[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 116 (Monday, June 19, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 27781]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12652]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 116 / Monday, June 19, 2017 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 27781]]



POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

39 CFR Part 3050

[Docket No. RM2017-5; Order No. 3959]


Periodic Reporting

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent filing requesting that the 
Commission initiate an informal rulemaking proceeding to consider 
changes to an analytical method for use in periodic reporting (Proposal 
One). This notice informs the public of the filing, invites public 
comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: July 19, 2017.

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. Proposal One
III. Notice and Comment
IV. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    On June 7, 2017, the Postal Service filed a petition, pursuant to 
39 CFR 3050.11, requesting that the Commission initiate a rulemaking 
proceeding to consider a change to an analytical method used in 
periodic reporting.\1\ The Petition labels the proposed analytical 
method change filed in this docket as Proposal One.
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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 One), June 7, 2017 (Petition).
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II. Proposal One

    The Postal Service currently utilizes statistical sampling 
estimates from the Origin Destination Information System--Revenue, 
Pieces, and Weight (ODIS-RPW) to measure national revenue and pieces 
for insured, collect on delivery (COD), and registered extra services 
on domestic mailpieces bearing PC Postage indicia. Proposal One at 3. 
The Postal Service proposes to replace the ODIS-RPW estimates with 
census transactional data from the Retail Data Mart reporting system. 
Id. at 5.
    The Postal Service summarizes the effect that Proposal One would 
have had in fiscal year 2016 (FY 2016) in Table A of the Petition. Id. 
at 7. Reported revenues for insured mail and registered mailpieces with 
PC Postage indicia would have increased by 126 percent and 67 percent, 
respectively. COD revenues for PC Postage mailpieces would have been 
calculated to be 1,967 percent higher, resulting in almost double the 
total COD revenue reported in the FY 2016 RPW and Cost and Revenue 
Analysis Report.\2\ The Postal Service notes that this increase in COD 
revenue would have substantially improved the FY 2016 cost coverage of 
COD, which was discussed in the Commission's FY 2016 ACD.\3\
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    \2\ FY 2016 COD revenue was reported to be $2,029,090. See 
Docket No. ACR2016, Annual Compliance Determination, March 28, 2017, 
at 61 (FY 2016 ACD). The Postal Service calculates that Proposal One 
would have added an additional $2,004,000 in revenue for the same 
period. Proposal One at 6.
    \3\ FY 2016 ACD at 61-62.
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    The Postal Service states that this change will improve accuracy by 
eliminating sampling errors. Proposal One at 5. For this reason, the 
Postal Service avers that Proposal One will provide ``equal or improved 
data quality.'' Id.

III. Notice and Comment

    The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2017-5 for consideration of 
matters raised by the Petition. More information on 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 One 
no later than July 19, 2017. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Lyudmila 
Bzhilyanskaya is designated as the Public Representative in this 
proceeding.

IV. Ordering Paragraphs

    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2017-5 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 One), filed June 7, 2017.
    2. Comments by interested persons in this proceeding are due no 
later than July 19, 2017.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Lyudmila 
Bzhilyanskaya to serve as the Public Representative in this docket.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Stacy L. Ruble,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-12652 Filed 6-16-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P