[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 135 (Friday, July 13, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 41336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17067]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 501
Authorization to Manufacture and Distribute Postage Evidencing
Systems; Discontinued Indicia
AGENCY: Postal Service\TM\.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Postal Service proposes to amend the rules concerning the
manufacture and distribution of postage evidencing systems to clarify
that effective January 1, 2016, all postage evidencing systems (postage
meters and PC Postage[supreg] products) will be required to produce
Information-Based Indicia (IBI) or Intelligent Mail[supreg] Indicia
(IMI) for evidence of pre-paid postage, and that indicia from
noncompliant systems will not be recognized as valid postage.
DATES: Submit all comments on or before September 11, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Manager, Payment
Technology, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Room 3660,
Washington, DC 20260-4200. Copies of all written comments will be
available for inspection and photocopying between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, at the Payment Technology office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlo Ivey, Business Programs
Specialist, Payment Technology, U.S. Postal Service, (202) 268-7613.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 1999, the Postal Service introduced the
Information Based Indicia Program (IBIP). Under IBIP, postage
evidencing systems submitted for Postal Service test and evaluation
were required to produce IBI--digital indicia that use a two-
dimensional (2-D) barcode. In 2012, the next generation of postage
evidencing was introduced through the publication of the IMI
performance criteria. Both IBI and IMI contain a 2-D barcode that
includes revenue security-related data elements and product and service
information.
Effective January 1, 2016, all postage evidencing systems (postage
meters and PC Postage products) will be required to produce IBI or IMI
for evidence of pre-paid postage. Indicia from postage evidencing
systems that are not IBI-compliant or IMI-compliant will not be
recognized as valid after December 31, 2015. The following proposed
amendment to 39 CFR part 501 is intended to clarify that noncompliant
indicia will be decertified, and will not be recognized as valid after
that date.
Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Postal Service invites
public comment on the following proposed revisions to the Code of
Federal Regulations.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 501
Postal Service.
Accordingly, the Postal Service proposes to amend 39 CFR part 501
as follows:
PART 501--AUTHORIZATION TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE
EVIDENCING SYSTEMS
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 501 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 410,
2601, 2605, Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (Pub. L. 95-
452, as amended); 5 U.S.C. App. 3.
2. Add section 501.20 to read as follows:
Sec. 501.20 Discontinued Postage Evidencing Indicia.
(a) Decertified indicia (evidence of pre-paid postage) are indicia
that have been withdrawn by the Postal Service as valid forms of
postage evidence through publication by the Postal Service in the
Federal Register, or by voluntary withdrawal undertaken by the
provider.
(b) Effective January 1, 2016, all Postage Evidencing Systems
(postage meters and PC Postage products) will be required to produce
Information-Based Indicia (IBI) or Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) for
evidence of pre-paid postage. Non-IBI and non-IMI indicia will be
decertified effective January 1, 2016, and may not be used as a valid
form of postage evidence. These decertified indicia will not be
recognized as valid postage after December 31, 2015.
Stanley F. Mires,
Attorney, Legal Policy & Legislative Advice.
[FR Doc. 2012-17067 Filed 7-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P