Federal Register Notices
Below is a current list of the Federal Register notices filed by the Mailing Standards Department of the United States Postal Service. To search all USPS Federal Register notices please see: GPO Federal Register Collection.
View Previous Federal Register Notices:
Published in the Federal Register December 16, 2022.
International Mailing Services: Price Changes and Minor Classification Changes
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Final action.
SUMMARY:
On October 7, 2022, the Postal Service published notice of price adjustments and minor classification changes with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) concluded that price adjustments and classification changes contained in the Postal Service's notification may go into effect on January 22, 2023. The Postal Service will revise Notice 123, Price List, to reflect the new prices. In addition, the Postal Service will update country names throughout mailing standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) by changing “Turkey” to “Turkiye,'' which is the official short name for the Republic of Turkiye.
DATES: Effective January 22, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy at 202-268-6592 or Kathy Frigo at 202-268-4178.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Proposed Rule and Response
On October 7, 2022, the Postal Service filed a notice with the PRC in Docket No. R2023-1 of mailing services price adjustments to be effective on January 22, 2023. On October 28, 2022, USPS® published a notification of proposed price changes in the Federal Register entitled “International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes'' (87 FR 65181). The notification included price changes that the Postal Service would adopt for services covered by Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) and publish in Notice 123, Price List, on Postal
Explorer[supreg] at pe.usps.com. In addition, the notification included an update to country names throughout mailing standards, changing “Turkey'' to “Turkiye,'' which is the official short name for Republic of Turkiye. The Postal Service received no comments.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register December 15, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
On October 7, 2022, the Postal Service (USPS®) filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective January 22, 2023. This final rule contains the revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to implement the changes coincident with the price adjustments and other minor DMM changes.
DATES: Effective Date: January 22, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537 or
Dale Kennedy at (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On November 28, 2022, the PRC favorably reviewed the price adjustments proposed by the Postal Service. The price adjustments and DMM revisions are scheduled to become effective on January 22, 2023. Final prices are available under Docket No. R2023-1 (Order No. 6341) on the Postal Regulatory Commission's website at www.prc.gov.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register December 13, 2022.
Post Office Box Refund
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to clarify the refund policy for customers who qualified for a Group “E” (free) Post Office Box™.
DATES: Submit comments on or before January 12, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Director, 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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “PO Box Refunds”. 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® 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: Phong T. Quang at (202) 268-2857 or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Currently, the Postal Service has no provision for providing a refund to customers who were eligible for Group E (free) PO Box™ service under DMM 508.4.5.2 and paid for PO Box service. Informal policies were established to refund customers who paid for PO Box service despite their eligibility for Group E PO Box service on an ad hoc basis but were inconsistent.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register November 30, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for the Separation of Hazardous Materials
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is amending Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52), to incorporate new requirements for mailers to separate, into identifiable containers, all hazardous material (HAZMAT) requiring hazardous marks or labels from other mail when tendering to the Postal Service. The Postal Service is also adopting related standard operating procedures to ensure the proper handling and routing of identified HAZMAT products. Additionally, the Postal Service will now require used, damaged, or defective electronic devices (excluding devices that are new in original packaging, and manufacturer certified new/refurbished) containing or packed with lithium batteries to be mailed only via surface transportation and to bear specified markings.
DATES: Effective date: This rule is effective December 1, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy, (202) 268-6592, or Jennifer Cox, (202) 268-2108.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Postal Service hereby amends Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, with the provisions set forth herein. While not codified in Title 39, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Publication 52 is a regulation of the Postal Service, and changes to it may be published in the Federal Register. 39 CFR 211.2(a)(2). Moreover, Publication 52 is incorporated by reference into Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) section 601.8.1, which is incorporated by reference, in turn, into the Code of Federal Regulations. 39 CFR 111.1, 111.3. Publication 52 is publicly available, in a read-only format, via the Postal Explorer website at https://pe.usps.com. In addition, links to Postal Explorer are provided on the landing page of USPS.com, the Postal Service's primary customer-facing website, and on Postal Pro, an online informational source available to postal customers.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register on November 30, 2022.
Electronic Indicators for the Mailing of Hazardous Materials
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Proposed rule for special standards; invitation to comment.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service proposes to provide unique electronic service codes and to standardize extra service options for shipments of hazardous materials (HAZMAT). If adopted, this proposal would amend Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52) by requiring the use of unique service type codes and extra service codes within the electronic data submission and tracking barcodes for shipments containing HAZMAT provided to the USPS by the mailers in their Shipping Services File (SSF). This proposal would standardize the acceptance and handling of shipments containing HAZMAT by collecting electronic data to create manifests for the Postal Service's air carrier suppliers and ensuring these items are handled appropriately with regards to the category of HAMZAT contained within the package. The Postal Service also proposes to amend the Mailing Standards of the
United States Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) that would alter the refund eligibility of Priority Mail Express containing hazardous materials.
DATES: Submit comments on or before December 30, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Director, 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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of ``Electronic Indicators''. Faxed comments will not be accepted. 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
- nly, at USPS[supreg] Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor North, Washington, DC 20260. These records are available for review Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling 202-268-2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Cox at (202) 268-2108, Juliaann Hess at (202) 268-7663, or Dale Kennedy (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Postal Service proposes to amend Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (“Pub 52''), with the provisions set forth herein. While not codified in title 39, Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR''), Publication 52 is a regulation of the Postal Service, and changes to it may be published in the Federal Register. 39 CFR 211.2(a)(2). Moreover, Publication 52 is incorporated by reference into Mailing Standards of the United States
Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (“DMM'') section 601.8.1, which is incorporated by reference, in turn, into the Code of Federal Regulations. 39 CFR 111.1, 111.3. Publication 52 is publicly available, in a read-only format, via the Postal Explorer website at https://pe.usps.com. In addition, links to Postal Explorer are provided on the landing page of USPS.com, the Postal Service's primary customer-facing website, and on Postal Pro, an online informational source available to postal customers.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register November 23, 2022.
International Competitive Services Product and Price Changes
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®), to reflect the prices, product features, and classification changes to Competitive Services and other minor changes, as established by the Governors of the Postal Service.
DATES: Effective January 22, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy at 202-268-6592 or Kathy Frigo at 202-268-4178.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
New prices are posted under Docket Number CP2023-42 on the Postal Regulatory Commission's website at http://www.prc.gov. For Priority Mail International items destined to Canada, the Postal Service is collapsing price groups 1.1 through 1.8 (which are based on origin ZIP Code) into a single country group. In addition, the Postal Service is eliminating the related fee for the International Service Center (ISC) Official Zone Chart for Priority Mail International pieces destined to Canada. Also, to conform to requested country nomenclature, the Postal Service is changing the official name of Turkey to the Republic of Turkiye, with Turkiye as the short name, in related sections of the IMM.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register November 18, 2022.
Domestic Competitive Products Pricing and Mailing Standards
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is amending Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMMâ), to reflect changes to prices and mailing standards for competitive products.
DATES: Effective January 22, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen F. Key at (202) 268-7492, Margaret Pepe (202) 268-3078, or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
This final rule describes new prices and product features for competitive products, by class of mail, established by the Governors of the United States Postal Serviceâ. New prices are available under Docket Number CP2023-42 on the Postal Regulatory Commission PRC website at http://www.prc.gov, and on the Postal Explorer® website at http://pe.usps.com.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register November 9, 2022.
Address Correction Notices
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, 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® 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 ACS™ (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 costs and manual address correction fees that reflect the USPS costs to handle those notices.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register October 28, 2022.
International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed Rule; request for comments.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®), to reflect changes coincident with the recently announced mailing services price adjustments.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before November 28, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver comments to the manager, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service®, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, RM 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015. You may inspect and photocopy all written comments at USPS® Headquarters Library, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor N, Washington DC by appointment only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday by calling 1-202-268-2906 in advance. Email comments, containing the name and address of the commenter, to: PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “January 2023 International Mailing Services Proposed Price Changes.” Faxed comments are not accepted. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy at 202-268-6592 or Kathy Frigo at 202-268-4178.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
International Price and Service Adjustments
On October 7, 2022, the Postal Service filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective on January 22, 2023. The Postal Service proposes to revise Notice 123, Price List, available on Postal Explorer® at https://pe.usps.com, to reflect these new price changes. The new prices are or will be available under Docket Number R2023-1 on the Postal Regulatory Commission’s website at www.prc.gov.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register October 21, 2022.
Removal of Sacks – USPS Marketing Mail and Periodicals Flats
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service™ proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to remove references to sacks as a handling unit for USPS Marketing Mail® and Periodicals Flats.
DATES: Submit comments on or before November 21, 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. You may inspect and photocopy all written comments at USPS® Headquarters Library, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor N, Washington DC by appointment only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday by calling 1-202-268-2906 in advance. Email comments, containing the name and address of the commenter, may be sent to: ProductClassification@usps.gov, with a subject line of "Network Redesign – Removal of Sacks." Faxed comments are not accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy at (202) 268-6592 or Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
As part of its network redesign efforts, the Postal Service is proposing to eliminate the use of sacks as containers for Flats acceptance/entry but will continue to allow Flat trays as acceptable containers for acceptance and entry along with bundles on pallets for USPS Marketing Mail and Periodicals Flat Mail. The exception to this proposal is that carrier route, 5-digit scheme carrier routes and 5-digit carrier routes flat mail will continue to be allowed to use sacks as a handling unit.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register October 20, 2022.
USPS Connect Local Mail
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Postal Service is amending Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) in various sections to add a new price category designed to enhance access to our delivery network at the local level to deliver envelopes the same-day or the next-day.
DATES: Effective Date: January 22. 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krista Becker at (202) 268-7345 or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Currently, when business mailers who send documents locally with regular frequency wish to send documents for same‑day or next-day delivery, they are directed to use a variety of services that were designed for end-to-end mailing over long distances and are priced accordingly.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register October 20, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
On October 7, 2022, the Postal Service (USPS®) filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective January 22, 2023. This proposed rule contains the revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) that we would adopt to implement the changes coincident with the price adjustments.
DATES: Submit comments on or before November 21, 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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “January 2023 Domestic Mailing Services Proposal.” Faxed comments are not accepted.
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® Headquarters Library, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor North, Washington, DC, 20260. These records are available for review on Monday through Friday, 9 am – 4 pm, by calling 202-268-2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Krista Becker at (202) 268-7345, Samie Rehman at (202) 268-7023, Karen Key at (202) 268-7492, or Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed prices are available under Docket No. R2023-1 on the Postal Regulatory Commission's Web site at www.prc.gov. The Postal Service's proposed rule includes changes to prices, mail classification updates, product simplification efforts, and minor revisions to the DMM.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register October 19, 2022.
International Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Postal Service announces the issuance of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) dated July 10, 2022, and its incorporation by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations.
DATES: This final rule is effective on October 19, 2022. The incorporation by reference of the IMM is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of October 19, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy, (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The International Mail Manual (IMM) provides our standards for all international mailing services and references for the applicable prices. It was issued on July 10, 2022, and was updated with Postal Bulletin revisions through June 2, 2022.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register October 19, 2022.
Domestic Mail Manual; Incorporation by Reference
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY: The Postal Service announces the issuance of the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) dated July 10, 2022, and its incorporation by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations.
DATES: This final rule is effective on October 19, 2022. The incorporation by reference of the DMM dated July 10, 2022, is approved by the Director of the Federal Register as of October 19, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) provides the United
States Postal Service’s official prices and standards for all domestic mailing services. The most recent issue of the DMM is dated July 10, 2022.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register June 29, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Supplemental final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service published in the Federal Register of June 13, 2022, a document revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMMâ), to reflect changes to prices and mailing standards for certain Mailing Services products. This document clarifies and amends the mailing standards.
DATES: Effective Date: July 10, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537 or Dale Kennedy at (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Postal Service published a document in the Federal Register on June 13, 2022, (87 FR 35658-35660), adopting the standards for the July 10, 2022, Mailing Services price change. Under this correction, the Postal Service further revises the standards for the Direct Container Discount.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register June 17, 2022.
Caller Service - Customized Address
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) in various sections to introduce a new service feature, Caller Service – Customized Address.
DATES: Submit comments on or before [INSERT DATE 15 DAYS FROM DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “Caller Service – Customized Address”. Faxed comments are not accepted. You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment only, at USPS® Headquarters Library, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor North, Washington, DC, 20260. These records are available for review on Monday through Friday, 9 am - 4 pm, by calling 202-268-2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Drew Mitchum (202) 268-7351 or Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Caller Service is a premium service available for a fee to any customer meeting certain mailing standards. Currently, Caller Service customers are not allowed to omit their Post Office Box number from the address of the mailpiece.
The Postal Service is proposing to allow approved Caller Service customers with a unique 5-digit ZIP Code to add Customized Address by paying for the right to omit the PO Box number and replacing it with a different approved address line. For example, a Caller Service customer with a unique ZIP Code could replace “P.O. Box 1287” with “One Postal Way.” Only the P.O. Box portion of the address would be replaced; the unique ZIP Code would remain as part of the city/state line.
A current approved Caller Service customer with a unique 5-digit ZIP Code may request Customized Address by using forms available at their approved postal facility and paying a one-time onboarding fee of $2000. After the first year, a fee of $1000 would be charged for each authorized delivery address line per annual (12-month) period. In addition to being limited to those customers with a unique 5-digit ZIP Code, Customized Address would also be restricted to use with letters and flats. Any parcels that are delivered to the address that do not bear evidence of postage payment would be delivered postage due at the appropriate Parcel Select rate.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register June 15, 2022.
International Mailing Services: Price Changes
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final action.
SUMMARY:
On April 6, 2022, the Postal Service published proposed price changes to reflect a notice of price adjustments filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). The PRC found that price adjustments contained in the Postal Service’s notification may go into effect on July 10, 2022. The Postal Service will revise Notice 123, Price List to reflect the new prices.
DATES: Effective date: July 10, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy at 202-268-6592 or Kathy Frigo at 202-268-4178.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Proposed Rule and Response
On April 6, 2022, the Postal Service filed a notice with the PRC in Docket No. R2022-1 of mailing services price adjustments to be effective on July 10, 2022. On April 14, 2022, USPS® published a notification of proposed price changes in the Federal Register entitled “International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes” (87 FR 22162). The notification included price changes that the Postal Service would adopt for services covered by Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) and publish in Notice 123, Price List, on Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com. The Postal Service received no comments.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register June 13, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
On April 6, 2022, the Postal Service (USPS®) filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective July 10, 2022. This final rule contains the revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to implement the changes coincident with the price adjustments and other minor DMM changes.
DATES: Effective Date: July 10, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537 or Dale Kennedy at (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On May 27, 2022, the PRC favorably reviewed the price adjustments proposed by the Postal Service. The price adjustments, and DMM revisions are scheduled to become effective on July 10, 2022. Final prices are available under Docket No. R2022-1 (Order No. 6188) on the Postal Regulatory Commission’s Web site at www.prc.gov.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register June 13, 2022.
Parcels Prepared in Soft Packaging
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is withdrawing the proposed rule that would have added new subsections to establish parcel selvage standards and to clarify how to measure parcels prepared in soft packaging.
DATES: The proposed rule published on March 24, 2022 (87 FR 16700-16702), is withdrawn effective immediately or June 13, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen F. Key at (202) 268-7492 or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
In the proposed rule that was published in the Federal Register on March 24, 2022, the Postal Service proposed to implement a two-inch maximum of selvage on the length and the width of a parcel prepared in soft packaging and to provide a clarification defining how to measure parcels prepared in soft packaging to generally determine the length, width, and height of the mailpiece.
In consideration of concerns expressed by members of the mailing community during the proposed rule comment period, the Postal Service has elected to withdraw the proposed rule.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register June 6, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for the Separation of Hazardous Materials
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Interim final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is revising Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52), to incorporate new requirements for mailers to separate, into identifiable containers, all hazardous material (HAZMAT) requiring hazardous marks or labels from other mail when tendering to the Postal Service. The Postal Service is also adopting related standard operating procedures for the Postal Service’s acceptance, dispatch, and mail processing personnel to maintain the integrity of HAZMAT separation. Additionally, the Postal Service will now require pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices containing or packed with lithium batteries to be mailed only via surface transportation and to bear specified markings.
DATES: Effective date: This rule is effective June 6, 2022. Comments due date: Comments must be received on or before July 6, 2022.
ADDRESSES: ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, Washington, DC 20260-3436. Email comments containing the name and address of the commenter may be sent to PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “New Mailing Standards for the Separation of Hazardous Materials.” Faxed comments are not accepted. 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® Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor North, Washington, DC 20260. These records are available for review Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. by calling 202-268-2906.
For Further Information Contact: Dale Kennedy, (202) 268-6592, or Jennifer Anderson, (202) 268-2108.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Postal Service hereby amends Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail, with the provisions set forth herein. While not codified in Title 39, Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”), Publication 52 is a regulation of the Postal Service, and changes to it may be published in the Federal Register. 39 CFR 211.2(a)(2). Moreover, Publication 52 is incorporated by reference into Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (“DMM”) section 601.8.1, which is incorporated by reference, in turn, into the Code of Federal Regulations. 39 CFR 111.1, 111.3. Publication 52 is publicly available, in a read-only format, via the Postal Explorer® website at https://pe.usps.com. In addition, links to Postal Explorer are provided on the landing page of USPS.com, the Postal Service's primary customer-facing website, and on Postal Pro, an online informational source available to postal customers.
Misrouted and mishandled HAZMAT can and does cause fires, spills, corrosion, and other dangers to personnel and equipment of the Postal Service, air carriers, and surface transportation providers, as well as to mailers’ property and to aircraft passengers.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register June 1, 2022.
Special Handling – Fragile Discontinued
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) in various sections to discontinue the Special Handling – Fragile extra service.
DATES: Effective: June 1, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen F. Key at (202) 268-7492 or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On April 20, 2022, the Postal Service published a revised notice of proposed rulemaking (87 FR 23480-23482) to discontinue the Special Handling-Fragile extra service. The Postal Service did not receive any formal responses.
The Postal Service is discontinuing the Special Handling-Fragile extra service. An investigation revealed that operational procedures do not support the preferential handling of Special Handling-Fragile items. The Postal Service continues to strive to build and maintain a loyal relationship with its customers and provide products and services with integrity. However, with the execution gaps that currently exist with Special Handling-Fragile, the Postal Service believes it is in the best interest to discontinue the Special Handling-Fragile extra service.
The decision to discontinue Special Handling – Fragile will not affect live animals tendered to the Postal Service as provided in Publication 52 - Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail. In addition, the Postal Service is revising the applicable Quick Service Guides (QSG), Price List (Notice 123), and Publication 52, to reflect this DMM revision.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register May 27, 2022.
Nonsubscriber Cap for In-County Periodicals
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
On April 6, 2022, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 was signed into law. Section 204 of that Act raised the annual cap on the number of copies that a Periodicals publisher can send to nonsubscribers at In-County rates from 10 percent of the number of copies sent to subscribers at In-County rates to 50 percent.
This final rule contains revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®), to implement the change.
DATES: Effective: May 27, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537, Jacqueline Erwin at (202) 268-2158 or Dale Kennedy at (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Section 204 of the Postal Service Reform Act raised the annual cap on the number of copies that a Periodicals publisher can send to non-subscribers at In-County rates from 10 percent of the number of copies sent to subscribers at In-County rates to 50 percent. Section 204, however, left unchanged the existing 10 percent cap on non-subscriber copies sent at Outside-County rates and on non-subscriber copies sent at Preferred Outside-County rates (e.g., rates for authorized nonprofit, classroom, limited circulation publications, etc.). The Postal Service is amending DMM section 207.7 accordingly.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register May 18, 2022.
Domestic Competitive Products Pricing and Mailing Standards Changes
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is amending Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMMâ), to reflect changes to pricing and mailing standards for certain competitive products.
DATES: Effective Date: July 10, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Jarboe at (202) 268-7690, Margaret Pepe (202) 268-3078, or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
This final rule describes new price and product features for competitive products, by class of mail, established by the Governors of the United States Postal Serviceâ. New prices are available under Docket Number CP2022-62 on the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) Web site at http://www.prc.gov, and on the Postal Explorer® Web site at http://pe.usps.com.
The Postal Service will revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), to reflect changes to certain pricing and mailing standards for the following competitive products:
- Priority Mail®.
- Parcel Select®.
- Return Services.
- Other.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register May 17, 2022.
International Competitive Services Price Changes
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final action.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is revising Notice 123, Price List, to reflect the price changes to Competitive Services as established by the Governors of the Postal Service.
DATES: Effective date: July 10, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Kennedy at 202-268-6592 or Kathy Frigo at 202-268-4178.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: New prices are posted under Docket Number CP2022-62 on the Postal Regulatory Commission's website at http://www.prc.gov.
This final rule describes the international price changes for the following Competitive Services:
- International Insurance.
- International Postal Money Orders.
- International Money Order Inquiry Fee.
- International Money Transfer Service.
New prices will be located on the Postal Explorer website at https://pe.usps.com.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register April 20, 2022.
Special Handling – Fragile Discontinued
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) in various sections to discontinue the Special Handling – Fragile extra service.
DATES: Submit comments on or before May 20, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Director, 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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “Special Handling – Fragile Discontinued”. 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® 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: Karen F. Key at (202) 268-7492 or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Postal Service is proposing to discontinue the Special Handling-Fragile extra service. An investigation has revealed that operational procedures do not support the preferential handling of Special Handling-Fragile items.
The Postal Service continues to strive to build and maintain a loyal relationship with its customers and provide products and services with integrity. However, with the execution gaps that currently exist with Special Handling-Fragile, the Postal Service believes it is in the best interest to discontinue the Special Handling-Fragile extra service.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register April 14, 2022.
International Mailing Services: Proposed Price Changes
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed Rule; request for comments.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service proposes to revise Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®), to reflect changes coincident with the recently announced mailing services price adjustments.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before May 16, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver comments to the manager, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service®, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, RM 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015. You may inspect and photocopy all written comments at USPS® Headquarters Library, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor N, Washington DC by appointment only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday by calling 1-202-268-2906 in advance. Email comments, containing the name and address of the commenter, to: PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “July 2022 International Mailing Services Proposed Price Changes.” Faxed comments are not accepted. 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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Frigo at 202-268-4178 or Dale Kennedy at 202-268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
International Price and Service Adjustments
On April 6, 2022, the Postal Service filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective on July 10, 2022. The Postal Service proposes to revise Notice 123, Price List, available on Postal Explorer® at https://pe.usps.com, to reflect these new price changes. The new prices are or will be available under Docket Number R2022-1 on the Postal Regulatory Commission’s website at www.prc.gov.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register April 12, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
On April 6, 2022, the Postal Service (USPS®) filed a notice of mailing services price adjustments with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective July 10, 2022. This proposed rule contains revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to coincide with the price adjustments.
DATES: Submit comments on or before May 12, 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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “July 2022 Domestic Mailing Services Proposal.” Faxed comments are not accepted. You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment only, at USPS® Headquarters Library, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor North, Washington, DC, 20260. These records are available for review on Monday through Friday, 9 am - 4 pm, by calling 202-268-2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537, Jacqueline Erwin at (202) 268-2158, or Dale Kennedy at (202) 268-6592.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Proposed prices will be available under Docket No. R2022-1 on the Postal Regulatory Commission's Web site at www.prc.gov. The Postal Service's proposed rule includes: changes to prices, mail classification updates, product simplification efforts, and minor revisions to the DMM.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register March 29, 2022.
New Mailing Standards for Domestic Mailing Services Products
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Supplemental final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Commission is acknowledging a recently-filed Postal Service request for an advisory opinion on the service standards for Retail Ground and Parcel Select Ground. This document invites public comments on the request and addresses several related procedural steps.
DATES: Notices of intervention are due: April 4, 2022; Live WebEx Technical Conference: March 31, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, Virtual.
ADDRESSES: Submit notices of intervention electronically via the Commission's Filing Online system at https://www.prc.gov. Persons interested in intervening who cannot submit their views electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at 202-789-6820.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register March 24, 2022.
Parcels Prepared in Soft Packaging
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
SUMMARY:
The United States Postal Service (Postal Service) is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) by adding new subsections to establish parcel selvage standards and to clarify how to measure parcels prepared in soft packaging.
DATES: Submit comments on or before April 25, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Director, 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 PCFederalRegister@usps.gov, with a subject line of “Parcels Prepared in Soft Packaging”. 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® 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: Karen F. Key at (202) 268-7492 or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Postal Service continues to experience operational impacts with parcels not properly prepared in soft packaging (poly, plastic, cloth, padded envelopes, or similar soft packaging). Parcels prepared in soft packaging containing contents that are not right-sized leads to an excess of selvage that can cause damage to the parcel or make the parcel nonmachinable, resulting in the parcel ending up in manual processing which is costly to both the customer and the Postal Service. Parcels that become nonmachinable are not processed through parcel sorting equipment and lose visibility for the customer and the Postal Service.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register March 2, 2022.
Extended Mail Forwarding Service
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
The Postal Service is amending Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) section 507.2.0 to add a new product offering that will allow customers to extend mail forwarding service.
DATES: Effective Date: July 10. 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Iwon Kaiyuan at (202) 268-4899 or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The DMM currently provides that customers who submit a permanent change-of-address (COA) request generally receive mail forwarding service for 12 months at no cost. After the 12-month forwarding period, the mail is returned to the sender or disposed of by the USPS®.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT
Published in the Federal Register January 12, 2022.
Plus One Permanent Product
AGENCY: Postal Service™.
ACTION: Final rule.
SUMMARY:
On November 10, 2021 the Postal Service (USPS®) filed a notice of intent to implement Plus One as a permanent product with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective January 9, 2022. This final rule contains the revisions to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to adopt Plus One mailpiece as a permanent product.
DATES: Effective Date: January 9, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elke Reuning-Elliott at (202) 268-4068 or Jacqueline Erwin at (202) 268-2158.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
On November 10, 2021, the Postal Service filed a request to add Plus One as a new permanent product offering to USPS Marketing Mail saturation letters as a new optional feature. The Postal Service conducted a two-year market test of Plus One, beginning September 2019.
Published in the Federal Register TEXT