Postal Service October 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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.