[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70084-70085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-27999]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. MC2013-63 and CP2013-83; Order No. 1844]


New Postal Product

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing 
concerning the addition of Priority Mail Contract 65 to the competitive 
product list. This notice informs the public of the filing, invites 
public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comment date: October 16, 2013. The Commission's policy is to 
accept comments otherwise subject to a filing date that falls during a 
lapse in appropriations if they are submitted via Filing Online when 
operations resume. Contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section if additional information on the 
Commission's acceptance policy is needed.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel, 
at 202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Order No. 1844 was issued September 30, 
2013, and included a date for filing comments that occurred during the 
subsequent suspension of Commission operations. At the time the 
Commission suspended operations, it posted a notice on its Web site 
concerning its policy with respect to accepting comments subject to 
filing dates that occurred during the suspension. That policy allowed 
commenters to file their submissions upon resumption of Commission 
operations. The text of Order No. 1844 as issued on September 30, 2013, 
follows.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. Notice of Filings
III. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    In accordance with 39 U.S.C. 3642 and 39 CFR 3020.30 et seq., the 
Postal Service filed a request and associated supporting information to 
add Priority Mail Contract 65 to the competitive product list.\1\ It 
asserts that Priority Mail Contract 65 is a competitive product ``not 
of general applicability'' within the meaning of 39 U.S.C. 3632(b)(3). 
Request at 1. The Request has been assigned Docket No. MC2013-63.
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    \1\ Request of the United States Postal Service to Add Priority 
Mail Contract 65 to Competitive Product List and Notice of Filing 
(Under Seal) of Unredacted Governors' Decision, Contract, and 
Supporting Data, September 27, 2013 (Request).
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    The Postal Service contemporaneously filed a redacted contract 
related to the proposed new product. Id. Attachment B. The instant 
contract has been assigned Docket No. CP2013-83.
    Request. To support its Request, the Postal Service filed six 
attachments as follows:
     Attachment A--a redacted copy of Governors' Decision No. 
11-6, authorizing the new product;
     Attachment B--a redacted copy of the contract;
     Attachment C--proposed changes to the Mail Classification 
Schedule competitive product list with the addition underlined;
     Attachment D--a Statement of Supporting Justification as 
required by 39 CFR 3020.32;
     Attachment E--a certification of compliance with 39 U.S.C. 
3633(a); and
     Attachment F--an application for non-public treatment of 
materials to maintain redacted portions of the contract and related 
financial information under seal.
    In the Statement of Supporting Justification, Dennis R. Nicoski, 
Manager, Field Sales Strategy and Contracts, asserts that the contract 
will cover its attributable costs and increase contribution toward the 
requisite 5.5 percent of the Postal Service's total institutional 
costs. Id. Attachment D at 1. Mr. Nicoski contends that there will be 
no issue of market dominant products subsidizing competitive products 
as a result of this contract. Id.
    Related contract. The Postal Service included a redacted version of 
the related contract with the Request. Id. Attachment B. The contract 
is scheduled to become effective one business day after the Commission 
issues all necessary regulatory approval. Id. at 3. The contract will 
expire three years from the effective date unless, among other things, 
either party terminates the agreement upon 30 days' written notice to 
the other party. Id. The Postal Service represents that the contract is 
consistent with 39 U.S.C. 3633(a).\2\
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    \2\ Although the Request appears to state that the certification 
only pertains to paragraphs (1) and (3) of 39 U.S.C. 3633(a), the 
certification itself contains an assertion that the prices are in 
compliance with 39 U.S.C. 3633(a)(1), (2), and (3). Request at 2; 
Attachment E.
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    The Postal Service filed much of the supporting materials, 
including the related contract, under seal. Id. Attachment F. It 
maintains that the redacted portions of the Governors' Decision, 
contract, customer-identifying information, and related financial 
information should remain confidential.

[[Page 70085]]

Id. at 3. This information includes the price structure, underlying 
costs and assumptions, pricing formulas, information relevant to the 
customer's mailing profile, and cost coverage projections. Id. The 
Postal Service asks the Commission to protect customer-identifying 
information from public disclosure indefinitely. Id. at 7.

II. Notice of Filings

    The Commission establishes Docket Nos. MC2013-63 and CP2013-83 to 
consider the Request pertaining to the proposed Priority Mail Contract 
65 product and the related contract, respectively.
    Interested persons may submit comments on whether the Postal 
Service's filings in the captioned dockets are consistent with the 
policies of 39 U.S.C. 3632, 3633, or 3642, 39 CFR 3015.5, and 39 CFR 
part 3020, subpart B. Comments are due no later than October 7, 2013. 
The public portions of these filings can be accessed via the 
Commission's Web site (http://www.prc.gov).
    The Commission appoints Lyudmila Y. Bzhilyanskaya to serve as 
Public Representative in these dockets.

III. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket Nos. MC2013-63 and CP2013-83 
to consider the matters raised in each docket.
    2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Lyudmila Y. Bzhilyanskaya is 
appointed to serve as an officer of the Commission (Public 
Representative) to represent the interests of the general public in 
these proceedings.
    3. Comments by interested persons in these proceedings are due no 
later than October 7, 2013.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this Order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Ruth Ann Abrams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2013-27999 Filed 11-21-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P