[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 8, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41485-41486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19806]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Domestic Mail Manual Revision to the 5% Error Limit for Sequenced 
Mailings

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is seeking comments on the following 
proposed rule change to the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM). Under this 
proposal, the 5% error limit for carrier route walk-sequenced mail is 
clarified to include line-of-travel (LOT)-sequenced mail. For all 
sequenced mail, no more than 5% of the total pieces in the entire 
carrier route mailing may be found out of sequence or sorted to the 
wrong carrier route.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 7, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to the Manager, Business Mail 
Acceptance, U.S. Postal Service, 1735 North Lynn Street, Room 3011, 
Arlington, VA 22209-6030. Written comments may be submitted via fax to 
703-292-3738. Copies of all written comments will be available for 
inspection and photocopying between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, in Room 3011 at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Bronson, 703-292-3539.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service requires all mail claimed 
at the Periodicals basic carrier route rate or the Standard Mail 
Enhanced Carrier Route rate to be sequenced in either walk-sequence or 
line-of-travel (LOT) order. Current standards state that for each 
carrier route receiving mail, no more than 5% of the total pieces may 
be found out of sequence or sorted to the wrong carrier route. The 5% 
limitation for missorted or missequenced mail is applied to an 
individual carrier route because, until recently, the Postal Service 
was able to detect such errors only at the delivery unit and could not 
easily determine an error percentage for the entire mailing.
    Due to technological innovations, the Postal Service now can detect 
missequenced carrier route pieces at and prior to acceptance, where the 
entire mailing can be evaluated. Therefore, the Postal Service proposes 
to amend the current standards to apply the 5% limit for walk-sequence 
and LOT errors to the entire mailing, and not to an individual carrier 
route. This change will make how the Postal Service determines 
eligibility for carrier route rates consistent with how it determines 
eligibility for other postage discounts. The Postal Service will use 
the established statistically valid sampling methods for business mail 
entry unit (BMEU) acceptance procedures to determine whether the 5% 
error limit is exceeded for the carrier route mailing.
    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

[[Page 41486]]

Postal Service invites comments on the following proposed revisions to 
the Domestic Mail Manual, incorporated by reference in the Code of 
Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR Part 111.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.

PART 111--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for 39 CFR Part 111 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 
3001-3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.

    2. Amend the following sections of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) 
as set forth below:

M  Mail Preparation and Sortation

M000  General Preparation Standards

* * * * *

M050  Delivery Sequence

* * * * *
2.0  ACCURACY
2.1 Error Rate--Walk Sequence
    For carrier routes sequenced in walk-sequence order, no more than 
5% of the total pieces in the mailing may be found out of sequence or 
sorted to the wrong carrier route.
2.2  Error Rate--Line-of-Travel Sequence
    For carrier routes sequenced in line-of-travel (LOT) order, no more 
than 5% of the total pieces in the mailing may be found out of sequence 
or sorted to the wrong carrier route.
2.3  Pieces in Error
    For this standard, pieces are not considered missorted or 
missequenced because of USPS scheme changes not yet incorporated in the 
scheme that the mailer was authorized to use to prepare the mailing. 
When sortation or sequencing errors over the applicable 5% limit in 2.1 
and 2.2 are detected, the mailer is notified that they must re-sequence 
the mail or pay the next higher rate for which the mail qualifies. The 
percent of mail determined to be missorted or missequenced within the 
mailing is subject to additional postage for the difference between the 
carrier route rate claimed and the next higher rate for which the mail 
qualifies.
* * * * *
    If this proposal is adopted, an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR 
111.3 will be published to reflect this change.

Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 01-19806 Filed 8-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P