34806 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 141 / Monday, July 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules 

www.regulations.gov, contact the person 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this document for 

alternate instructions. 

We accept anonymous comments. All 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov and will include 

any personal information you have 

provided. For more about privacy and 

the docket, visit http://

www.regulations.gov/privacyNotice. 

Documents mentioned in this NPRM 

as being available in the docket, and all 

public comments, will be in our online 

docket at http://www.regulations.gov 

and can be viewed by following that 

website’s instructions. Additionally, if 

you go to the online docket and sign up 

for email alerts, you will be notified 

when comments are posted or a final 

rule is published. 

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165 

Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation 

(water), Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Security measures, 

Waterways. 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Coast Guard proposes to 

amend 33 CFR part 165 as follows: 

PART 165—REGULATED NAVIGATION 

AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 165 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1231; 50 

U.S.C. 191; 33 CFR 1.05–1, 6.04–1, 6.04–6, 

and 160.5; Department of Homeland Security 

Delegation No. 0170.1. 

■ 2. Add § 165.T09–0683 to read as 

follows: 

§ 165.T09–0683 Safety Zone; Great Lakes 

Offshore Grand Prix; Lake Erie, Dunkirk, 

NY. 

(a) Location. The safety zone will 

encompass all waters of Lake Erie, 

Dunkirk, 

NY starting at position 42°29′37.7′′ N, 

079°21′17.7′′ W then Northwest to 

42°29′45.2′′ N, 079°21′28.2′′ W then 

Northeast to 42°30′15.0′′ N, 079°21′20.0′′ 

W then Northeast to 42°30′39.0′′ N, 

079°19′46.0′′ W then Southeast to 

42°30′09.3′′ N, 079°19′03.1′′ W. 

(b) Enforcement Period. This rule is 

effective from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. 

on August 19, 2018 with a rain date of 

August 18, 2018. 

(c) Regulations. 

(1) In accordance with the general 

regulations in § 165.23 of this part, entry 

into, transiting, or anchoring within this 

safety zone is prohibited unless 

authorized by the Captain of the Port 

Buffalo or his designated on-scene 

representative. 

(2) This safety zone is closed to all 

vessel traffic, except as may be 

permitted by the Captain of the Port 

Buffalo or his designated on-scene 

representative. 

(3) The ‘‘on-scene representative’’ of 

the Captain of the Port Buffalo is any 

Coast Guard commissioned, warrant or 

petty officer who has been designated 

by the Captain of the Port Buffalo to act 

on his behalf. 

(4) Vessel operators desiring to enter 

or operate within the safety zone must 

contact the Captain of the Port Buffalo 

or his on-scene representative to obtain 

permission to do so. The Captain of the 

Port Buffalo or his on-scene 

representative may be contacted via 

VHF Channel 16. Vessel operators given 

permission to enter or operate in the 

safety zone must comply with all 

directions given to them by the Captain 

of the Port Buffalo, or his on-scene 

representative. 

Dated: July 17, 2018. 

Joseph S. Dufresne, 

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the 

Port Buffalo. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15672 Filed 7–20–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

POSTAL SERVICE 

39 CFR Part 111 

POSTNET Barcode 

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Postal Service is 

proposing an amendment of the Mailing 

Standards of the United States Postal 

Service, Domestic Mail Manual, 

(DMM®) to remove all references to the 

POSTNETTM barcode. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

August 22, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written 

comments to the manager, Product 

Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 

L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, 

Washington, DC 20260–5015. If sending 

comments by email, include the name 

and address of the commenter and send 

to ProductClassification@usps.gov, with 

a subject line of ‘‘POSTNET.’’ Faxed 

comments are not accepted. 

You may inspect and photocopy all 

written comments, by appointment 

only, at USPS® Headquarters Library, 

475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, 11th Floor 

North, Washington, DC, 20260. These 

records are available for review on 

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., 

by calling 202–268–2906. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lizbeth Dobbins at (202) 268–3789 or 

Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268–7261. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On March 2, 2012, the Postal Service 

published a proposed rule in the 

Federal Register (77 FR 12764–12769) 

to discontinue automation price 

eligibility for POSTNET barcodes. This 

was followed by publication of a final 

rule in the Federal Register (77 FR 

26185–26191) on May 3, 2012. 

Effective January 27, 2013, the Postal 

Service revised the DMM throughout 

various sections to discontinue 

automation price eligibility based on the 

use of POSTNET barcodes on all types 

of mail. However, while the use of the 

POSTNET barcode was discontinued for 

price eligibility, the Postal Service 

continued to allow the use of the 

POSTNET barcode to qualify for certain 

Business Reply Mail® prices and in 

other circumstances. The DMM 

therefore retained language referring to 

POSTNET barcodes. 

Proposal 

As a result, after discussion with the 

mailing industry the Postal Service is 

proposing to remove all references to 

the POSTNET barcode from the DMM. 

This decision was based on the limited 

use of the POSTNET barcode and the 

need to simplify the standards in 

regards to barcoding letter-size and flatsize mailpieces. 

The Postal Service will continue to 

process mailpieces with a POSTNET 

barcode to accommodate customers who 

may have preprinted stock bearing a 

POSTNET barcode. 

Although exempt from the notice and 

comment requirements of the 

Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 

553(b), (c)) regarding proposed 

rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the 

Postal Service invites public comments 

on the following proposed revisions to 

Mailing Standards of the United States 

Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual 

(DMM), incorporated by reference in the 

Code of Federal Regulations. See 39 CFR 

111.1. 

We will publish an appropriate 

amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to reflect 

these changes. 

Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is 

proposed to be amended as follows: 

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Postal Service. 

PART 111—[AMENDED] 

■ 1. The authority citation for 39 CFR 

part 111 continues to read as follows: 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS1
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 141 / Monday, July 23, 2018 / Proposed Rules 34807 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301– 

307; 18 U.S.C. 1692–1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 

401, 403, 404, 414, 416, 3001–3011, 3201– 

3219, 3403–3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3632, 

3633, and 5001. 

■ 2. Revise the Mailing Standards of the 

United States Postal Service, Domestic 

Mail Manual (DMM) as follows: 

Mailing Standards of the United States 

Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual 

(DMM) 

* * * * * 

200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, 

Flats, and Parcels 

* * * * * 

202 Elements on the Face of a 

Mailpiece 

* * * * * 

5.0 Barcode Placement Letters and 

Flats 

5.1 Letter-Size 

* * * * * 

5.1.4 Additional Barcode 

Permissibility 

[Revise the text of 5.1.4 to read as 

follows:] 

An automation letter or a letter 

claimed at Enhanced Carrier Route 

saturation or high density automation 

letter prices may not bear a 5-digit or 

ZIP+4 Intelligent Mail barcode in the 

lower right corner (barcode clear zone). 

The piece may bear an additional 

Intelligent Mail barcode in the address 

block only if a qualifying Intelligent 

Mail barcode with a delivery point 

routing code appears in the lower right 

corner. 

* * * * * 

5.2 Flat-Size 

5.2.1 Barcode Placement for Flats 

[Revise the fifth sentence of 5.2.1 to 

read as follows:] 

* * * An additional Intelligent Mail 

barcode may also appear in the address 

block of an automation flat, when the 

qualifying Intelligent Mail barcode is 

not in the address block. * * * 

* * * * * 

6.0 Barcode Placement for Parcels 

* * * * * 

[Revise the heading and text of 6.3 to 

read as follows:] 

6.3 Intelligent Mail Barcodes 

Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb) do not 

meet barcode eligibility requirements 

for parcels and do not qualify for any 

barcode-related prices for parcels, but 

one barcode may be included only in 

the address block on a parcel, except on 

eVS parcels. An Intelligent Mail barcode 

in the address block must be placed 

according to 5.3. 

* * * * * 

8.0 Facing Identification Mark (FIM) 

* * * * * 

8.2 Pattern 

[Revise the third sentence in the 

introductory text of 8.2 to read as 

follows:] 

* * * The required FIM pattern as 

shown in Exhibit 8.2.0 below depends 

on the type of mail and the presence of 

an Intelligent Mail barcode as follows: 

* * * * * 

204 Barcode Standards 

Overview 

[Revise the link heading under 

‘‘Overview’’ to read as follows:] 

1.0 Standards for Intelligent Mail 

Barcodes 

* * * * * 

[Revise the heading of 1.0 to read as 

follows:] 

1.0 Standards for Intelligent Mail 

Barcodes 

1.1 General 

[Revise the text of 1.1 to read as 

follows:] 

An Intelligent Mail barcode is a 

USPS-developed method to encode ZIP 

Code information on mail that can be 

read for sorting by automated machines. 

Intelligent Mail barcodes also encode 

other tracking information. 

[Delete 1.2, POSTNET Barcode, in its 

entirety and renumber 1.3 through 1.6 

as 1.2 through 1.5.] 

* * * * * 

507 Mailer Services 

* * * * * 

4.0 Address Correction Services 

* * * * * 

4.2 Address Change Service (ACS) 

* * * * * 

4.2.6 Additional Standards—When 

Using Intelligent Mail Barcodes 

* * * Mailpieces must meet the 

following specifications: 

* * * * * 

[Revise the text of item b to read as 

follows:] 

b. Flat-size mailpieces may be mailed 

at nonautomation or automation prices. 

* * * * * 

600 Basic Standards For All Mailing 

Services 

* * * * * 

604 Postage Payment Methods and 

Refunds 

* * * * * 

4.0 Postage Meters and PC Postage 

Products (‘‘Postage Evidencing 

Systems’’) 

* * * * * 

4.3 Postage Payment 

* * * * * 

4.3.3 Placement of Postage 

* * * When placing indicia on 

mailpieces, position indicia at least 1⁄4

inch from the right edge of the 

mailpiece and 1⁄4 inch from the top edge 

of the mailpiece and as follows: 

* * * * * 

[Revise the text of item e to read as 

follows:] 

e. Do not allow the indicia to infringe 

on the areas reserved for the FIM, 

Intelligent Mail barcode, or optical 

character reader (OCR) clear zone. 

* * * * * 

Index 

* * * * * 

P 

* * * * * 

[Delete the ‘‘POSTNET’’ line item in 

the Index.] 

* * * * * 

Ruth Stevenson, 

Attorney, Federal Compliance. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15549 Filed 7–20–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7710–12–P 

POSTAL SERVICE 

39 CFR Part 111 

New Mailing Standards for 

Merchandise Return Service 

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. 

ACTION: Proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: The Postal Service is 

proposing to revise Mailing Standards 

of the United States Postal Service, 

Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to 

provide for new procedures for the 

processing and rating of Merchandise 

Return Service (MRS) pieces, and in the 

future, to transition all current MRS 

permit holders to use the new 

procedures. 

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

August 22, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written 

comments to the manager, Product 

Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 

L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, 

Washington, DC 20260–5015. If sending 


amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with PROPOSALS1