[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 249 (Friday, December 29, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 90137-90138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28296]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111


Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies Clarification

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of 
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to 
clarify Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies (CMRA) notary 
responsibilities for the addressee's signature.

DATES: Submit comments on or before January 29, 2024.

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 ``CMRA 
Clarification''. Faxed comments are not accepted.
    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: Heidi Michel at (414) 239-2976, 
Clayton Gerber at (202) 449-8076, or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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.
    The Postal Service is proposing to revise DMM subsection 
508.1.8.3a3 to clarify that the notary public must be commissioned in a 
United States state, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia 
and to clarify the notary public's responsibilities with respect to the 
addressee's signature on PS Form 1583. This clarification is needed to 
establish that the notary public is domestically commissioned and to 
address particularities of some state notary public laws that do not 
authorize notaries public to attest a signature. The revision allows 
notaries public to recognize the PS Form 1583 applicant's acknowledged 
signature.
    The proposed revision also clarifies that the addressee must sign 
or

[[Page 90138]]

acknowledge his or her signature on the PS Form 1583 in the physical or 
virtual (in real-time audio and video) presence of the CMRA owner, 
manager, or authorized employee, or acknowledge his or her signature on 
the PS Form 1583 in the physical or virtual (in real-time audio and 
video) presence of a notary public.
    These proposed clarifications are reflected in proposed 
corresponding revisions to the applicable provisions of PS Form 1583, 
including:

     Revising the notarial statement to read ``Notary Public 
in and for the STATE OF ___, COUNTY OF ___. On this ___ day of ___, 
20__, the applicant ___, who proved to me on the basis of 
satisfactory evidence to be the person whose name is subscribed to 
this application, appeared before me, and acknowledged his or her 
signature.''; and
     Adding the following statement to the Note on the 
second page of PS Form 1583: ``The applicant must sign or 
acknowledge his or her signature in the physical or virtual (in 
real-time audio and video) presence of the agent or his or her 
authorized employee, or acknowledge his or her signature in the 
physical or virtual (in real-time audio and video) presence of a 
notary public commissioned in a United States state, territory, 
possession, or the District of Columbia.''.

    After consideration of comments, and assuming that the Postal 
Service still intends to pursue these revisions as a final rule, the 
Postal Service will aim to implement any change effective February 1, 
2024.
    We believe this proposed revision will provide CMRA owners/managers 
with a more efficient process for accepting the PS Form 1583 and 
establishing mail delivery for a private mailbox (PMB) customer of the 
CMRA.
    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 proposed revisions to Mailing Standards of the United 
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), incorporated by 
reference in the Code of Federal Regulations.
    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)

* * * * *

500 Additional Mailing Services

* * * * *

508 Recipient Services

1.0 Recipient Options

* * * * *

1.8 Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies

* * * * *

1.8.3 Delivery to CMRA

    Procedures for delivery to a CMRA are as follows:
* * * * *
    [Revise the first sentence of item a3 to read as follows:]
    The addressee must sign or acknowledge his or her signature in the 
physical or virtual (in real-time audio and video) presence of the CMRA 
owner or manager or authorized employee, or acknowledge his or her 
signature in the physical or virtual (in real-time audio and video) 
presence of a notary public commissioned in a United States state, 
territory, possession, or the District of Columbia. * * *
* * * * *

Colleen Hibbert-Kapler,
Attorney, Ethics and Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2023-28296 Filed 12-28-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P