[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1348-1349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-279]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 501


Authorization to Manufacture and Distribute Postage Meters

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: Under 39 CFR 501.1, only manufacturers and distributors 
authorized by the Postal Service,\(tm)\ may manufacture and/or 
distribute postage meters in the United States. This final rule 
provides that the Postal Service may revoke or suspend, wholly or in 
part, authorization to distribute postage meters if the authorized 
entity or its agent makes or distributes false or misleading statements 
about actions or proposed actions of the Postal Service regarding the 
postage meter program. In addition, minor editorial changes were made 
to correct references to sections of part 501 that were in error.

DATES: This rule is effective January 7, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Wilkerson, Manager of Postage 
Technology Management, at 703-292-3691 or by fax at 703-292-4073.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service published a proposed rule 
in the Federal Register on November 20, 2003, to amend 39 CFR part 501, 
Authorization to Manufacture and Distribute Postage Meters. Comments on 
the proposed rule were due on or before December 20, 2003. We received 
no comments objecting to the proposed rule or requesting any changes. 
Therefore, the rule is adopted as final without any changes. The 
editorial changes to correct references to sections of part 501 
necessitated by the redesignation of certain sections are as follows: 
In section 501.2(c), the reference to section 501.21 is corrected to 
501.22. In section 501.4, the reference to section 501.23 is corrected 
to 501.24. In section 501.6(d), the reference to section 501.20(c) is 
corrected to section 501.6(c). In section 501.23(i), reference to 
section 501.26 is corrected to section 501.27. In section 501.24(b), 
the reference to section 501.26 is corrected to section 501.27 and the 
reference to section 501.25 is corrected to section 501.26. In section 
501.27(e), the reference to section 501.23 is corrected to section 
501.24. In section 501.30(a), the reference to section 501.22(b) is 
corrected to section 501.23(b).

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 501

    Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.


[[Page 1349]]


    For the reasons set out in this document, the Postal Service is 
amending 39 CFR part 501 as follows:

PART 501--AUTHORIZATION TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE 
METERS

0
1. The authority citation for part 501 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 410, 
2601, 2605; Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (Pub. L. 95-
452, as amended); 5 U.S.C. App. 3.


0
2. Revise current Sec.  501.13 title to read ``Reporting and 
Communications'' and add new paragraph (e) to read as follows:


Sec.  501.13  Reporting and Communications.

* * * * *
    (e) Authorized postage meter manufacturers and distributors, and 
their agents and employees, must not intentionally misrepresent to 
customers of the Postal Service decisions, actions, or proposed actions 
of the Postal Service respecting its regulation of postage meters in 
the United States. The Postal Service reserves the right to suspend 
and/or revoke the authorization to manufacture and/or distribute 
postage meters throughout the United States or in any part thereof 
under Sec.  501.5 when the manufacturer, distributor, or agent or 
employee of either fails to comply with this requirement.

Neva Watson,
Attorney, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 05-279 Filed 1-6-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P