[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57889-57890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23543]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Mailing Cremated Remains

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is amending Hazardous, Restricted, and 
Perishable Mail, Publication 52, in various sections to require 
markings on mailpieces containing cremated remains, to eliminate the 
use of USPS-produced Priority Mail Express[supreg] labels for domestic 
shipments, and to limit the use of additional mailing services.

DATES: Date of publication in the Postal Bulletin: November 7, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen F. Key at (202) 268-7492 or 
Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service published a notice of 
prospective revision of standards; invitation to comment on September 
17, 2019, (84 FR 48959-48960) to:
    1. Require the use of Label 139, Cremated Remains, on all domestic 
or international mailpieces containing cremated remains.
    2. Eliminate the use of Labels 11-B, 11-F, and 11-HFPU, for 
domestic shipments containing cremated remains.
    3. Limit the additional mailing services for mailpieces containing 
cremated remains to insurance and return receipt.
    The Postal Service did not receive any comments to this notice of 
prospective revision of standards.

[[Page 57890]]

    To increase the visibility of mailpieces containing cremated 
remains to postal employees and to ensure those mailpieces are more 
secure for processing and timely delivery, the Postal Service is 
requiring the use of Label 139 to be affixed to each side (including 
top and bottom) of a Priority Mail Express or Priority Mail Express 
International mailpiece containing cremated remains (USPS-produced or 
customer supplied). As an alternative, the Postal Service is 
introducing a special Priority Mail Express cremated remains branded 
box (BOX-CRE) that may be used for domestic or international shipments 
of cremated remains. The new Priority Mail Express cremated remains 
branded box will be available as part of a kit that will be offered in 
two versions. One kit will contain the box and a roll of tape. The 
other kit will include the box, a self-sealing plastic bag, bubble 
wrap, tape, and Publication 139, How to Package and Ship Cremated 
Remains. Both kits can be ordered online at the Postal Store on 
USPS.com[supreg].
    To improve service, the Postal Service is providing an option for 
retail customers to present a mailpiece containing cremated remains at 
a Post Office[supreg] location and have a shipping label printed and 
affixed. Customers will continue to have the option to use a single-ply 
Priority Mail Express label generated through Click-N-Ship or other 
USPS-approved method. If customers generate a single-ply label, the 
Postal Service is requiring an Intelligent Mail[supreg] package barcode 
(IMpb[supreg]) shipping label with the appropriate service type code 
and banner text above the barcode (see Publication 199) used for 
cremated remains domestic shipments. The shipping services file must 
include the appropriate cremated remains three-digit Extra Service Code 
for domestic and international shipments (see Publication 199). The use 
of a Priority Mail Express Label 11-B, 11-F, and 11-HFPU, will no 
longer be accepted for cremated remains domestic shipments.
    As a result of improving service with the new shipping label 
requirements, the Postal Service is limiting the extra services 
available when mailing cremated remains to additional insurance and 
return receipt, and is eliminating the option to use Hold For Pickup 
service. Customers will continue to have the option to request a 
signature.
    The specific revisions to Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, 
and Perishable Mail referenced in this notice will be published in 
Postal Bulletin 22532 on November 7, 2019, and can be viewed at http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin. These revisions are expected to be 
incorporated into Publication 52 within the next few weeks. Publication 
52 is provided in its entirety on Postal Explorer[supreg] at 
pe.usps.com.
    In addition, the Postal Service will update Mailing Standards of 
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) 
and International Mail Manual (IMM[supreg]), and Publication 139, How 
to Package and Ship Cremated Remains, under separate cover.
    These revisions will enable the Postal Service to provide an 
improved customer experience from sender to receiver.
* * * * *

Brittany M. Johnson,
Attorney, Federal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-23543 Filed 10-28-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-12-P