Postal Service 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Postal Service issues this notice to revise the final rule that was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 providing new Move Update assessment procedures, and to clarify the Performance-Based Verification process.

The Postal Service is filing this proposed rule to describe the applicable prices for commercial flat-size mail failing to meet new deflection standards, to be effective on June 7, 2010.

The United States Postal Service[supreg] (Postal Service) plans to conduct an ongoing data comparison program to identify any current Postal Service employees who are required by law to register on a public registry of sex offenders. These registries contain information about individuals who are statutorily required to register, having committed offenses of sexual violence against adults or children, certain other crimes against victims who are minors, or other comparable offenses. Under the guidelines created by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Walsh Act), the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Web site (NSOPW) was created and coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as a cooperative effort between the agencies hosting public sexual offender registries and the Federal government. The NSOPW is a search tool allowing a user to submit a single national query to obtain information about sex offenders through a number of search options. The Postal Service has procured software that enables it to conduct multiple simultaneous queries of the NSOPW via a secure line to the DOJ NSOPW. The software queries the public registries for each employee and returns a match, if found, to a secured database. No Postal Service employee information is ever shared with the DOJ or stored outside of the Postal Service's control. The Postal Service will compare its payroll database of current employees against public records using the NSOPW search tool. The Postal Service is undertaking this initiative to ascertain the suitability of individuals for certain positions or employment and to protect the integrity of its brand.

This notice sets forth changes in rates of general applicability for competitive products.

The Postal Service gives notice of its intent to file a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add the Canada Post- United States Postal Service Contractual Bilateral Agreement for Inbound Market-Dominant Services to the Market-Dominant Products List pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642 and of its exercise of its authority to adjust rates for that product pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3622.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]), to reflect changes to the prices for the following Shipping Services:

The Postal Service is revising the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[reg]) to require that mailpieces prepared as a commercial bulk mailing must bear

The Postal Service is revising the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) to require all mailpieces weighing more than 13 ounces and bearing only postage stamps be presented to an employee at a retail service counter in a Post OfficeTM.

New Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR) issued by the U.S. Census Bureau require Postal Service revisions to its mailing standards and customs label requirements for customers mailing items internationally.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), to add section 709.3 which introduces new standards for a special volume incentive program for mailers of commercial (automation and/or Presort) First-Class Mail[supreg] cards, letters and/or flats with mail volume exceeding their individual USPS[supreg]-determined threshold levels. The program period will be from October 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009.

The Postal Service proposes to revise our mailing standards pertaining to animal fighting ventures. We intend to harmonize our standards with section 26 (7 U.S.C. 2156) of the Animal Welfare Act as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

The Postal Service is implementing new price marking requirements on Express Mail[supreg] and Priority Mail[supreg] pieces mailed at commercial base and commercial plus prices. The new markings are needed to fulfill our revenue reporting and revenue assurance requirements.

The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add International Direct Entry Parcels Contracts, International Return Service, and Harmonization Service to the Competitive Products List pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), to add section 709.2 which introduces new standards for a special volume incentive program for mailers of Standard Mail[supreg] letters and flats with mail volume exceeding their individual USPSTM- determined threshold levels. The program period will be from July 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009.

The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add the Royal Mail Group Inbound Air Parcel Post Agreement to the Competitive Products List pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3642.

The Postal Service published in the Federal Register of February 25, 2009, a document concerning international product and price changes for implementation in May 2009. Inadvertently, Exhibit 292.452 included in that document, did not include all destination countries and price groups. This document corrects the table.

The Postal Service published in the Federal Register of February 24, 2009 (74 FR 8434), in accordance with 39 U.S.C. 3632(b)(2), a Notice document providing the February 3, 2009 Decision of the Governors of the United States Postal Service on Changes in Rates and Classes of General Applicability for Certain Competitive Products (Governors Decision No. 09-01), and a record of the proceedings in connection with the Decision. The Decision did not include planned increases to pickup on demand fees for Express Mail[supreg], Priority Mail[supreg], GXG, Express Mail International (EMI), and Priority Mail International (PMI) services to conform to the change in the Pickup on Demand\TM\ service fee for Parcel Post[supreg] Single-Piece, which was raised in Postal Regulatory Commission Docket No. R2009-2 from $14.75 to $15.30. This document accordingly sets forth a correction to the prior notice to give effect to the planned change in Pickup on Demand fees for competitive services, to include Express Mail, Priority Mail, GXG, EMI, and PMI services.

The Postal Service proposes to revise its refund guarantees for Express Mail[supreg] shipments of live animals in an effort to maintain the economic viability of shipping animals as a service.