Title 39—Postal Service--Volume 1
PART 3013—PROCEDURES FOR COMPELLING PRODUCTION OF INFORMATION BY THE POSTAL SERVICE
§ 3013.1   Scope and applicability of other parts of this title.
(a) The rules in this part govern the procedures for compelling the production of information by the Postal Service pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 504(f).
(b) Subparts A, B, and D to part 3010 of this chapter apply unless otherwise stated in this part or otherwise ordered by the Commission.
§ 3013.2   Terms defined for purposes of this part.
(a) Administrative law judge means an administrative law judge appointed by the Commission under 5 U.S.C. 3105.
(b) Chairman means the Chairman of the Commission.
(c) Covered person means an officer, employee, agent, or contractor of the Postal Service.
(d) Designated Commissioner means any Commissioner who has been designated by the Chairman to act under this part.
§ 3013.11   General rule—subpoenas.
(a) Subject to the provisions of this part, the Chairman, any designated Commissioner, and any administrative law judge may issue a subpoena to any covered person.
(b) The written concurrence of a majority of the Commissioners then holding office shall be required before any subpoena may be issued under this subpart. When duly authorized by a majority of the Commissioners then holding office, a subpoena shall be issued by the Chairman, a designated Commissioner, or an administrative law judge.
(c) Subpoenas issued pursuant to this subpart may require the attendance and presentation of testimony or the production of documentary or other evidence with respect to any proceeding conducted by the Commission under title 39 of the United States Code or to obtain information for preparation of a report under that title.
(d) Subpoenas issued pursuant to this subpart shall include such conditions as may be necessary or appropriate to protect a covered person from oppression, or undue burden or expense, including the following:
(1) That disclosure may be had only on specified terms and conditions, including the designation of the time or place;
(2) That certain matters not be inquired into, or that the scope of disclosure be limited to certain matters;
(3) That disclosure occur with no one present except persons designated by the Commission;
(4) That a trade secret or other confidential research, development, or commercial information not be revealed or be revealed only in a designated way as provided in part 3011 of this chapter; and
(5) Such other conditions deemed necessary and appropriate under the circumstances presented.
(e) Subpoenas shall be served in the manner provided by § 3013.14.
§ 3013.12   Subpoenas issued without receipt of a third-party request.
(a) A subpoena duly authorized by a majority of the Commissioners then holding office may be issued by the Chairman, a designated Commissioner, or an administrative law judge under § 3013.11 without a request having been made by a third party under § 3013.13.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, a subpoena shall not be issued until after the covered person has been provided an opportunity to produce the requested information voluntarily.
(c) A subpoena may be issued summarily without first providing an opportunity to produce the requested information voluntarily if a delay in the issuance of the subpoena could unreasonably limit or prevent production of the information being sought.
(d) Subpoenas issued under this section shall be issued subject to the right of the Postal Service and other interested persons to file a motion pursuant to § 3010.160(a) of this chapter to quash the subpoena, to limit the scope of the subpoena, or to condition the subpoena as provided in § 3013.11(d). Such motion shall include any objections to the subpoena that are personal to the covered person responsible for providing the information being sought. Motions alleging undue burden or cost must state with particularity the basis for such claims. Answers to the motion may be filed by any interested person pursuant to § 3010.160(b) of this chapter. Pending the resolution of any such motion, the covered person shall secure and maintain the requested information.
§ 3013.13   Subpoenas issued in response to a third-party request.
(a) Procedure for requesting and issuing subpoenas when hearings have been ordered. A participant in any proceeding in which a hearing has been ordered by the Commission may request the issuance of a subpoena to a covered person pursuant to § 3013.11.
(1) Subpoenas may be requested to enforce an order to compel previously issued pursuant to the rules of practice with which the Postal Service has failed to comply.
(2) Requests for subpoenas under this section shall be made by written motion filed with the presiding officer in the manner provided in § 3010.160 of this chapter. The Postal Service shall transmit a copy of the request to any covered person that it deems likely to be affected by the request and shall provide the person requesting the subpoena with the name, business address, and business phone number of the persons to whom the request has been transmitted.
(3) Answers to the motion may be filed by the Postal Service, by any person to whom the Postal Service has transmitted the request, and by any other participant. Answers raising objections, including allegations of undue burden or cost, must state with particularity the basis for such claims. Answers shall be filed as required by § 3010.160(b) of this chapter.
(4) The presiding officer shall forward copies of the motion and any responses to the Commission together with a recommendation of whether or not the requested subpoena should be issued and, if so, the scope and content thereof and conditions, if any, that should be placed on the subpoena. Copies of the presiding officer's recommendation shall be served in accordance with § 3010.127 of this chapter.
(5) Following receipt of the materials forwarded by the presiding officer, the Commissioners shall determine whether the requested subpoena should be issued and, if so, whether any conditions should be placed on the scope or content of the subpoena or on the responses to the subpoena. The Commissioners may, but are not required, to entertain further oral or written submissions from the Postal Service or the participants before acting on the request. In making their determination, the Commissioners are not bound by any recommendation of a presiding officer.
(b) Procedure for requesting and issuing subpoenas when no hearings have been ordered. Any person may request the issuance of a subpoena to a covered person pursuant to § 3013.11 to enforce an information request issued by the Commission or a Commissioner even though no hearings have been ordered by the Commission.
(1) A request for the issuance of a subpoena shall be made by motion as provided by § 3010.160 of this chapter. A copy of the request shall be served upon the Postal Service as provided by § 3010.127 of this chapter and by forwarding a copy to the General Counsel of the Postal Service, or such other person authorized to receive process by personal service, by Express Mail or Priority Mail, or by First-Class Mail, Return Receipt requested. The Postal Service shall transmit a copy of the request to any covered person that it deems likely to be affected by the request and shall provide the person requesting the subpoena with the name, business address and business phone number of the persons to whom the request has been transmitted. Proof of service of the request shall be filed with the Secretary by the person requesting the subpoena. The Secretary shall issue a notice of the filing of proof of service and the deadline for filing answers to the request.
(2) Answers to the motion may be filed by the Postal Service, by any person to whom the Postal Service has transmitted the request, and by any other person. Answers raising objections, including allegations of undue burden or cost, must state with particularity the basis for such claims. Answers shall be filed as required by § 3010.160(b) of this chapter.
(3) Following receipt of the request and any answers to the request, the Commissioners shall determine whether the requested subpoena should be issued and, if so, whether any conditions should be placed on the scope or content of the subpoena or on the responses to the subpoena. The Commissioners may, but are not required, to entertain further oral or written submissions before acting. A majority of the Commissioners then holding office must concur in writing before a subpoena may be issued.
(c) Contents of requests for subpoenas. Each motion requesting the issuance of a subpoena shall include the following:
(1) A demonstration that the subpoena is being requested with respect to a proceeding conducted by the Commission under title 39 of the United States Code or that the purpose of the subpoena is to obtain information to be used by the Commission to prepare a report under title 39 of the United States Code;
(2) A showing of the relevance and materiality of the testimony, documentary or other evidence being sought;
(3) Specification with particularity of any books, papers, documents, writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images, or other data or data compilations stored in any medium from which information can be obtained, including, without limitation, electronically stored information which is being sought from the covered person;
(4) In situations in which a hearing has been ordered, the request must include in addition to the information required by paragraphs (c)(1), (2) and (3) of this section, a certification that the covered person has failed to comply with an order compelling discovery previously issued pursuant to the Commission's rules of practice; and
(5) In situations in which a hearing has not been ordered, the request must include in addition to the information required by paragraphs (c)(1), (2) and (3) of this section, an explanation of the reason for the request and the purposes for which the appearance, testimony, documentary or other evidence is being sought, and a certification that the Postal Service has failed to comply with a previously issued Commission order or information request.
§ 3013.14   Service of subpoenas.
(a) Manner of service —(1) Existing Postal Service officers and employees. In addition to electronic service as provided by § 3010.127(a) of this chapter, subpoenas directed to existing Postal Service officers and employees must be served by personal service upon the General Counsel of the Postal Service or upon such other representative of the Postal Service as is authorized to receive process. Upon receipt, the subpoena shall be transmitted and delivered by the Postal Service to the existing officers and employees responsible for providing the information being sought by the subpoena. Subpoenas served upon the Postal Service and transmitted to Postal Service officers and employees shall be accompanied by a written notice of the return date of the subpoena.
(2) Existing Postal Service agents and contractors. In addition to electronic service as provided by § 3010.127(a) of this chapter, subpoenas directed to existing Postal Service agents and contractors must be served by personal service upon the General Counsel of the Postal Service or upon such other representative of the Postal Service as is authorized to receive process. Upon receipt, the subpoena shall be transmitted and delivered by the Postal Service to existing agents and contractors responsible for providing the information being sought by the subpoena. Service upon such agents and contractors shall be accompanied by a written notice of the return date of the subpoena.
(3) Prior Postal Service officers, employees, agents, and contractors. Subpoenas directed to Postal Service officers, employees, agents, and contractors who, at the time the subpoena is issued, are no longer officers or employees of the Postal Service or are no longer agents or contractors in an existing agency or contract relationship with the Postal Service, must be served by personal service. Service upon such officers, employees, agents, or contractors shall be accompanied by a written notice of the return date of the subpoena.
(4) Service arrangements. Arrangements for service upon the Postal Service under paragraph (a)(1) of this section or upon former Postal Service officers, employees, agents, or contractors under paragraph (a)(3) of this section shall be arranged either by the Commission or by the third party who requested issuance of the subpoena.
(b) Return of service and proof of transmission —(1) Return of service. Proof of service under paragraph (a) of this section must be filed with the Secretary within two business days following service, unless a shorter or longer period is ordered by the Commission, and must be accompanied by certifications of:
(i) The manner, date, and time of delivery of the subpoena;
(ii) The name, business address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the perseon upon whom the subpoena was served; and
(iii) The return date of the subpoena.
(2) Proof of transmission. The Postal Service shall within two business days of transmission of a subpoena by the Postal Service to an existing Postal Service officer, employee, agent, or contractor pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) or (2) of this section, or such shorter or longer period ordered by the Commission, file with the Secretary a certification of:
(i) The manner, date, and time of delivery of the subpoena;
(ii) The name, business address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the person to whom the subpoena was transmitted; and
(iii) The return date of the subpoena.
(c) Notice of service, proof of transmission, and return date. The Secretary shall post a notice of service and proof of transmission upon the Commission's website which specifies the return date of the subpoena.
§ 3013.15   Duties in responding to a subpoena.
(a) A covered person responding to a subpoena to produce documents shall produce them as they are kept in the usual course of business or shall organize and label them to correspond with the categories in the subpoena.
(b) If a subpoena does not specify the form or forms for producing electronically stored information, a covered person responding to a subpoena must produce the information in a form or forms in which the covered person ordinarily maintains it or in a form or forms that are reasonably usable.
(c) A covered person responding to a subpoena need not produce the same electronically stored information in more than one form.
(d) A covered person commanded to produce and permit inspection or copying of designated electronically stored information, books, papers, or documents need not appear in person at the place of production or inspection unless commanded to appear for deposition, hearing, or trial.
(e) A covered person who fails or refuses to disclose or provide discovery of information on the grounds that the information is privileged or subject to protection as a trade secret or other confidential research, development, or commercial information must expressly support all such claims and shall provide a description of the nature of the information and the potential harm that is sufficient to enable the Commission to evaluate and determine the propriety of the claim.
(f) Request for confidential treatment of information shall be made in accordance with part 3011 of this chapter.
§ 3013.16   Enforcement of subpoenas.
In the case of contumacy or failure to obey a subpoena issued under this subpart, the Commission may apply for an order to enforce its subpoena as permitted by 39 U.S.C. 504(f)(3).
§ 3013.21   Authority to order depositions and responses to written interrogatories.
The Chairman, any designated Commissioner, or any administrative law judge may order the taking of depositions and responses to written interrogatories by a covered person with respect to any proceeding conducted under title 39 of the United States Code or to obtain information to be used to prepare a report under that title.