[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 45468-45469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18666]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

39 CFR part 3050

[Docket No. RM2015-12; Order No. 2601]


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 Four). This notice informs the public of the 
filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: August 31, 2015. Reply Comments are due: 
September 15, 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 17, 2015, the Postal Service filed a petition pursuant to 
39 CFR 3050.11 requesting that the Commission initiate an informal 
rulemaking proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles 
relating to periodic reports.\1\ Proposal Four is attached to the 
Petition and identifies the proposed analytical method change as a 
change relating to the use of the Summary of International Revenue and 
Volume Outbound statistical system (SIRVO) in the International Cost 
and Revenue Analysis (ICRA) report. Id. The Postal Service concurrently 
filed a nonpublic library reference, along with an application for 
nonpublic treatment of materials.\2\
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    \1\ Petition of the United States Postal Service for the 
Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider Proposed Changes in 
Analytical Principles (Proposal Four), July 17, 2015 (Petition).
    \2\ Notice of Filing of USPS-RM2015-12/NP1 and Application for 
Nonpublic Treatment, July 17, 2015 (Notice). The Library Reference 
is USPS-RM2015-12/NP1--Nonpublic Material Relating to Proposal Four 
(SIRVO Inputs to ICRA). The Notice incorporates by reference the 
Application for Non-Public Treatment of Materials contained in 
Attachment Two to the December 29, 2014, United States Postal 
Service Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Compliance Report. Notice at 1. See 
39 CFR part 3007 for information on access to nonpublic material.
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II. Summary of Proposal

    The Postal Service explains that the ICRA processing currently uses 
20 individual quarterly international accounting datasets to provide 
country-specific outbound mail flow data for 46 individual countries 
and four regional aggregated country groupings. Petition, Proposal Four 
at 2. International accounting data have been the source of the mail 
flow data for countries not reported in the ICRA inputs by SIRVO. Id.
    Under Proposal Four, the Postal Service seeks to use expanded SIRVO 
data in lieu of international accounting data. Id. The Postal Service 
asserts that the change does not materially affect the overall workings 
of the ICRA because the use of the SIRVO data is parallel to the use of 
the international accounting data. Id. The Postal Service states this 
change will streamline the ICRA data sources by eliminating 16 of the 
20 datasets and retaining only four files for outbound Priority Mail 
Express International data that are not provided by SIRVO. Id. at 2. 
Further, Proposal Four will include data for the 186 additional 
countries/territories currently subsumed in the four regional aggregate 
groups. Id.
    The Postal Service states that despite movement in the costs for 
individual products because of the new weighting scheme, overall costs 
will remain the same (to within one ten-thousandth of 1 percent) due to 
the ICRA benchmarking process. Id. at 4. The Postal Service identifies 
36 changes that differ by more than $0.01 and 1 percent at the same 
time as a result of Proposal 4. Id. at 3. By way of example, the Postal 
Service represents that the shift to the SIRVO data sources will 
increase the volume-variable costs for International Priority Airmail 
and International Surface Airlift by $125,000 and $85,000, 
respectively. Id. The Postal Service asserts that this cost change is 
isolated in outbound products covered by SIRVO and any affected NSAs in 
the international settlements estimates. Id. The Postal Service also 
asserts that the only market dominant category to experience a change 
of 1 percent or more was the total volume-variable cost increase of 
$10,000 for Outbound International Cards to Transition System Countries 
at Universal Postal Union rates. Id. at 4.

III. Initial Commission Action

    The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2015-12 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 Four no later than August 31, 2015. Reply comments are due no 
later than September 15, 2015. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, James F. 
Callow is designated as officer of the Commission (Public 
Representative) to represent the interests of the general public in 
this proceeding.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2015-12 for 
consideration of the matters raised by the Petition of the United 
States Postal Service for the Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider 
Proposed Changes in Analytical Principles (Proposal Four), filed July 
17, 2015.

[[Page 45469]]

    2. Comments are due no later than August 31, 2015. Reply comments 
are due no later than September 15, 2015.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints James F. 
Callow to serve as officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to 
represent the interests of the general public 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. 2015-18666 Filed 7-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P