
overall mail volume. Accordingly, DSCF Standard Mail has a significant
impact on processing and delivery operations through which it passes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ 39 CFR 121.3(b)(2). DSCF Standard Mail that is dropped at
the SCF in Puerto Rico and destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, or
mail destined to American Samoa has a 4-day service standard. 39 CFR
121.3(b)(3). The proposed changes will also apply to the service
standard for mail that is dropped at the SCF in Puerto Rico and
destined to the U.S. Virgin Islands, and mail that is destined to
American Samoa.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Postal Service faces an uneven workload for postal delivery
operations and extraordinary allocations of resources to meet Monday
delivery expectations, based on current service standards.
Specifically, the high volume of Standard Mail with a service standard
that creates a Monday delivery expectation contributes to the
significant challenge faced by the Postal Service in seeking to achieve
efficient and timely completion of delivery operations on Monday, and
to make dispatch of collection mail picked up by carriers to mail
processing plants for timely cancellation. This general imbalance in
the proportion of volume with a Monday delivery expectation contributes
significantly to increased overtime workhours in delivery operations at
a time when the Postal Service is faced with increased costs while
revenues decline as a result of the overall reduction in mail volumes.
The Postal Service seeks to address these issues by proposing an
adjustment to the service standard applicable to DSCF Standard Mail
entered on designated days of the week. Realization of a more balanced
distribution of DSCF Standard Mail across delivery days requires a
modification to the current service standards for that mail.
Accordingly, the Postal Service is exploring a proposal (the Proposal)
to revise service standards applicable to DSCF Standard Mail that is
entered on a Friday or Saturday. The Proposal would change the delivery
day for DSCF Standard Mail accepted on Friday and Saturday. DSCF
Standard Mail that is accepted before the Critical Entry Time (CET) on
Friday will have a Tuesday delivery expectation, rather than Monday.
DSCF Standard Mail that is accepted before the CET on Saturday will
have a Wednesday delivery expectation, rather than Tuesday. The
proposed changes will apply to DSCF Standard Mail that is dropped at
the SCF in Puerto Rico and destined to the
[[Page 377]]
U.S. Virgin Islands, or mail destined to American Samoa, which
currently has a 4-day service standard and would have a 5-day service
standard under the Proposal. By adjusting the processing and delivery
of DSCF Standard Mail accepted on Friday and Saturday, the Postal
Service seeks to achieve a more even distribution of mail volume
delivered throughout the week.\6\ Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3661(b), the
Postal Service has also requested an advisory opinion from the Postal
Regulatory Commission regarding these changes in the nature of DSCF
Standard Mail service.\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Under the proposed schedule, Wednesday becomes the expected
delivery date for DSCF Standard Mail entered on both Saturday and
Sunday. Due to the relatively small volume of mail accepted on
Saturdays and Sundays, the Postal Service does not believe that the
Proposal will present a challenge regarding the ability to more
evenly distribute mail volume throughout the week.
\7\ Request of the United States Postal Service for an Advisory
Opinion on Changes in the Nature of Postal Services, Docket No.
N2014-1 (Dec. 27, 2013). Documents pertaining to the Request are
available at the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Web site, https://www.prc.gov, under Docket No. N2014-1.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Proposed Revisions to Service Standards
Before describing how service standards will be revised, it is
important to explain how service standards are structured. Service
standards are comprised of two components: (1) A delivery day range
within which all mail in a given product is expected to be delivered;
and (2) business rules that determine, within a product's applicable
day range, the specific number of delivery days after acceptance of a
mail piece by which a customer can expect that piece to be delivered,
based on the 3-digit ZIP Code prefixes associated with the piece's
point of entry into the mail stream and its delivery address.
Business rules are based on the CET. The CET is the latest time on
a particular day that a mail piece can be entered into the postal
network and still have its service standard calculated based on that
day (this day is termed ``day-zero''). In other words, if a mail piece
is entered before the CET, the mail piece's service standard is
calculated from the day of entry, whereas if the mail piece is entered
after the CET, its service standard is calculated from the following
day. For example, if the applicable CET is 4:00 p.m., and a letter is
entered at 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, its service standard will be
calculated from Tuesday, whereas if the letter is entered at 5:00 p.m.
on a Tuesday, its service standard will be calculated from Wednesday.
The Postal Service is proposing to revise the Standard Mail service
standards for pieces that qualify for a DSCF rate and are accepted
before the day zero CET at the proper DSCF on Friday or Saturday, to
enable a more balanced distribution of Standard Mail volume across
delivery days. For these Standard Mail pieces entered on Friday or
Saturday at the DSCF rate, the Postal Service is proposing to change
the current three-day delivery expectation to a four-day delivery
expectation. And for pieces entered at the SCF in San Juan, PR and
destined for the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as all DSCF entry pieces
destined for American Samoa, the delivery expectation for pieces
entered on Friday or Saturday would change from four days to five days.
The Postal Service is not proposing any other revisions to its
service standards in this notice.
III. Request for Comments
Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act [5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)] regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites public
comment on the proposed revisions to 39 CFR part 121 and on the
Proposal generally. A more extensive discussion of the Proposal and its
associated operational and service implications is available in the
materials filed by the Postal Service with the Postal Regulatory
Commission in Docket No. N2014-1, available at https://www.prc.gov. If
the Postal Service determines to implement the Proposal, it will
publish a final rule in the Federal Register.
Accordingly, for the reasons stated, the Postal Service proposes
the following amendment to 39 CFR part 121:
PART 121--SERVICE STANDARDS FOR MARKET DOMINANT MAIL PRODUCTS
0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 121 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 1001, 3691.
0
2. In part 121, revise Sec. 121.3 paragraph (b)(2) and (b)(3) to read
as follows:
PART 121--SERVICE STANDARDS FOR MARKET-DOMINANT MAIL PRODUCTS
* * * * *
Sec. 121.3 Standard Mail.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(2) Standard Mail pieces that qualify for a DSCF rate and that are
accepted before the day-zero Critical Entry Time at the proper DSCF
have a 3-day service standard when accepted on Sunday through Thursday
and a 4-day service standard when accepted on Friday or Saturday,
except for mail dropped at the SCF in the territory of Puerto Rico and
destined to the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, or mail destined
to American Samoa.
(3) Standard Mail pieces that qualify for a Destination Sectional
Center Facility (DSCF) rate and that are accepted before the day zero
Critical Entry Time at the SCF in the territory of Puerto Rico and
destined for the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, or are destined
to American Samoa, have a 4-day service standard when accepted on
Sunday through Thursday and a 5-day service standard when accepted on
Friday or Saturday.
* * * * *
0
3. In Appendix A to part 121, revise Tables 5 and 6 to read as follows:
Appendix A to Part 121--Tables Depicting Service Standard Day Ranges
The following tables reflect the service standard day ranges
resulting from the application of the business rules applicable to
the market-dominant mail products referenced in Sec. Sec. 121.1
through 121.4:
* * * * *
[[Page 378]]
Table 5--Destination Entry Service Standard Day Ranges for Mail to the Contiguous 48 States and the District of
Columbia
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contiguous United States
---------------------------------------------------------------
Mail class Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
---------------------------------------------------------------
DDU (days) SCF (days) ADC (days) NDC (days)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals..................................... 1 1 1-2 1-2
Standard Mail................................... 2 3-4 .............. 5
Package Services................................ 1 2 .............. 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 6--Destination Entry Service Standard Day Ranges for Mail to Non-Contiguous States and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Destination entry (at appropriate facility)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCF (days) ADC (days) NDC (days)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail class DDU Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii,
(days) Guam, & Puerto Guam, & Puerto Guam, & Puerto
Alaska American Rico & Alaska American Rico & Alaska American Rico &
Samoa USVI Samoa USVI Samoa USVI
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals............................... 1 1-2 1 1-2 1-3 (AK) 1 (HI) 1-2 10-11 10 8-10
11 (JNU) 2 (GU)
11 (KTN)
Standard Mail............................. 2 3-4 3-5 3-5 ......... ......... ......... 14 13 12
Package Services.......................... 1 2 2 2-3 ......... ......... ......... 12 11 11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AK = Alaska 3-digit ZIP Codes 995-997; JNU = Juneau AK 3-digit ZIP Code 998; KTN = Ketchikan AK 3-digit.
ZIP Code 999; HI = Hawaii 3-digit ZIP Codes 967 and 968; GU = Guam 3-digit ZIP Code 969.
* * * * *
Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2013-31442 Filed 1-2-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
