[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 856-859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-28505]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Seamless Changes for Detached Mail Unit (DMU) and Full-Service 
Mailings

AGENCY: Postal Service\TM\.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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[[Page 857]]

SUMMARY: The Postal Service is proposing to revise Mailing Standards of 
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to 
require Detached Mail Unit (DMU) mailers and mailers that enter full-
service mailings at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) to participate in 
Seamless Parallel by March 1, 2020 and enroll in the Seamless 
Acceptance Program by February 1, 2021 at all DMU sites. All full-
service mailings entered at a BMEU would then be verified using 
automated sampling and verification processes by July 1, 2021.

DATES: Submit comments on or before February 7, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, Product 
Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, 
Washington, DC 20260-5015. If sending comments by email, include the 
name and address of the commenter and send to 
[email protected], with a subject line of ``Seamless 
Changes for Detached Mail Unit and Full-Service Mailings''. Faxed 
comments are not accepted.
    All submitted comments and attachments are part of the public 
record and subject to disclosure. Do not enclose any material in your 
comments that you consider to be confidential or inappropriate for 
public disclosure.
    You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment 
only, at USPS[supreg] Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th 
Floor North, Washington, DC 20260. These records are available for 
review on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., by calling 202-268-
2906.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Bell at (407) 782-2972, or 
Jacqueline Erwin at (202) 268-2158.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Seamless Acceptance leverages electronic 
documentation (eDoc) and the Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs) on 
containers, handling units, and mailpieces required under full-service. 
Mailpiece scans collected from mail processing equipment (MPE) and 
samples from hand-held scanning devices are reconciled to the mailer 
eDoc to confirm proper mail preparation for the discounts claimed and 
postage paid. This capability avoids the need for verification of mail 
at acceptance.
    For purposes of clarification, the Postal Service provides the 
following definitions of key terms/concepts used in this document:

Terms

    90 Percent Full-Service Volume: eDoc submitter must apply a unique 
Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) to each postcard, letter, and flat, tray 
or sacks, and placards for containers when required, for 90 percent of 
all mailing volume submitted.
    Auto-finalization: Postage statements are finalized by the 
PostalOne! system on the mailing date indicated within the eDoc. At 
this time, permit balance checks are performed. Beginning January 26, 
2020, Seamless Acceptance mailings will auto-finalize without presort 
fees being paid.
    Census Verification: The comparison of eDoc to MPE scans for a 
mailing. Census verifications validate that the delivery point and 
nesting/sortation information reflected in the eDoc aligns with the 
information captured by MPE. Census verifications also check for 
undocumented mailpieces within a mailing.
    Electronic Induction (eInduction): An electronic alternative to the 
manual preparation and submission of PS Forms 8125, 8125-C, 8125-CD, 
and 8017. Additional information, including verification and associated 
assessments, is provided in Publication 685, Publication for 
Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats, at: https://postalpro.usps.com/StreamlinedMailAcceptLettersFlatsPub685.
    Sampling Verification: Hand-held scanners are used to collect 
mailing characteristics that are not collected during automated mail 
processing. These characteristics include the following information 
about the payment method, piece weight, mailpiece content, nonprofit 
eligibility, mail class, and processing category of the mailing. The 
information collected in the sample is used later in the process to 
check the mail preparation quality. A complete sample includes one 
container, three handling units from that container, and 30 mailpieces 
from the container (10 mailpieces are selected from each handling 
unit).
    Seamless Mailing: Any mailing submitted by an eDoc submitter whose 
Customer Registration ID (CRID) is enrolled in Seamless Acceptance.
    Seamless Parallel: A pre-requisite for Seamless Acceptance 
participation. During Seamless Parallel, there are no changes to the 
mailer's current acceptance and verification procedures. Mailings 
continue to be accepted without interruption (except in cases of manual 
verification failures). At the same time, Seamless monitoring, 
sampling, and reporting features are activated to evaluate mail 
quality. Mailers can utilize the Mailer Scorecard to monitor and 
improve mail quality, business processes, and software prior to 
enrollment in Seamless Acceptance. Mailers need to work with their 
local BMEU, Business Acceptance Performance Specialist (BAPS), or Major 
Mailer Support Analyst (MMSA) to resolve any Seamless mail quality and 
electronic documentation (eDoc) submission errors prior to enrolling in 
Seamless Acceptance.
    Undocumented Mailpiece: Any mailpiece scanned by MPE that is not 
associated with a valid eDoc submission over the past 45 days.

Proposal

    The Postal Service proposes to require:
    1. Participation in Seamless Acceptance for all mailers with an 
authorized Detached Mail Unit (DMU) by February 1, 2021.
     Mailers with an authorized DMU consistently submitting at 
least 90 percent full-service eligible volume for First-Class Mail, 
Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, and Bound Printed 
Matter (BPM) barcoded flats will have their mailings verified under the 
Seamless Acceptance Program on February 1, 2021.
    2. Performance of Seamless Acceptance verifications on all BMEU 
entered mailings that claim the full-service discount by July 1, 2021.
     While BMEU mailers will not be required to enroll in 
Seamless Acceptance, all full-service mailings will be verified using 
the automated verification processes utilized by the Seamless 
Acceptance program. Current manual verification processes will be 
retired for full-service mailings of First-Class Mail, Periodicals, 
USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, and BPM barcoded flats and 
replaced with the automated processes beginning July 1, 2021.
    DMU and BMEU mailers will be required to:
     Meet all content and price eligibility standards for the 
price claimed.
     Participate in eInduction for DMU-verified origin entry 
and destination entry drop-shipments (would be applicable to DMUs 
only).
     Participate in Seamless Parallel by March 1, 2020.
    Any DMU mailer that anticipates they will be unable to comply with 
Seamless Acceptance requirements by February 1, 2021 must request an 
extension by November 1, 2020. Extension requests must be sent to the 
Mail Entry and Payment Technology (MEPT) mailbox at 
[email protected], certifying the date that compliance with Seamless 
Acceptance requirements will be achieved.

[[Page 858]]

    Beginning July 1, 2021, manual verifications will be retired for 
all BMEU-entered full-service mailings. The Postal Service will begin 
utilizing automated census and sampling verifications for all mailings 
claiming the full-service discount. Postage assessments will be based 
on the data received through census and sampling verifications for each 
calendar month. Verification results will be documented on the Mailer 
Scorecard for each mailer Customer Registration ID (CRID). Non-full-
service mailings will continue to be accepted and will be verified 
using traditional manual verifications.
    Information regarding verification and associated assessments for 
the eInduction and Seamless Acceptance Programs, is available in 
Publication 685, Publication for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for 
Letters and Flats, available at: https://postalpro.usps.com/StreamlinedMailAcceptLettersFlatsPub685.
    Benefits of Seamless Acceptance include:

 Longer mail production cycle
 Mailer control over postage statement finalization date
 Mailer control over mail release timing
 Elimination of the need for postal employees to release 
containers in the Drop Shipment Management Systems (DSMS)
 Seamless Acceptance and eInduction eliminates the need for PS 
Forms 8125-C, 8125-CD (Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Consolidated 
Verification and Clearance), PS Form 8125 (Plant-Verified Drop Shipment 
(PVDS) Verification and Clearance), and PS Form 8017 (Expedited Plant-
Load Shipment Clearance)
    [cir] Note: Participation in eInduction is required for mailers 
participating in the Seamless Acceptance program
 Elimination of Special Postage Payment System (SPPS) 
Authorizations
    [cir] Elimination of hard copy/electronic itemized or batched 
manifests for letter and flats
 Seamless Mailers no longer have to use Manifest key-lines when 
using the traditional ACS product
 Standardization of acceptance and electronic verification 
procedures
 Elimination of all manual verifications for Seamless mailings
 Improved mail quality feedback
 Trend-based verifications measuring mail quality across a 
calendar month

    Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)) regarding proposed 
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites public 
comments on the following proposed revisions to Mailing Standards of 
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), 
incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 
CFR 111.1.
    We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to 
reflect these changes if our proposal is adopted.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.

    Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 111--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-
1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219, 
3403-3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3632, 3633, and 5001.

0
2. Revise the following sections of Mailing Standards of the United 
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), as follows:

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail 
Manual (DMM)

* * * * *

700 Special Standards

* * * * *

705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems

* * * * *

22.0 Seamless Acceptance Program

22.1 Description

    [Revise the first and add new second sentence of 22.1; to read as 
follows:]
    Seamless Acceptance leverages electronic documentation (eDoc) and 
Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMbs) on containers, handling units and 
mailpieces that full-service provides. Mailpiece scans collected from 
USPS mail processing equipment (MPE) and samples from hand held 
scanning devices are reconciled to the mailer eDoc to confirm proper 
mail preparation for the discounts claimed and postage paid. Seamless 
Acceptance is available for First-Class Mail cards, letters, and flats, 
Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats, and Bound Printed 
Matter flats.* * *
    [Revise the title of 22.2; to read as follows:]

22.2 Seamless Participation

    [Revise the text of 22.2 to read as follows:]
    Mailers may initiate participation in the Seamless Acceptance 
Program by contacting a local BMEU or the PostalOne! Helpdesk at 1-800-
522-9085.
* * * * *
    [Revise the title of subsection 22.3.1; to read as follows:]

22.3.1 Seamless Parallel Program

    [Revise the text of subsection 22.3.1; to read as follows:]
    Detached Mail Unit (DMU) mailers and mailers that enter full-
service mailings at a Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) must participate 
in the Seamless Parallel Program. Additional information on the 
Seamless Parallel Program is available in Publication 685, Publication 
for Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats, available at: 
https://postalpro.usps.com/StreamlinedMailAcceptLettersFlatsPub685.
* * * * *

23.0 Full-Service Automation Option

* * * * *

23.3 Fees

23.3.1 Eligibility for Exception to Payment of Annual Fees and Waiver 
of Deposit of Permit Imprint Mail Restrictions

* * * * *
    c. * * * (i.e., the percentage of all the permit holder's full-
service eligible pieces that were actually mailed as full-service 
items) to fall:
    [Revise the text of item 23.3.1c1; to read as follows:]
    1. The annual mailing fee will be due and the mailing verification 
date will become the renewal or anniversary date of the permit fees. 
The full-service percentage will automatically set to 0 percent on each 
subsequent anniversary date. The first mailing presented after the 
anniversary date begins the cumulative process for the full-service 
percentage calculation. If the first mailing presented after the 
anniversary date is below 90 percent, the annual fee will need to be 
paid prior to the mail being finalized. Once the annual fees are paid, 
the next validation date will be the next anniversary date.
    [Remove subsection 23.3.1c2; in its entirety:]
* * * * *

[[Page 859]]

    We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to 
reflect these changes.

Joshua J. Hofer,
Attorney, Federal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-28505 Filed 1-7-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P