Postal Service 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add Global Expedited Package Services Non-Published Rates 3 (GEPSNPR 3) to the Competitive Products List.

The Postal Service gives notice of filing a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission to add a domestic shipping services contract to the list of Negotiated Service Agreements in the Mail Classification Schedule's Competitive Products List.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), to reflect changes to prices and mailing standards for the following Shipping Services: Express Mail[supreg]; Priority Mail[supreg]; First-Class Package Service\TM\; Parcel Select[supreg]; Parcel Return Service; Mailer Services; and Recipient Services.

The Postal Service will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) throughout various Individual Country Listings (ICLs) to reflect price adjustments for First-Class Mail International[supreg] and extra services.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) throughout various sections to modify the policy for filing claims for domestic Express Mail[supreg] postage refunds from 90 days to 30 days after the date of mailing, and to change the Express Mail ``waiver of signature'' standard for domestic items by obtaining an addressee's signature only when the mailer selects the ``signature required'' option on the Express Mail label.

The Postal Service will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) 201.3.14, to provide new standards for folded self-mailers (FSM) and unenveloped mailpieces that are mailed at automation or machinable prices. To avoid confusion with revised standards for FSM mailpieces having loose enclosures, the Postal Service renames mailpieces that are designed to carry discs, and expands the standards that apply to tabs to include folded self-mailers.

The Postal Service gives notice of a market test of an experimental product in accordance with statutory requirements.

The Postal Service is amending its regulations to improve the administration of the Post Office closing and consolidation process. This final rule adopts changes to Postal Service regulations pertaining to the definition of ``consolidation'' and the staffing of Post Offices.

The United States Postal Service[supreg] is proposing to modify seventeen of its General Privacy Act Systems of Records. These modifications reflect the title and address changes resulting from an organizational re-design of the Postal Service.

The Postal Service is proposing to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) throughout various sections to modify the policy for filing claims for domestic Express Mail[supreg] refunds from 90 days to 30 days after the date of mailing, and to change the Express Mail ``waiver of signature'' standard for domestic items by obtaining an addressee's signature only when the mailer selects the ``signature required'' option on the Express Mail label.

To comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Postal Service intends to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) to assess the Network Optimization initiative (the ``Proposed Action''), which would create a more streamlined processing and distribution network using fewer facilities to handle reduced mail volume. The proposal also includes revisions to mailing standards. This PEA will evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed action versus taking no action. Public input is sought on the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the PEA.

The Postal Service is withdrawing a final rule that would incorporate new maximum limits for the outbound mailing of lithium batteries to international, or APO, FPO or DPO locations. The Postal Service also withdraws the corresponding Code of Federal Regulations revision to reflect these new limits.

The Postal Service is revising the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]) section 135.6, to incorporate new maximum limits for the outbound mailing of lithium batteries. This is consistent with recent amendments to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Convention.

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), 401, 402, 433, 434, 435, 436, 503, 507, 602, and 705 to introduce a new competitive product called First-Class Package Service, which will replace and remove First-Class Mail[supreg] commercial base and commercial plus parcels from the market-dominant product offering. First-Class Mail retail single-piece parcels remain a market-dominant product offering.

The Postal Service proposes to revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) 201.3.14 to provide standards for creating folded self-mailers (FSM) and other unenveloped mailpieces such as forms, statements, and official notices that will improve processing of these pieces on automated Postal processing equipment.

The Postal Service announces the issuance of DMM 300, dated July 5, 2011, of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), and its incorporation by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations.

On July 14, 2011, the Postal Service published an amendment to the rules concerning the establishment, classification, and discontinuance of post offices. That rule contained certain incorrect internal cross-references, which are corrected by this further rulemaking.

The Postal Service is amending 39 CFR part 241 to improve the administration of the Post Office closing and consolidation process. In addition, certain procedures employed for the discontinuance of Post Offices are applied to the discontinuance of other types of retail facilities operated by Postal Service employees.

The Postal Service proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to add 602.5.0 and 602.6.0, and to revise the Move Update standards regarding change of address orders, by including in the revised standards change of address notices filed by postal employees. The Postal Service also deletes multiple sections throughout the DMM to centralize Move Update and ZIP CodeTM accuracy standards under section 602.

The Postal Service will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) 604.4, 604.8, and 604.10, to implement revenue protection procedures for mailpieces entered with shortpaid and unpaid Information Based Indicia (IBI) postage payment and to implement revenue protection procedures for shortpaid Express Mail[supreg] postage.