[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 33 (Monday, February 22, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10507-10509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29031]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 111
Addressing Standards
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Proposed rule; revision; additional comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is revising its pending proposal to amend
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail
Manual (DMM[supreg]) in various sections of Addressing, to update
addressing standards.
DATES: Submit comments on or before March 24, 2021.
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 ``Addressing
Standards''. Faxed comments are not accepted.
Confidentiality
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: James Wilson at (901) 681-4600, Kai
Fisher at (901) 681-4634, or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 22, 2020, the Postal Service
published a notice of proposed rulemaking (85 FR 59484-59486) to update
addressing standards. In response to that proposed rule, the mailing
industry provided many valuable comments, which has prompted the Postal
Service to issue a revised proposed rule with an additional comment
period. The revised proposed rule will clarify our proposal to respond
to mailer comments by clearly outlining the ways in which the proposal
has changed.
Comments
Thirty-five formal responses were received. Several responses
expressed concern that the change would create cost increases for lower
volume mailers that currently process their lists quarterly and would
be required to process more frequently, increasing the cost paid to
mail service providers for address matching services. Several responses
suggested the 60-day requirement should be increased to 95 days, which
coincides with Move Update Standards. Other comments questioned the 60-
day requirement from address matching to the mailing date with a
product release that is still valid for use beyond that time frame. The
remaining comments requested an extension of the comment period.
Background
Currently, DMM section 602.6.0, ZIP Code Accuracy Standards,
provides that a ZIP CodeTM may be used on a mail piece
within 12 months after verified using a Postal Service approved method.
Once a ZIP Code is used on a mailpiece, the address associated with
that ZIP Code is considered to meet Postal Service addressing standards
for an additional 12 months from the date first used in the mail.
DMM sections 602.7.0, Carrier Route Accuracy Standard, and 9.0,
Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS), provide that Address Matching
and Coding Update standards require coding to be performed within 90
days before the mailing date for carrier route mailings and 180 days
for all non-carrier route mailings using the most current USPS
database. The current product release schedule allows for use of a
database that is valid for 105 days and may be used for an additional 6
months beyond that timeframe. As such, an address added or modified in
the Postal Service database may not be updated on a mailer's mailing
list for nearly 1 year after the change was made.
In 2012, the Postal Service implemented address management product
fulfillment via an electronic product fulfillment method designed to
provide subscription products to customers more efficiently. The
database product updates are posted each month to a secure site where
customers can log in to simply download the product files. A recent
survey of licensed Address Management data products indicates that CASS
and Multiline Accuracy Support System (MASS) Certified software and
service providers are retrieving and using the monthly updates during
the address matching and coding processes.
Proposal
The Postal Service proposed implementing a database product cycle
that aligns with the release of other mailing products. This will
provide consistency across all mailing products and the method by which
the data files are available and distributed.
The suggestion to increase the 60-day requirement to coincide with
the 95 days required for Move Update Standards is not within the scope
of this proposal.
The updated proposed release schedule allows for 120 days of use
and an overlap in dates for product use. Mailers that currently process
their lists quarterly would still be compliant as long as they do not
mail beyond the ``last permissible mailing date'' for the ``product
date'' as shown in the USPS Product Cycle in Exhibit 9.3.1. Mailers
will be expected to update their systems with the latest data files as
soon as practicable and should not wait until the ``last permissible
use'' date.
The Postal Service is proposing to implement this change effective
July 1, 2021. However, mailers may opt to use the new monthly update
cycles for both carrier route and non-carrier route mailings
immediately.
We believe this proposed revision will provide customers with a
more efficient process and will reduce the risk of using address
information that is not current.
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
comment 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.
[[Page 10508]]
We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to
reflect these changes.
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 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)
* * * * *
600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services
* * * * *
602 Addressing
* * * * *
6.0 ZIP Code Accuracy Standards
6.1 Basic Standards
Except for mail bearing a simplified address, addresses used on
pieces in a mailing at all commercial First-Class Mail, nonbarcoded
presorted Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, Parcel Select Lightweight,
and Bound Printed Matter presorted and carrier route prices are subject
to the ZIP Code accuracy standard and must meet these requirements:
[Revise the text of items a and b to read as follows:]
a. Each address and associated 5-digit ZIP Code on the mailpieces
in a mailing must be verified and corrected within 6 months before the
mailing date with one of the USPS-approved methods in 6.2.
b. If an address used on a mailpiece in a mailing at one class of
mail and price is verified and corrected with an approved method, the
same address may be used during the following 6 months to meet the ZIP
Code accuracy standard required for mailing at any other class of mail
and price.
6.2 USPS--Approved Methods
The following methods meet the ZIP Code accuracy standard:
* * * * *
b. For manually maintained lists or small computerized lists,
options include the following:
[Delete item b1 and renumber items b2 through b5 as items b1
through b4.]
* * * * *
7.0 Carrier Route Accuracy Standard
7.1 Basic Standards
* * * Addresses used on pieces claiming any Periodicals carrier
route prices, any USPS Marketing Mail Enhanced Carrier Route prices
(including DALs or DMLs used with Product Samples), or any Bound
Printed Matter carrier route prices are subject to the carrier route
accuracy standard and must meet the following requirements:
[Revise the text of item a to read as follows:]
a. Each address and associated carrier route code used on the
mailpieces (or DALs or DMLs) in a mailing must be updated with one of
the USPS-approved methods in 6.2 using a product release that is within
the USPS Product Cycle as provided in Exhibit 9.3.1.
* * * * *
[Delete item c.]
* * * * *
9.0 Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS)
* * * * *
9.3 Date of Address Matching and Coding
9.3.1 Update Standards
[Revise the text of 9.3.1 to read as follows:]
Unless Z4CHANGE is used, all automation and carrier route mailings
bearing addresses coded by any AIS product must be coded with current
CASS-certified software and the current USPS database. Coding must be
done using a product release that is within the USPS Product Cycle as
provided in Exhibit 9.3.1. All AIS products may be used immediately on
release. New product releases must be included in address matching
systems no later than after the first of the month following the
product date. The overlap in dates for product use allows mailers
adequate time to install the new data files and test their systems.
Mailers are expected to update their systems with the latest data files
as soon as practicable and need not wait until the ``last permissible
use'' date. The mailer's signature on the postage statement certifies
that this standard has been met when the corresponding mail is
presented to the USPS. The ``current USPS database'' product cycle is
defined by the table in Exhibit 9.3.1.
[Delete current table under 9.3.1 and add new table as Exhibit
9.3.1 to read as follows:]
Exhibit 9.3.1 USPS Database Product Cycle
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Release date (posted) Product date Required use date Expiration date
------------------------------------------------------------------------- (last permissible
use date) Last permissible
Must begin no -------------------- mailing date
Use of file released in (Publish date) later than . . . And must end no
later than . . .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mid-November.................... December 1........ January 1......... February 28/29.... March 31.
Mid-December.................... January 1......... February 1........ March 31.......... April 30.
Mid-January..................... February 1........ March 1........... April 30.......... May 31.
Mid-February.................... March 1........... April 1........... May 31............ June 30.
Mid-March....................... April 1........... May 1............. June 30........... July 31.
Mid-April....................... May 1............. June 1............ July 31........... August 31.
Mid-May......................... June 1............ July 1............ August 31......... September 30.
Mid-June........................ July 1............ August 1.......... September 30...... October 31.
Mid-July........................ August 1.......... September 1....... October 31........ November 30.
Mid-August...................... September 1....... October 1......... November 30....... December 31.
Mid-September................... October 1......... November 1........ December 31....... January 31.
Mid-October..................... November 1........ December 1........ January 31........ February 28/29.
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[[Page 10509]]
* * * * *
9.5 Documentation
* * * * *
9.5.5 Using a Single List
[Revise the text of 9.5.5 by deleting the last sentence.]
* * * * *
Joshua J. Hofer,
Attorney, Federal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2020-29031 Filed 2-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P