[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 125 (Friday, June 30, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 29808-29809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13830]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

39 CFR Part 3050

[Docket No. RM2017-7; Order No. 3982]


Periodic Reporting

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a recent filing requesting that the 
Commission initiate an informal rulemaking proceeding to consider 
changes to an analytical method for use in periodic reporting (Proposal 
Three). This document informs the public of the filing, invites public 
comment, and takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: August 16, 2017.

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. Proposal Three
III. Notice and Comment
IV. Ordering Paragraphs

I. Introduction

    On June 22, 2017, the Postal Service filed a petition pursuant to 
39 CFR 3050.11 requesting the Commission to initiate an informal 
rulemaking proceeding to consider proposed changes to an analytical 
method related to periodic reports.\1\ The Petition identifies the 
proposed analytical method changes filed in this docket as Proposal 
Three.
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    \1\ Petition of the United States Postal Service Requesting 
Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider a Proposed Change in 
Analytical Principles (Proposal Three), June 22, 2017 (Petition).
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II. Proposal Three

    Background. The Postal Service currently uses statistical estimates 
in the Revenue, Pieces, and Weight (RPW) Report for mailpieces reported 
in the Retail Systems Software Business Partners (RSS BP) application 
and bearing contract postal unit metered postage. Petition at 1. The 
RSS BP is the electronic point-of-sale management system that the 
Postal Service provides to contract postal units. Id. at 4. The 
statistical estimates used in the RSS BP management system are produced 
by the Postal Service's Origin-Destination Information System--Revenue, 
Pieces, and Weight (ODIS-RPW) probability-based sampling system. Id. at 
4, 5.
    Proposal. Proposal Three would change the methodology for measuring 
the national totals of revenue, pieces, and weight in the RPW Report 
for RSS BP mailpieces by replacing ODIS-RPW statistical sampling 
estimates with corresponding census data reported in the Postal 
Service's Retail Data Mart reporting system. Id. at 6. In support of 
Proposal Three, the Postal Service cites other proposals approved by 
the Commission which have replaced statistical estimates with census 
data. See id. at 3.
    Rationale and impact. The Postal Service states that the proposed 
change in methodology ``provides a complete census source of 
transactional-level data of all RSS BP mailpieces and extra services.'' 
Id. at 6. The Postal Service asserts that the use of census data would 
lead one to expect equal or improved data quality because census data, 
unlike ODIS-RPW statistical sampling data, does not have sampling 
error. Id. at 5. To illustrate the potential impact of switching from 
ODIS-RPW statistical estimates to census data, the Postal Service 
provides a comparison of results for the FY 2016 time period. Id. at 6-
9.

III. Notice and Comment

    The Commission establishes Docket No. RM2017-7 for consideration of 
matters raised by the Petition. More information on 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 
Three no later than August 16, 2017. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, 
Lyudmila Y. Bzhilyanskaya 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. RM2017-7 for consideration 
of the matters raised by the Petition of the United States Postal 
Service Requesting

[[Page 29809]]

Initiation of a Proceeding to Consider a Proposed Change in Analytical 
Principles (Proposal Three), filed June 22, 2017.
    2. Comments by interested persons in this proceeding are due no 
later than August 16, 2017.
    3. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the Commission appoints Lyudmila Y. 
Bzhilyanskaya to serve as an 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.
Stacy L. Ruble,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2017-13830 Filed 6-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P