826 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2019 / Notices 

1See Notice of the United States Postal Service 

of Submission of the Calculation of the FY 2018 

Assumed Federal Income Tax on Competitive 

Products, January 10, 2019. 

1United States Postal Service FY 2018 Annual 

Compliance Report, December 28, 2018 (FY 2018 

ACR). Public portions of the Postal Service’s filing 

are available on the Commission’s website at http:// 

www.prc.gov. 

By the Commission. 

Stacy L. Ruble, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2019–00395 Filed 1–30–19; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P 

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[Docket No. T2019–1; Order No. 4986] 

Income Tax Review 

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Commission is noticing a 

recent Postal Service filing concerning 

the calculation of the assumed Federal 

income tax on competitive products 

income for Fiscal Year 2018. This notice 

informs the public of the filing, invites 

public comment, and takes other 

administrative steps. 

DATES: Comments are due: March 1, 

2019. 

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. Notice of Commission Action 

III. Ordering Paragraphs 

I. Introduction 

In accordance with 39 U.S.C. 3634 

and 39 CFR 3060.40 et seq., the Postal 

Service filed its calculation of the 

assumed Federal income tax on 

competitive products income for fiscal 

year (FY) 2018.1 The calculation details 

the FY 2018 competitive product 

revenue and expenses, the competitive 

products net income before tax, and the 

assumed Federal income tax on that net 

income. 

II. Notice of Commission Action 

In accordance with 39 CFR 3060.42, 

the Commission establishes Docket No. 

T2019–1 to review the calculation of the 

assumed Federal income tax and 

supporting documentation. 

The Commission invites comments on 

whether the Postal Service’s filing in 

this docket is consistent with the 

policies of 39 U.S.C. 3634 and 39 CFR 

3060.40 et seq. Comments are due no 

later than March 1, 2019. The Postal 

Service’s filing can be accessed via the 

Commission’s website (http://

www.prc.gov). 

The Commission appoints Jennaca D. 

Upperman to serve as Public 

Representative in this docket. 

III. Ordering Paragraphs 

It is ordered: 

1. The Commission establishes Docket 

No. T2019–1 to consider the calculation 

of the assumed Federal income tax on 

competitive products for FY 2018. 

2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, Jennaca 

D. Upperman is appointed to serve as an 

officer of the Commission to represent 

the interests of the general public in this 

proceeding (Public Representative). 

3. Comments are due no later than 

March 1, 2019. 

4. The Secretary shall arrange for 

publication of this order in the Federal 

Register. Due to its funding lapse, the 

Federal Register is not being supported 

and this order’s publication will be 

delayed. The delay in publication in the 

Federal Register will not affect 

comment deadlines. 

By the Commission. 

Stacy L. Ruble, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2019–00397 Filed 1–30–19; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P 

POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION 

[Docket No. ACR2018; Order No. 4960] 

FY 2018 Annual Compliance Report 

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Postal Service has filed 

an Annual Compliance Report on the 

costs, revenues, rates, and quality of 

service associated with its products in 

fiscal year 2018. Within 90 days, the 

Commission must evaluate that 

information and issue its determination 

as to whether rates were in compliance 

with title 39, chapter 36, and whether 

service standards in effect were met. To 

assist in this, the Commission seeks 

public comments on the Postal Service’s 

Annual Compliance Report. 

DATES: Comments are due: January 31, 

2019. Reply Comments are due: 

February 11, 2019. 

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. Overview of the Postal Service’s FY 2018 

ACR 

III. Procedural Steps 

IV. Ordering Paragraphs 

I. Introduction 

On December 28, 2018, the United 

States Postal Service (Postal Service) 

filed with the Commission its Annual 

Compliance Report (ACR) for fiscal year 

(FY) 2018, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3652.1

Section 3652 requires submission of 

data and information on the costs, 

revenues, rates, and quality of service 

associated with postal products within 

90 days of the closing of each fiscal 

year. In conformance with other 

statutory provisions and Commission 

rules, the ACR includes the Postal 

Service’s FY 2018 Comprehensive 

Statement, its FY 2018 annual report to 

the Secretary of the Treasury on the 

Competitive Products Fund, and certain 

related Competitive Products Fund 

material. See respectively, 39 U.S.C. 

3652(g), 39 U.S.C. 2011(i), and 39 CFR 

3060.20–23. In line with past practice, 

some of the material in the FY 2018 

ACR appears in non-public annexes. 

The filing begins a review process that 

results in an Annual Compliance 

Determination (ACD) issued by the 

Commission to determine whether 

Postal Service products offered during 

FY 2018 were in compliance with 

applicable title 39 requirements. 

II. Overview of the Postal Service’s FY 

2018 ACR 

Contents of the filing. The Postal 

Service’s FY 2018 ACR consists of a 77- 

page narrative; extensive additional 

material appended as separate folders 

and identified in Attachment One; and 

an application for non-public treatment 

of certain materials, along with 

supporting rationale, filed as 

Attachment Two. The filing also 

includes the Comprehensive 


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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2019 / Notices 827 

2 In years prior to 2013, the Commission reviewed 

the Postal Service’s reports prepared pursuant to 39 

U.S.C. 2803 and 39 U.S.C. 2804 (filed as the 

Comprehensive Statement by the Postal Service) in 

its ACD. However, as it has for the past several 

years, the Commission intends to issue a separate 

notice soliciting comments on the comprehensive 

statement and provide its related analysis in a 

separate report from the ACD. 

3 Id.; see Docket No. RM2016–2, Order 

Concerning United Parcel Service, Inc.’s Proposed 

Changes to Postal Service Costing Methodologies 

(UPS Proposals One, Two, and Three), September 

9, 2016 (Order No. 3506). Docket No. ACR 2017, 

Annual Compliance Determination, March 29, 

2018, at 8–10 (FY 2017 ACD). 

4 Docket No. ACR2010, Annual Compliance 

Determination, March 29, 2011, at 106–107 (FY 

2010 ACD). 

5 Docket No. CP2018–286, Order Approving 

Changes in Prices Not of General Applicability for 

Certain Inbound Parcel Post (at UPU Rates), August 

23, 2018, at 7 (Order No. 4792). 

6 Docket No. ACR 2016, Annual Compliance 

Determination, March 28, 2017, at 83 (FY 2016 

ACD). 

Statement,2 Report to the Secretary of 

the Treasury, and information on the 

Competitive Products Fund filed in 

response to Commission rules. This 

material has been filed electronically 

with the Commission. 

Scope of the filing. The material 

appended to the narrative consists of: 

(1) Domestic product costing material 

filed on an annual basis summarized in 

the Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA); 

(2) comparable international costing 

material summarized in the 

International Cost and Revenue 

Analysis (ICRA); (3) worksharing-related 

cost studies; and (4) billing determinant 

information for both domestic and 

international mail. FY 2018 ACR at 2– 

3. Inclusion of these four data sets is 

consistent with the Postal Service’s past 

ACR practices. As with past ACRs, the 

Postal Service has split certain materials 

into public and non-public versions. Id. 

at 3. 

‘‘Roadmap’’ document. A roadmap to 

the FY 2018 ACR can be found in 

Library Reference USPS–FY18–9. This 

document provides brief descriptions of 

the materials submitted, as well as the 

flow of inputs and outputs among them; 

a discussion of differences in 

methodology relative to Commission 

methodologies in last year’s ACD; and a 

list of special studies and a discussion 

of obsolescence, as required by 

Commission rule 3050.12. Id. at 3–4. 

Methodology. The Postal Service 

states that it has adhered to the 

methodologies historically used by the 

Commission subject to changes 

identified and discussed in Library 

Reference USPS–FY18–9 and in 

prefaces accompanying the appended 

folders. Id. at 4. The Postal Service 

observes that one noteworthy 

methodological change regarding 

product costs was discussed in response 

to Commission Order No. 3506 and 

approach for reporting of group 

incremental cost estimates used by the 

Commission in the FY 2017 ACD.3 As 

a result, the Postal Service’s FY 2018 

CRA reports group incremental cost 

estimates when available as the 

attributable costs of combinations of 

products, including for the market 

dominant classes. FY 2018 ACR at 5. As 

a consequence, the costs labeled as 

attributable costs in each row of the FY 

2018 CRA are not directly comparable to 

costs reported with the same label in the 

CRAs filed prior to FY 2017. Id. at 6. 

Market dominant product-by-product 

costs, revenues, and volumes. 

Comprehensive cost, revenue, and 

volume data for all market dominant 

products of general applicability are 

shown directly in the FY 2018 CRA or 

ICRA. Id. at 8. 

The FY 2018 ACR includes a 

discussion by class of each market 

dominant product, including costs, 

revenues, and volumes, workshare 

discounts, and passthroughs responsive 

to 39 U.S.C. 3652(b), and FY 2018 

promotions. Id. at 8–45. 

In response to the Commission’s FY 

2010 ACD directives,4 the Postal Service 

states that it is providing information 

regarding: (1) All operational changes 

designed to reduce flats costs and the 

estimated financial effects of such 

changes (FY 2018 ACR at 24–32); (2) all 

costing methodology improvements 

made in FY 2018 and the estimated 

financial effects of such changes (id. at 

32–36); and (3) a statement summarizing 

the current year subsidy of the flats 

product (id. at 35). In addition, the 

Postal Service presented its schedule of 

above-average price increases for Flats 

which provides planned price increases 

for Flats by the consumer price index 

times 1.05. Id. at 25. 

Market dominant negotiated service 

agreements. The FY 2018 ACR presents 

information on the PHI Acquisitions, 

Inc. negotiated service agreement (NSA), 

the only market dominant NSA in effect 

in FY 2018. Id. at 43–44. The agreement 

was terminated effective June 30, 2018. 

Id. at 43. 

Service performance. The Postal 

Service notes that the Commission 

issued rules on periodic reporting of 

service performance measurement and 

customer satisfaction in FY 2010. 

Responsive information appears in 

Library Reference USPS–FY18–29. Id. at 

46. 

Customer satisfaction. The FY 2018 

ACR discusses the Postal Service’s 

approach for measuring customer 

experience and satisfaction; discusses 

survey modifications; describes the 

methodology; presents a table with 

survey results; compares the results 

from FY 2017 to FY 2018; and provides 

information regarding customer access 

to postal services. Id. at 48–65. 

Competitive products. The FY 2018 

ACR provides costs, revenues, and 

volumes for competitive products of 

general applicability in the FY 2018 

CRA or ICRA. For competitive products 

not of general applicability, data are 

provided in non-public Library 

References USPS–FY18–NP2 and 

USPS–FY18–NP27. Id. at 66. The FY 

2018 ACR also addresses the 

competitive product pricing standards 

of 39 U.S.C. 3633. Id. at 66–74. The 

Postal Service also provides a response 

to the Commission’s Directive in Order 

No. 4792 and reports separately the 

revenue, pieces, and weight of 

ECOMPRO pieces for each country in 

USPS–FY18–NP9.5 Additionally, the 

Postal Service responds to the 

Commission’s Directive in the FY 2016 

ACD requiring it to identify each NSA 

product that had no mailpieces shipped 

under its contract in future ACRs.6 This 

information is provided in USPS–FY18– 

NP27 (for domestic NSAs) and USPS– 

FY18–NP2 (for international NSAs). FY 

2018 ACR at 74. 

Market tests; nonpostal services. The 

Postal Service discusses the two 

competitive market tests conducted 

during FY 2018 and nonpostal services. 

Id. at 75. 

III. Procedural Steps 

Statutory requirements. Section 3653 

of title 39 requires the Commission to 

provide interested persons with an 

opportunity to comment on the ACR 

and to appoint an officer of the 

Commission (Public Representative) to 

represent the interests of the general 

public. The Commission hereby solicits 

public comment on the Postal Service’s 

FY 2018 ACR and on whether any rates 

or fees in effect during FY 2018 (for 

products individually or collectively) 

were not in compliance with applicable 

provisions of chapter 36 of title 39 or 

Commission regulations promulgated 

thereunder. Commenters addressing 

market dominant products are referred 

in particular to the applicable 

requirements (39 U.S.C. 3622(d) and (e) 

and 39 U.S.C. 3626); objectives (39 

U.S.C. 3622(b)); and factors (39 U.S.C. 

3622(c)). Commenters addressing 

competitive products are referred to 39 

U.S.C. 3633. 

The Commission also invites public 

comment on the cost coverage matters 

the Postal Service addresses in its filing; 

service performance results; levels of 


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828 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 21 / Thursday, January 31, 2019 / Notices 

customer satisfaction achieved; and 

such other matters that may be relevant 

to the Commission’s review. 

Access to filing. The Commission has 

posted the publicly available portions of 

the FY 2018 ACR on its website at 

http://www.prc.gov. 

Comment deadlines. Comments by 

interested persons are due on or before 

January 31, 2019. Reply comments are 

due on or before February 11, 2019. The 

Commission, upon completion of its 

review of the FY 2018 ACR, comments, 

and other data and information 

submitted in this proceeding, will issue 

its ACD. 

Public Representative. Mallory L. 

Smith is designated to serve as the 

Public Representative to represent the 

interests of the general public in this 

proceeding. Neither the Public 

Representative nor any additional 

persons assigned to assist her shall 

participate in or advise as to any 

Commission decision in this proceeding 

other than in his or her designated 

capacity. 

IV. Ordering Paragraphs 

It is ordered: 

1. The Commission establishes Docket 

No. ACR2018 to consider matters raised 

by the United States Postal Service’s FY 

2018 Annual Compliance Report. 

2. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 505, the 

Commission appoints Mallory L. Smith 

as an officer of the Commission (Public 

Representative) in this proceeding to 

represent the interests of the general 

public. 

3. Comments on the United States 

Postal Service’s FY 2018 Annual 

Compliance Report to the Commission 

are due on or before January 31, 2019. 

4. Reply comments are due on or 

before February 11, 2019. 

5. The Secretary shall arrange for 

publication of this Order in the Federal 

Register. Due to its funding lapse, the 

Federal Register is not being supported 

and this Order’s publication will be 

delayed. The delay in publication in the 

Federal Register will not affect 

comment deadlines. 

By the Commission. 

Stacy L. Ruble, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2019–00396 Filed 1–30–19; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7710–FW–P 

RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD 

Agency Forms Submitted for OMB 

Review, Request for Comments 

Summary: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Railroad 

Retirement Board (RRB) is forwarding 

an Information Collection Request (ICR) 

to the Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB). Our 

ICR describes the information we seek 

to collect from the public. Review and 

approval by OIRA ensures that we 

impose appropriate paperwork burdens. 

The RRB invites comments on the 

proposed collections of information to 

determine (1) the practical utility of the 

collections; (2) the accuracy of the 

estimated burden of the collections; (3) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information that is the 

subject of collection; and (4) ways to 

minimize the burden of collections on 

respondents, including the use of 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology. 

Comments to the RRB or OIRA must 

contain the OMB control number of the 

ICR. For proper consideration of your 

comments, it is best if the RRB and 

OIRA receive them within 30 days of 

the publication date. 

1. Title and purpose of information 

collection: Employer’s Quarterly Report 

of Contributions under the Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act; OMB 

3220–0012. 

Under Section 8 of the Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), 

as amended by the Railroad 

Unemployment Improvement Act of 

1988 (Pub. L. 100–647), the RRB 

determines the amount of an employer’s 

contribution, primarily on the basis of 

the RUIA benefits paid, both 

unemployment and sickness, to the 

employees of the railroad employer. 

These experienced-based contributions 

take into account the frequency, 

volume, and duration of the employees’ 

unemployment and sickness benefits. 

Each employer’s contribution rate 

includes a component for administrative 

expenses as well as a component to 

cover costs shared by all employers. The 

regulations prescribing the manner and 

conditions for remitting the 

contributions and for adjusting 

overpayments or underpayments of 

contributions are contained in 20 CFR 

345. 

RRB Form DC–1, Employer’s 

Quarterly Report of Contributions under 

the Railroad Unemployment Insurance 

Act, is used by railroad employers to 

report and remit their quarterly 

contributions to the RRB. Employers can 

use either the manual version of the 

form or its internet equivalent. One 

response is requested of each 

respondent. Completion is mandatory. 

Previous Requests for Comments: The 

RRB has already published the initial 

60-day notice (83 FR 55580 on 

November 6, 2018) required by 44 

U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). That request elicited 

no comments. 

Information Collection Request (ICR) 

Title: Employer’s Quarterly Report of 

Contributions under the RUIA. 

OMB Control Number: 3220–0012. 

Form(s) submitted: DC–1. 

Type of request: Revision of a 

currently approved collection. 

Affected public: Private Sector: 

Businesses or other for-profits. 

Abstract: Railroad employers are 

required to make contributions to the 

Railroad Unemployment Insurance fund 

quarterly or annually equal to a 

percentage of the creditable 

compensation paid to each employee. 

The information furnished on the report 

accompanying the remittance is used to 

determine correctness of the amount 

paid. 

Changes proposed: The RRB proposes 

minor non-burdening changes to the 

manual and electronic versions of the 

forms in the collection and combined 

Paperwork Reduction Act link and form 

instructions link in the Pay.gov form 

version and renamed the link to read 

‘‘Click for Instructions and Paperwork 

Reduction Act Notice.’’ 

The burden estimate for the ICR is as 

follows: 

Form No. Annual 

responses 

Time 

(minutes) 

Burden 

(hours) 

DC–1 (RRB.Gov) ......................................................................................................................... 720 25 300 

DC–1 (Pay.Gov) .......................................................................................................................... 1,680 25 700 

Total ...................................................................................................................................... 2,400 ........................ 1,000 


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