[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 238 (Monday, December 14, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 66082]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29615]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

39 CFR Part 3050

[Docket No. RM2010-5; Order No. 352]


Periodic Reporting Rules

AGENCY:  Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION:  Proposed rule; availability of rulemaking petition.

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SUMMARY:  Under a new law, the Postal Service must file an annual 
compliance report on costs, revenues, rates, and quality of service 
associated with its products. It recently filed documents with the 
Commission to change some of the methods it uses to compile a fiscal 
year report. In the Commission's view, these documents constitute a 
rulemaking petition. Therefore, this document provides notice of the 
Postal Service's filing and an opportunity for public comment.

DATES:  Comments are due: December 17, 2009.

ADDRESSES:  Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing 
Online system at http://www.prc.gov. Commenters who cannot submit their 
views electronically should contact the person identified in ``FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT'' by telephone for advice on alternatives 
to electronic filing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, 
202-789-6820 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 1, 2009, the Postal Service 
filed a petition pursuant to 39 CFR 3050.11 to initiate an informal 
rulemaking proceeding to consider changes in the analytical methods 
approved for use in periodic reporting.\1\ Proposal Twenty-six would 
change the methods used to estimate the Revenue, Pieces, and Weight 
(RPW) values for Alaska Bypass mail and would not affect the FY09 
Annual Compliance Review (ACR). In the attachment addressing Proposal 
Twenty-six that accompanies the Petition, the Postal Service explains 
that the pricing methodology for Alaska Bypass mail was changed from a 
piece system to a palletized system (where the piece total is the 
maximum number of 70 pound pieces plus one for the remainder on each 
pallet) as of May 11, 2009.
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    \1\ Petition of the United States Postal Service Requesting 
Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider Proposed Changes in Analytic 
Principles (Proposals Twenty-six-Twenty-eight), December 1, 2009 
(Petition).
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    Proposal Twenty-seven is triggered by a data collection change and 
would change the methodology used to estimate Carrier Sequence Barcode 
Sorter (CSBCS) productivity and would affect the FY 2009 Annual 
Compliance Report (ACR). Proposal Twenty-seven is a result of the 
discontinuation of Management Operating Data System (MODS) operation 
numbers. The Postal Service proposes to replace the MODS productivity 
data with adjusted throughput data from machine utilization reports.
    Proposal Twenty-eight would remove all single-piece Parcel Post 
models from the FY 2009 ACR because the models are no longer required 
to support the price structure, tied to the calculation of workshare 
cost avoidances, or supported by data from existing systems.
    The attachments to the Postal Service's Petition explain each 
proposal in more detail, including its objective, background, impact, 
and an empirical example (comparing the changes in data reporting to 
the status quo). The Petition, including the attachments, are available 
for review on the Commission's Web site, http://www.prc.gov.
    Comments on Proposals Twenty-six through Twenty-eight are due no 
later than December 17, 2009.
    Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Emmett Rand Costich and John Klingenberg 
are appointed as Public Representatives to represent the interests of 
the general public in the above-captioned docket.
    It is ordered:
    1. The Petition of the United States Postal Service Requesting 
Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider Proposed Changes in Analytic 
Principles (Proposals Twenty-six-Twenty-eight), filed December 1, 2009, 
is granted.
    2. The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2010-5 to consider the 
matters raised by the Postal Service's Petition.
    3. Interested persons may submit comments on Proposals Twenty-six 
through Twenty-eight no later than December 17, 2009.
    4. The Commission will determine the need for reply comments after 
review of the initial comments.
    5. The Commission appoints Emmett Rand Costich and John Klingenberg 
as Public Representatives to represent the interests of the general 
public in this proceeding.
    6. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
 Judith M. Grady,
 Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-29615 Filed 12-11-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-S