2019 Chief FOIA Officer Report for the Postal Regulatory Commission

Ruth Ann Abrams, Chief FOIA Officer

The mission of the Postal Regulatory Commission (Commission) is to ensure transparency 

and accountability of the Postal Service and foster a vital and efficient universal mail system, 

and its guiding principles are openness, integrity, merit, and adaptability. In line with these 

principles, the Commission is committed to transparency, accountability, and open 

government in its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responsibilities and has worked this 

reporting period to improve its FOIA administration.

The Commission’s records regarding all Commission cases are contained in its docketing 

system. The contents of all dockets, apart from certain items designated as nonpublic by 

submitters, are available for inspection on the Commission's website. The nonpublic records 

are clearly identified on the public website and are usually posted in redacted form. The 

United States Postal Service (USPS) and other filers must provide specific justification for 

nonpublic treatment of the items to be so designated. Any person may petition the 

Commission for access to specified nonpublic records, or else may petition to have the access 

restrictions lifted entirely.

To further promote transparency in publicly accessible records, the Commission publishes 

detailed monthly updates to the Consumer Price Index calculations relating to the price cap 

on Market Dominant postal products. This is a valuable resource for the mailing industry and 

the public. The Commission also publishes a frequently updated summary of Negotiated 

Service Agreements (contracts between the USPS and private companies for special mailing 

agreements) and the Mail Classification Schedule. The Commission regularly posts 

budgetary and administrative information, such as the annual Congressional Budget 

Justification. To further the accessibility of the Commission proceedings and records, the 

Commission holds periodic public meetings and technical conferences. The meetings are 

publicly webcast and the recordings of these meetings are archived on the Commission's 

public website.

The Commission prides itself on the high priority given to responding completely and 

properly to all requests, and how fully, professionally, and quickly we respond. During FY 

2017, the Commission received 38 FOIA requests, and provided responses to all simple 

requests within the statutory deadline of 20 business days. The Commission has a dedicated 

e-mail inbox solely for FOIA requests. This inbox is monitored on a daily basis by the 

Commission’s FOIA team. Throughout FY 2018, the Commission continued to adjust our 

public website to make it easier to find and access Commission information and records. 

To ensure smooth operation and timely processing our FOIA team meets weekly to assess 

workload and response time, and to discuss any issues that may be pending. During these 

weekly assessments, process improvements are discussed to keep response times within the 

statutory time limits for all requests. The entire Commission works to identify proactive 

disclosures and any identified records are reviewed for approval by the Secretary and Chief 

Administrative Officer, General Counsel, and the Chief FOIA Officer. Once approved, the 

records are then posted or released as appropriate. Once the response is sent out, the 
Commission’s tracking log is updated to reflect the action taken, the date the response was 

sent out, and how many days it took for the Commission to respond.

In line with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, the Commission conducted a review and 

revision of its FOIA regulations and issued an order on the rule-making docket, RM2017-2, 

on December 19, 2016. The Commission implemented the “Rule of 3” for frequently 

requested records (i.e. the Commission makes available to the public, in electronic format, 

records that have been requested three or more times.); updated our reply language to FOIA 

requests advising requesters that dispute resolution is available through OGIS; and clarified 

in our response language that administrative appeal is available even when the adverse 

determination is not a denial.

Our FOIA team is committed to the “spirit of cooperation”, and works to ensure good 

communication and customer service when working with our requesters. When the

Commission has any questions or needs further clarification about the request, a member of 

our FOIA team immediately and personally reaches out to the FOIA requester. Additionally, 

effective communication among internal departments at the Commission and timely 

response by Commission employees to requests for records ensure that the Commission 

responds to all requests in an efficient and effective manner.

The Commission is proud of its open approach to the valuable records related to its mission 

in service to the American people. The FOIA team works hard to ensure that the Commission 

has a model FOIA program reflective of its fundamental commitment to open government.