[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 136 (Monday, July 18, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42669-42670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15228]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
39 CFR Part 3050
[Docket No. RM2022-9; Order No. 6223]
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 Three).
This document informs the public of the filing, invites public comment,
and takes other administrative steps.
DATES: Comments are due: August 12, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing
Online system at https://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 Three
III. Notice and Comment
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
On July 8, 2022, 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 Three.
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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 Three), July 8, 2022 (Petition). The
Postal Service also filed a notice of filing of non-public material
relating to Proposal Three. Notice of Filing of USPS-RM2022-9-NP1
and Application for Nonpublic Treatment, July 8, 2022.
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II. Proposal Three
Background. Proposal Three relates to the Revenue, Pieces, and
Weight (RPW) reporting methodology for measuring the country-level
totals of contract mailpieces in outbound international product
categories bearing permit-imprint indicia. See Petition; id. Proposal
Three at 1. The international outbound products at issue include
Priority Mail International (PMI), First-Class Package International
Service (FCPIS), Priority Mail Express International (PMEI), First-
Class Mail International (FCMI), International Priority Airmail (IPA),
International Surface Airlift (ISAL), and Commercial ePackets (CEPK).
Proposal Three at 1. Currently, the Postal Service uses statistical
sampling estimates from the System for International Revenue and
Volume, Outbound, and International Origin Destination Information
System (SIRVO-IODIS), along with estimates from Global Business System
Dispatch (GBS Dispatch), to report the country-level totals. See id.
The Postal Service also filed an assessment of the impact of the
proposal on particular products in a non-public attachment accompanying
this proposal.\2\
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\2\ See Library Reference USPS-RM2022-9/NP1, July 8, 2022.
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Proposal. The Postal Service's proposal seeks to replace the SIRVO-
IODIS sampling estimates and the GBS Dispatch estimates used in the
existing RPW reporting methodology with granular census data. See id.
at 5. The Postal Service would use two auxiliary data sources for
permit-imprint contract pieces: manifest information for PostalOne!
customers using the Electronic Verification System (eVS) and, for other
PostalOne! customers, barcodes of mailer-prepared receptacles in the
GBS Dispatch system. See id. For PC Postage contract pieces, the Postal
Service would determine destination-country information from a
disaggregated National Meter Account Tracking System (NMATS) report
containing activity by individual contract and product. See id.
Rationale and impact. The Postal Service states that, under the
current methodology, certain country-level detail cannot be obtained
directly and that approximations, which may contain sampling error or
be imprecise, are used instead. See id. at 4. According to the Postal
Service, such error and imprecision affect analyses of negotiated
service agreements (NSAs), which analyses rely on country-level detail.
See id. The Postal Service asserts that its proposed methodology could
``be used for more precise analyses of individual
[[Page 42670]]
NSAs'' and would ``eliminate the impact of sampling error and GBS
approximations,'' and would be expected ``to have equal or improved
country-level data quality.'' Id. at 5-6.
The Postal Service states that its proposal would not directly
affect ``the national totals of outbound international contract mail
pieces reported in RPW.'' Id. at 5. However, the Postal Service expects
that the proposed methodology ``would change the level of census weight
for individual countries . . . .'' Id. at 6. As a result, the Postal
Service states that the national totals for products that contain non-
census weight (primarily FCMI and FCPIS Retail) would be indirectly
affected ``because all census and sample data are controlled to GBS
Dispatch weight for each expansion stratum.'' Id.
The Postal Service details these indirect effects in a version of
the international outbound portion of the FY 2022 Q2 YTD RPW report
showing data resulting from use of the proposed methodology compared to
data resulting from use of the current methodology. See Petition,
Attachment A at 1; Proposal Three at 6-7. According to the Postal
Service, ``[t]he indirect effects of the proposal would cause small
changes to Outbound First-Class Mail International (1.6 percent
decrease in revenue and 2.2 percent decrease in volume) and First-Class
Package International Service Retail (0.5 percent increase in revenue
and 0.6 percent increase in volume).'' Proposal Three at 7 (emphasis in
original). The Postal Service also states that ``[o]ther international
categories would have smaller indirect effects: US. [sic] Postal
Service Mail, Free Mail, and International Ancillary Services.'' Id.
(emphasis in original). Finally, the Postal Service states that
``[o]verall, outbound international revenue and volume for Quarters 1
and 2 of FY 2022 would be reduced by 0.2 percent and 1.3 percent,
respectively.'' Id. (footnote omitted).
III. Notice and Comment
The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2022-9 for consideration of
matters raised by the Petition. More information on the Petition may be
accessed via the Commission's website at https://www.prc.gov.
Interested persons may submit comments on the Petition and Proposal
Three no later than August 12, 2022. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Jennaca
D. Upperman 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. RM2022-9 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 Three), filed July 8, 2022.
2. Comments by interested persons in this proceeding are due no
later than August 12, 2022.
3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Jennaca D.
Upperman 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.
Erica A. Barker,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2022-15228 Filed 7-15-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P