[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 149 (Tuesday, August 4, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46214-46215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19029]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

39 CFR Part 3050

[Docket No. RM2015-15; Order No. 2624]


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 a change to analytical principles relating to 
periodic reports (Proposal Six). This notice informs the public of the 
filing,

[[Page 46215]]

invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: September 2, 2015. Reply Comments are due: 
September 11, 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 27, 2015, the Postal Service filed a petition pursuant to 
39 CFR 3050.11 requesting that the Commission initiate an informal 
rulemaking proceeding in order to consider changes in analytical 
principles relating to periodic reports.\1\ Proposal Six is attached to 
the Petition and identifies the proposed analytical method change as a 
change related to the methodology used for measuring the national 
totals of revenue, pieces, and weight in the Revenue, Pieces, and 
Weight (RPW) Report for Click-N-Ship (CNS) Priority Mail. The Postal 
Service concurrently filed a non-public library reference, along with 
an application for non-public treatment of materials.\2\
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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 Six), July 27, 2015 (Petition).
    \2\ Notice of Filing of USPS-RM2015-15/NP1 and Application for 
Nonpublic Treatment, July 27, 2015 (Notice). The Library Reference 
is USPS-RM2015-15/NP1--Nonpublic Material Relating to Proposal Six 
(Click-N-Ship). The Notice incorporates by reference the Application 
for Non-Public Treatment of Materials contained in Attachment Two to 
the United States Postal Service Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Compliance 
Report, December 29, 2014. Notice at 1. See 39 CFR part 3007 for 
information on access to non-public material.
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II. Summary of Proposal

    The Postal Service explains that the current RPW methodology relies 
on two sources for CNS: (1) CNS system census data regarding 
transactions involving insured extra services; and (2) statistical 
estimates from the Origin Destination Information System (ODIS)-RPW 
probability sampling system for CNS Priority mail that are not 
associated with insured transactions (including Priority Mail 
transactions where insurance is included). Petition, Proposal Six at 3. 
Under Proposal Six, ODIS-RPW statistical sampling estimates would be 
replaced with the remaining CNS system census transactional data. Id. 
All data for CNS would therefore be census derived from CNS system 
generated transactions, with the exception of flat-rate products.\3\ In 
addition, CNS census activity would be adjusted to reflect refunds from 
the corresponding time period. Id. at 5.
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    \3\ Id. As weight is not required for flat-rate products within 
the CNS system, ODIS-RPW estimated weight per piece would be used to 
estimate weight for flat-rate products. Id.
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    As part of the public Excel spreadsheet filed with the Petition, 
the Postal Service provides an example of the kind of impact that a 
switch to census data would have on RPW Report data from the first 
quarter of Fiscal Year 2015. Id. at 7-8. Table A compares current ODIS-
RPW report totals to RPW totals when incorporating new census sources. 
Id. at 8. The results show that the CNS portion of Priority Mail 
revenue, volume, and weight would have decreased, respectively, by 
13.7, 14.3, and 4.4 percent, while extra service revenue would have 
increased by 18 percent. Id.
    The Postal Service asserts that the proposed changes will provide 
``a complete source of transaction-level data for mail piece revenue 
and volume characteristics, and their associated extra services needed 
for RPW reporting.'' Id. at 7. The Postal Service also states that the 
proposed changes would provide a more accurate report of flat-rate 
product weights and would provide a process for adjusting revenue and 
transactions thereby aligning them with the accounting treatment of 
refund revenue. Id.

III. Initial Commission Action

    The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2015-15 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 Six no later than September 2, 2015. Reply comments are due no 
later than September 11, 2015. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Lyudmila Y. 
Bzhilyanskaya is designated as an 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. RM2015-15 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 Six), filed July 
27, 2015.
    2. Comments are due no later than September 2, 2015. Reply comments 
are due no later than September 11, 2015.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Lyudmila Y. 
Bzhilyanskaya to serve as an 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.
Shoshana M. Grove,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-19029 Filed 8-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P