[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 140 (Wednesday, July 22, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 43370-43371]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17939]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

39 CFR part 3050

[Docket No. RM2015-11; Order No. 2593]


Periodic Reporting

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing 
requesting that the Commission initiate an informal rulemaking 
proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles relating to 
periodic reports (Proposal Three). This notice informs the public of 
the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative 
steps.

[[Page 43371]]


DATES: Comments are due: August 31, 2015. Reply Comments are due: 
September 10, 2015.

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: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 
202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

I. Introduction
II. Summary of Proposal
III. Initial Commission Action
IV. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    On July 14, 2015, the Postal Service filed a petition pursuant to 
39 CFR 3050.11 requesting that the Commission initiate an informal 
rulemaking proceeding to consider a proposed change in analytical 
principles relating to periodic reports.\1\ A description of Proposal 
Three is attached to the Petition. Petition at 1. The Petition 
identifies the proposed change as a modification to the analytical 
method used to estimate shape and weight for a portion of the ``Origin-
Destination Information System--Revenue, Pieces and Weight'' (ODIS-RPW) 
sampling frame related to letter and card shaped mailpieces. Id.
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    \1\ Petition of the United States Postal Service Requesting 
Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider a Proposed Change in 
Analytical Principles (Proposal Three), July 14, 2015 (Petition).
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II. Summary of Proposal

    The Postal Service explains that ODIS-RPW is a probability-based 
destinating mail sampling system that primarily supplies the official 
``Revenue, Pieces and Weight By Class and Special Services'' (RPW) 
report estimates of revenue, volume, and weight for single-piece 
stamped and metered mail. Id., Proposal Three at 4. Currently, ODIS-RPW 
data collectors travel to randomly selected Mail Exit Points (MEPs) on 
randomly selected days and manually sample mail as it arrives at these 
locations. Id. These data collectors record mail characteristics from 
the sampled mail pieces, such as revenue, volume, weight, mail class, 
subclass, and indicia. Id.
    Under Proposal Three, a portion of MEPs would begin digitally 
capturing the images of letter and card shaped mail from Delivery 
Barcode Sequencing (DBCS) second pass operations. Id. at 3. The 
remaining portion of MEPs would continue to employ the existing manual 
ODIS-RPW sampling techniques. Id. at 4-5. The Postal Service asserts 
that all of the mail characteristics currently collected from manually 
sampled mailpieces can be collected from digitally captured images of 
sampled mailpieces, except for weight and shape. Id. at 3. The Postal 
Service proposes to use the weight and shape data from those MEPs that 
continue to employ manual sampling techniques as a distribution key for 
the digitally sampled mailpieces. Id. at 5.
    The Postal Service plans to implement the change in Proposal Three 
beginning on January 1, 2016. Id. at 3. The Postal Service asserts that 
the proposed change would only impact three mail categories: First-
Class Mail single-piece cards, First-Class Mail single-piece stamped 
letters, and First-Class Mail single-piece metered letters. Id. at 5.
    The Postal Service states that the change in Proposal Three would 
have very little impact on the business needs that the ODIS-RPW system 
supports. Id. at 10. Moreover, the Postal Service notes that the 
changes in Proposal Three will result in cost savings through the 
elimination of travel time and on-site work hours for ODIS-RPW data 
collectors. Id. at 5 n.1.

III. Initial Commission Action

    The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2015-11 for consideration 
of matters raised by the Petition. Additional information concerning 
the Petition may be accessed via the Commission's Web site at http://www.prc.gov. Interested persons may submit comments on the Petition and 
Proposal Three no later than August 31, 2015. Reply comments are due no 
later than September 10, 2015. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Katalin K. 
Clendenin is designated as an officer of the Commission to represent 
the interests of the general public (Public Representative) in this 
proceeding.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2015-11 for 
consideration of the matters raised by the Petition of the United 
States Postal Service Requesting Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider 
a Proposed Change in Analytical Principles (Proposal Three), filed July 
14, 2015.
    2. Comments are due no later than August 31, 2015. Reply comments 
are due no later than September 10, 2015.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Katalin K. 
Clendenin to serve as Public Representative in this docket.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Ruth Ann Abrams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-17939 Filed 7-21-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P