[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 9, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 67615-67617]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-24136]


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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Address Correction Notices

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of 
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) in 
section 705.23, to update information regarding address correction 
requests and remove hardcopy address correction notice options for 
Full-Service and Seamless Acceptance mailers.

DATES: Submit comments on or before December 9, 2022.

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 ``Address Correction 
Notices''. 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: Starlene Blackwood at (901) 681-4475 
or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Ancillary service endorsements provide an option for mailers to 
instruct the Postal Service on how to treat their mail if it is 
determined to be undeliverable-as-addressed and to request address 
correction services. Address corrections are currently available in 
four available formats: a returned mailpiece with the new address or 
reason for nondelivery attached; PS Form 3547 Notice to Mailer of 
Correction in Address that is mailed to the return address on a 
mailpiece; PS Form 3579 Notice of Undeliverable Periodical mailed to 
the publisher address indicated in the publication ID Statement; or via 
ACSTM (Address Change Service) which is an electronic 
address correction notice made available to the sender via download 
from a secure USPS website that requires a login and password to access 
the files. Address correction fees are charged based on the method in 
which they are provided, with return mail

[[Page 67616]]

costs and manual address correction fees that reflect the USPS costs to 
handle those notices.
    Participating Full-Service and Seamless Acceptance mailers receive 
ACS notices at no charge. As a result, notices provided to mailers in 
this format has far exceeded the volume of returned mail and PS Forms 
3547 and 3579 requested and generated from undeliverable Full-Service 
and Seamless Acceptance mail.

Proposal

    The Postal Service is proposing to remove the option to request PS 
Forms 3547, Notice to Mailer of Correction in Address, and PS Form 
3579, Notice of Undeliverable Periodical, for Full-Service and Seamless 
Acceptance mailers.
    Full Service and Seamless Acceptance mailers and publishers that 
desire address correction information from undeliverable as addressed 
(UAA) mail will be required to receive address correction notices 
electronically via ACS. Those mailers that apply the ancillary service 
endorsement ``Address Service Requested'' or ``Change Service 
Requested'' to their mail, and Periodical publishers will receive ACS 
notices via the Data Distribution Dashboard from the Business Customer 
Gateway or by enrolling in the Electronic Product Fulfillment (EPF) 
secure website at https://epf.usps.gov. When appropriate, the 
electronic or automated address correction fees will be charged for 
each ACS notice provided.
    The Postal Service is proposing to implement this change effective 
July 9, 2023. However, mailers that currently request manual address 
corrections via PS Form 3547 or PS Form 3579 may begin to request ACS 
immediately. We believe this proposed revision will provide customers 
with more efficient and less costly address correction notices.
    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.
    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, 401-404, 414, 416, 3001-3018, 3201-3220, 3401-
3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3629, 3631-3633, 3641, 3681-3685, 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)

* * * * *

500 Additional Mailing Services

* * * * *

507 Mailer Services

* * * * *

4.0 Address Correction Services

* * * * *

4.2 Address Change Service (ACS)

* * * * *

4.2.6 Additional Standards--When Using Intelligent Mail Barcodes

    [Revise the introductory text of 4.2.6 to read as follows:]
    Mailers can access OneCode ACS using an Intelligent Mail barcode, 
which contains a valid Service Type Identifier indicating the ancillary 
service requested; a numeric Mailer ID; and the Serial Number, a unique 
numeric mailpiece identifier (Keyline equivalent). This option is 
available for letters and flat size pieces mailed as First-Class Mail, 
USPS Marketing Mail, and Periodicals. Address Service, Change Service 
and Return Service Ancillary Services are available for letters and 
flat-sized mail pieces mailed as First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail, 
and Bound Printed Matter (BPM), by choosing the appropriate ACS Service 
Type Identifier in the Intelligent Mail barcode. USPS Marketing Mail 
and Bound Printed Matter pieces with ACS using an Intelligent Mail 
barcode require the use of a printed on-piece endorsement. ACS mailers 
are encouraged to use the ``Electronic Service Requested'' text 
endorsement. Other printed endorsements are not required to request 
ancillary services in conjunction with an Intelligent Mail barcode used 
on First-Class Mail or Periodicals mailpieces, and their use may 
produce unintended results. Full-Service and Seamless Acceptance 
mailers that desire separate address corrections using Address Service 
and Change Service ancillary services must request ACS and will receive 
the ACS notices through Full Service. See 705.23.5.2 for additional 
standards. For other mailers, in order to receive requested ACS 
information, mailers must notify the NCSC, ACS Department in Memphis, 
TN, in writing, seven days prior to mailing to establish a method for 
ACS notice fulfillment and to arrange for payment of electronic or 
automated address correction fees. Mailpieces must meet the following 
specifications:
* * * * *

700 Special Standards

* * * * *

705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems

* * * * *

23.0 Full-Service Automation Option

* * * * *

23.5 Additional Standards

* * * * *

23.5.2 Address Correction Notices

    [Revise the text of 23.5.2 to read as follows:]
    Mailers presenting mailpieces (except for those noted below) that 
qualify for the full-service Intelligent Mail option will receive 
automated address correction notices electronically when the pieces are 
encoded with Intelligent Mail barcodes with ``Address Service 
Requested'' or ``Change Service Requested'' under standards for OneCode 
ACS and under the following conditions:
    a. Mailpieces must include the appropriate ACS service type ID in 
the Intelligent Mail barcode to match the ancillary service requested. 
See 507.1.5 for mail disposition and address correction combinations by 
class of mail.
    b. Complimentary ACS ancillary service address correction notices 
for mailpieces in full-service mailings are available for:
    1. First-Class Mail letters and flats, provided at no charge 
(printed endorsement not required for letters).
    2. Periodicals letters and flats, provided at no charge (printed 
endorsement not required).
    3. USPS Marketing Mail letters and flats or BPM flats, provided at 
no charge. USPS Marketing Mail and BPM pieces must include a printed 
on-piece endorsement in addition to encoding the ACS ancillary service 
request into

[[Page 67617]]

the Intelligent Mail barcode. See 507.4.2 for additional standards.
    c. Mailers must use the ACS address correction information provided 
by USPS to update their address records to receive notices without 
paying additional fees. Beginning July 9, 2023, address corrections 
will only be provided electronically in the Business Customer Gateway 
under Mailing Reports utilizing the Data Distribution and Informed 
Visibility Dashboard
    d. A new Service Type Identifier (STID) Table will be published on 
PostalPro removing all STID references for manual corrections when 
mailers present qualifying Full-Service mail.
* * * * *

Sarah Sullivan,
Attorney, Ethics & Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2022-24136 Filed 11-8-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P