[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79005-79006]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27992]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Notice of New System of Records; Response to Comments

AGENCY: Postal Service[supreg].

ACTION: Notice of new system of records; response to comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States Postal Service[supreg] (USPS) is responding 
to public comments regarding the creation of a new Customer Privacy Act 
System of Records (SOR) 845.000, Commercial Mail Receiving Agency 
(CMRA) Records. This new SOR was created to consolidate all CMRA paper 
and electronic records under one new and dedicated SOR in support of a 
future planned initiative to centralize CMRA records into an electronic 
database and improve the security of the In-Person enrollment process. 
There will be no changes to the new system of records or to the 
effective date of September 30, 2022, in light of public comments 
received.

DATES: The new Customer Privacy Act SOR, USPS 845.000, Commercial Mail

[[Page 79006]]

Receiving Agency (CMRA) Records, Document Citation 87 FR 53512, was 
originally scheduled to be effective on September 30, 2022, without 
further notice. After review and evaluation of comments received, the 
Postal Service has found that no substantive changes to the system of 
records is required, and that the effective date for the new SOR should 
proceed as scheduled to meet Privacy Act requirements.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janine Castorina, Chief Privacy and 
Records Management Officer, Privacy and Records Management Office, via 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 30, 2022, the Postal Service 
published a Federal Register notice about its intent to create a new 
system of records, USPS SOR 845.000, CMRA Records, to provide notice to 
the public and to support the future planned initiative to centralize 
CMRA records into an electronic database and improve the security of 
the In-Person enrollment process. The publication of an SOR in the 
Federal Register complies with Privacy Act requirements to promote 
transparency and provide notice to individuals about the maintenance of 
a System of Records by a Federal agency, including but not limited to 
information that will be collected and stored, what it will be used 
for, the authority for collection and usage of the information, how the 
information may be disclosed and how long it will be retained.
    The Postal Service provides the following responses to the comments 
received pursuant to its Federal Register notice, Document Citation 87 
FR 53512, for the creation of the new SOR, USPS 845.000, Commercial 
Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) Records. The Postal Service is voluntarily 
responding to the questions below that are not directly related to the 
content or effective date of the CMRA SOR, but rather to the future 
implementation of the new CMRA Customer Registration Database (CRD) 
program initiative.
    Question 1: What is the expected rollout time for implementation of 
the SOR, and what transition period will be granted to CMRAs to comply 
with the Notice?
    Response: The effective date of the CMRA SOR is separate and 
distinct from the planned implementation and roll-out dates for the 
Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) Customer Registration Database 
(CRD) program initiative. Due to the nature and context of the 
question, the Postal Service interprets this question to ask about the 
CMRA program. The Postal Service plans to launch the new Commercial 
Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) Customer Registration Database (CRD) in 
the middle of calendar year 2023. The USPS anticipates a 9-month 
implementation period following an initial pilot.
    Question 2: Is the Business Customer Gateway portal ready for 
usage?
    Response: The Business Customer Gateway (BCG) is already an 
established application. The CMRA CRD is a new application that will 
launch in the middle of calendar year 2023.
    Question 3: How will this (implementation plans) be communicated to 
the CMRA owners and managers?
    Response: Each CMRA owner will receive mailed information from the 
Postal Service detailing the procedures for registration and access to 
the new CMRA CRD during the implementation period.
    Question 4: We wish to clarify whether under the Notice, only the 
back end of the CMRA enrollment process will be enhanced by requiring 
the CMRA to upload the information stated on the USPS Form 1583 to the 
SOR via the BCG, or will walk-in and Remote Online Notary (RON) 
procedures be affected as well?
    Response: The planned CMRA CRD program initiative does not 
eliminate the option for walk in or notary certification of PS Form 
1583. Instead, the new process disclosed in the CMRA SOR supports the 
future initiative, which replaces the current paper-based system of 
record, with an online repository of the information contained on PS 
Form 1583.
    Question 5: Is USPS 845.000 replacing the current notarized USPS 
Form 1583 process, or will it only enhance the alternative in-person 
option which shall continue to run alongside the current notarized USPS 
Form 1583 process?
    Response: The CMRA CRD program initiative is replacing the current 
paper-based system at the Postal Service with an online repository of 
the information contained on PS Form 1583.
    Question 6: Under the Notice, will notarization of the USPS Form 
1583 continue to serve as the final requirement for approval of the 
CMRA account of the customer, or will the enhancement include the USPS 
applying further supervision for inspection/verification/validation 
purposes via the SOR to potentially reject enrolled customers who have 
submitted IDs and a notarized USPS Form 1583?
    Response: Notarization of the USPS PS Form 1583 is not a 
requirement for approval of a CMRA customer account. The notarization 
of USPS Form 1583 is, and will remain, an option for an applicant of a 
CMRA customer account who is not able to sign their application in the 
presence of the CMRA owner/manager.
    However, as part of the administration of the CMRA program, the 
Postal Service will periodically inspect and verify identification 
documents for accurate data entry and refer inaccurate entries back to 
the Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) for correction. A Private 
Mailbox (PMB) may be closed for failure to provide accurate 
identification information or illegal activity.
    Question 7: Once the SOR is established and CMRA customer data will 
be electronically accessible and verifiable to the USPS and CMRA via 
the SOR and BCG, will the SOR enhancement allow CMRA customers (e.g. 
people with multiple homes/businesses) to enroll for multiple CMRA 
accounts at different CMRA locations based upon the original (and 
valid) ID documentation already approved and uploaded to the SOR for 
the customer's initial enrollment, or will customers need to notarize a 
separate USPS Form 1583 and submit IDs for each CMRA account they wish 
to open?
    Response: The CMRA program will require the completion of a 
separate PS Form 1583 for each rented PMB.

Sarah Sullivan,
Attorney, Ethics & Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2022-27992 Filed 12-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P