2017 Chief FOIA Officer Report for the Postal Regulatory Commission

Ruth Ann Abrams, Chief FOIA Officer

The Commission operates by the principles of openness, integrity, merit, and adaptability as 

outlined in our Strategic Plan. In line with these principles, the Commission is committed to 

transparency, accountability, and open government in its Freedom of Information Act 

responsibilities. 

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 2016, the 

Commission received 31 FOIA requests, and provided responses to all requests within the 

statutory deadline of 20 business days. Our FOIA office is committed to the “spirit of 

cooperation”, and works to ensure there is good communication and good customer service 

when working with our requesters. 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. During 

FY 2016, the Commission also adjusted our public website to make it easier to find and access 

Commission information and records. 

Once a FOIA request is received, it is assigned a distinct tracking number. The Commission 

updates and posts the FOIA tracking log on our website to allow requesters clear visibility on 

the receipt of their request. The tracking log details the date the request is received along with 

an anticipated response date of no later than 20 working days. If the Commission has any 

questions or needs further clarification about the request, a member of our FOIA team 

immediately reaches out to the FOIA requester. The Commission also notifies the requester of 

any search or copy charges that apply and offers the requester the option to receive the 

response electronically or via hard copy. 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.

The entire Commission works to identify proactive disclosures and any identified records are 

reviewed for approval by the General Counsel and the Chief FOIA Officer. Once approved, the

records are then posted or released as appropriate. 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.

The Commission also began a comprehensive review and revision of its FOIA regulations in line 

with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, and will be opening a rule-making docket to elicit 

public comment on the revised regulations. The Commission immediately 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.)

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. Effective communication among 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 committed to making its records and communications channels more 

electronically accessible. A webform for members of the public to submit comments is featured 

on the Commission’s website. In response to requests from the public, the Commission 

improved the search function for its website, with an updated search engine that supplements 

the more complex search system used by frequent users of the site with more user friendly

options for the general public. The Commission requires that all correspondence and legal 

documents filed with the Commission be processed with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), 

and thus are both electronically keyword searchable and compliant with section 508 of the 

Rehabilitation Act.

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. In addition, the Commission 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 also regularly posts 

budgetary and administrative information, such as the annual Congressional Budget 

Justifications. 

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. Technical conferences are usually webcast and archived on the website. The 

Commission successfully piloted a video webcast of a technical meeting in October 2016, and is

exploring the option of offering both audio and video webcast options for all public meetings in 

an effort to promote the commitment to openness and transparency for all public materials 

released by the Commission.

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 the fundamental commitment of open government.