Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 169 (Friday, August 30, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 45699-45700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18748]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

39 CFR Part 3050

[Docket No. RM2019-12; Order No. 5211]


Periodic Reporting

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is acknowledging a recent filing requesting the 
Commission initiate a rulemaking proceeding to consider changes to 
analytical principles relating to periodic reports (Proposal Seven). 
This document informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, 
and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: September 26, 2019.

[[Page 45700]]


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 Seven
III. Notice and Comment
IV. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    On August 23, 2019, the Postal Service filed a petition pursuant to 
39 CFR 3050.11 requesting that the Commission initiate a rulemaking 
proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles relating to 
periodic reports.\1\ The Petition identifies the proposed analytical 
changes filed in this docket as Proposal Seven.
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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 Seven), August 23, 2019 (Petition). 
The Postal Service filed a notice of filing of public and non-public 
materials relating to Proposal Seven. Notice of Filing of USPS-
RM2019-12/1 and USPS-RM2019-12/NP1 and Application for Nonpublic 
Treatment, August 23, 2019. The Postal Service also filed a Revised 
Notice of Filing of USPS-RM2019-12/1 and USPS-RM2019-12/NP1 and 
Application for Nonpublic Treatment--Errata, August 26, 2019.
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II. Proposal Seven

    Background. Proposal Seven relates to the methodology used to 
allocate accrued costs for supervisors at delivery units on Sundays and 
holidays. Petition, Proposal Seven at 1. Total costs for supervisors 
are developed in the Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA). Id. Currently, 
the share of these total costs for supervisors at customer service 
offices on Sundays and holidays is determined using sampling from the 
In-Office Cost System (IOCS). Id.
    Proposal. The Postal Service's proposal seeks to replace the IOCS 
sampling used in the current methodology with data from the Time and 
Attendance Collection System (TACS). Id. Under the revised methodology, 
the Postal Service would ``determine the share of costs for supervisors 
at delivery units on Sundays and holidays, and then distribute these 
costs to products using the same distribution key used for city 
carriers delivering packages on Sundays and holidays.'' Id. at 2. The 
share of the costs ``would be calculated by using the share of wage-
adjusted workhours clocked to corresponding supervisor activities and 
represented by a new IOCS activity code 7720.'' Id. The costs would 
then be allocated to products by using the Product Tracking and 
Reporting (PTR) distribution key for products delivered on Sundays and 
holidays. Id.
    Rationale and impact. The Postal Service notes that Proposal Seven 
would update the methodology for costs for supervisors on Sundays and 
holidays to be ``consistent with the recently approved change to the 
costing for city carriers on those days.'' Id. at 3. The Postal Service 
comments that TACS clock ring data ``provides a more robust estimate of 
supervisor costs.'' Id. The Postal Service states that IOCS sampling 
presents ``practical challenges . . . that may lead to systematic 
errors in the IOCS-based estimates of total costs for carrier work 
assignments, which includes acting as a supervisor.'' Id. For this 
reason, the Postal Service argues that the proposed methodology ``would 
eliminate a potential source of bias.'' Id. at 4.

III. Notice and Comment

    The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2019-12 for consideration 
of matters raised by the Petition. More information on the Petition may 
be accessed via the Commission's website at http://www.prc.gov. 
Interested persons may submit comments on the Petition and Proposal 
Seven no later than September 26, 2019. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, 
Lawrence Fenster 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. RM2019-12 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 Seven), filed 
August 23, 2019.
    2. Comments by interested persons in this proceeding are due no 
later than September 26, 2019.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Lawrence 
Fenster 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.
Darcie S. Tokioka,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-18748 Filed 8-29-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P