[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 45468-45469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18666]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
39 CFR part 3050
[Docket No. RM2015-12; Order No. 2601]
Periodic Reporting
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent Postal Service filing
requesting that the Commission initiate an informal rulemaking
proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles relating to
periodic reports (Proposal Four). This notice informs the public of the
filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.
DATES: Comments are due: August 31, 2015. Reply Comments are due:
September 15, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing
Online system at http://www.prc.gov. Those who cannot submit comments
electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing
alternatives.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at
202-789-6820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
II. Summary of Proposal
III. Initial Commission Action
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
I. Introduction
On July 17, 2015, the Postal Service filed a petition pursuant to
39 CFR 3050.11 requesting that the Commission initiate an informal
rulemaking proceeding to consider changes to analytical principles
relating to periodic reports.\1\ Proposal Four is attached to the
Petition and identifies the proposed analytical method change as a
change relating to the use of the Summary of International Revenue and
Volume Outbound statistical system (SIRVO) in the International Cost
and Revenue Analysis (ICRA) report. Id. The Postal Service concurrently
filed a nonpublic library reference, along with an application for
nonpublic treatment of materials.\2\
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\1\ Petition of the United States Postal Service for the
Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider Proposed Changes in
Analytical Principles (Proposal Four), July 17, 2015 (Petition).
\2\ Notice of Filing of USPS-RM2015-12/NP1 and Application for
Nonpublic Treatment, July 17, 2015 (Notice). The Library Reference
is USPS-RM2015-12/NP1--Nonpublic Material Relating to Proposal Four
(SIRVO Inputs to ICRA). The Notice incorporates by reference the
Application for Non-Public Treatment of Materials contained in
Attachment Two to the December 29, 2014, United States Postal
Service Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Compliance Report. Notice at 1. See
39 CFR part 3007 for information on access to nonpublic material.
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II. Summary of Proposal
The Postal Service explains that the ICRA processing currently uses
20 individual quarterly international accounting datasets to provide
country-specific outbound mail flow data for 46 individual countries
and four regional aggregated country groupings. Petition, Proposal Four
at 2. International accounting data have been the source of the mail
flow data for countries not reported in the ICRA inputs by SIRVO. Id.
Under Proposal Four, the Postal Service seeks to use expanded SIRVO
data in lieu of international accounting data. Id. The Postal Service
asserts that the change does not materially affect the overall workings
of the ICRA because the use of the SIRVO data is parallel to the use of
the international accounting data. Id. The Postal Service states this
change will streamline the ICRA data sources by eliminating 16 of the
20 datasets and retaining only four files for outbound Priority Mail
Express International data that are not provided by SIRVO. Id. at 2.
Further, Proposal Four will include data for the 186 additional
countries/territories currently subsumed in the four regional aggregate
groups. Id.
The Postal Service states that despite movement in the costs for
individual products because of the new weighting scheme, overall costs
will remain the same (to within one ten-thousandth of 1 percent) due to
the ICRA benchmarking process. Id. at 4. The Postal Service identifies
36 changes that differ by more than $0.01 and 1 percent at the same
time as a result of Proposal 4. Id. at 3. By way of example, the Postal
Service represents that the shift to the SIRVO data sources will
increase the volume-variable costs for International Priority Airmail
and International Surface Airlift by $125,000 and $85,000,
respectively. Id. The Postal Service asserts that this cost change is
isolated in outbound products covered by SIRVO and any affected NSAs in
the international settlements estimates. Id. The Postal Service also
asserts that the only market dominant category to experience a change
of 1 percent or more was the total volume-variable cost increase of
$10,000 for Outbound International Cards to Transition System Countries
at Universal Postal Union rates. Id. at 4.
III. Initial Commission Action
The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2015-12 for consideration
of matters raised by the Petition. Additional information concerning
the Petition may be accessed via the Commission's Web site at http://www.prc.gov. Interested persons may submit comments on the Petition and
Proposal Four no later than August 31, 2015. Reply comments are due no
later than September 15, 2015. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, James F.
Callow is designated as officer of the Commission (Public
Representative) to represent the interests of the general public in
this proceeding.
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
It is ordered:
1. The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2015-12 for
consideration of the matters raised by the Petition of the United
States Postal Service for the Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider
Proposed Changes in Analytical Principles (Proposal Four), filed July
17, 2015.
[[Page 45469]]
2. Comments are due no later than August 31, 2015. Reply comments
are due no later than September 15, 2015.
3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints James F.
Callow to serve as officer of the Commission (Public Representative) to
represent the interests of the general public in this docket.
4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this order in the
Federal Register.
By the Commission.
Ruth Ann Abrams,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2015-18666 Filed 7-29-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P