[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1346-1348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-135]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Signature Confirmation Service: Elimination of Signature Waiver 
Option

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This rule changes the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) to eliminate 
the signature waiver option for Signature Confirmation service under 
DMM S919.1.10. The Postal Service is making this change because

[[Page 1347]]

the signature waiver option is no longer necessary.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 1, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald Lagasse, 202-268-7269, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a proposed rule published in the Federal 
Register on September 2, 2004 (69 FR 53665), the Postal Service 
proposed an amendment to Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) standards 
eliminating the signature waiver option for Signature Confirmation 
service. The Postal Service adopts the proposal as described below.
    Signature Confirmation service provides Postal Service customers 
with information about the date and time a mailpiece was delivered and, 
if delivery was attempted but not successful, the date and time of the 
delivery attempt. A delivery record, including the recipient's 
signature, is maintained by the Postal Service and is available to the 
customer via fax, e-mail, or mail, upon request. No acceptance record 
is kept at the office of mailing.
    Signature Confirmation service currently includes a signature 
waiver option that allows the sender to waive the signature requirement 
and accept the Postal Service delivery employee's signature, date, and 
time of delivery as proof of delivery. If a mailer selects the 
signature waiver option, the mailer is provided only with the date and 
time of delivery in the delivery record. The signature waiver option is 
not available when Signature Confirmation service is combined with 
other special services.
    Signature waiver was requested initially by Delivery Confirmation 
service mailers who agreed to participate in testing the Signature 
Confirmation service but did not want to inconvenience their customers 
by requiring them to sign for their items. Now that Signature 
Confirmation service is fully implemented and widely recognized, the 
signature waiver feature is no longer necessary.

Summary of Comments

    The Postal Service did not receive any comments in response to this 
proposal. Therefore, the Postal Service will eliminate the signature 
waiver option for Signature Confirmation service as of February 1, 
2005. Customers who do not need to obtain a signature but wish to know 
the date and time that their mailpiece was delivered can do so using 
Delivery Confirmation service.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.

PART 111--[AMENDED]

0
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, 
416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219, 3403-3406, 3621, 3626, 5001.


0
2. Amend the following sections of the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) as 
set forth below:

S SPECIAL SERVICES

* * * * *

S900 Special Postal Services

* * * * *

S910 Security and Accountability

* * * * *

S919 Signature Confirmation

1.0 BASIC INFORMATION
* * * * *
[Delete 1.10, Signature Waiver, in its entirety.]
* * * * *
2.0 LABELS
* * * * *
Exhibit 2.1a Form 153
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P

[[Page 1348]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR07JA05.003

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    An appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 will be published to 
reflect these changes.

Neva Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 05-135 Filed 1-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-C