[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83056-83057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23711]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. PI2025-1; Order No. 7676]


Public Inquiry on Modification of Service Performance Measurement 
Plan

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is recognizing a recently filed Postal Service 
request proposing modifications to its Service Performance Measurement 
Plan for Market Dominant products and related measurement changes. This 
notice informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and 
takes other administrative steps.

DATES: Comments are due: November 19, 2024.

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: On October 4, 2024, the Postal Service filed 
a notice, pursuant to 39 CFR 3055.5,

[[Page 83057]]

proposing revisions to its Service Performance Measurement (SPM) Plan 
for Market Dominant products.\1\ The Postal Service also, pursuant to 
39 U.S.C. 3691(b)(2), requests approval to apply an existing internal 
service performance measurement system to USPS Connect Local Mail. 
Notice at 1. The most recent version of the SPM Plan that is the 
subject of this proceeding was approved for implementation on May 7, 
2024, in Docket No. PI2024-1.\2\ Accompanying the Notice is a library 
reference, which contains a copy of the Postal Service's SPM Plan, 
revised October 4, 2024 (both redline and clean versions).\3\
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    \1\ United States Postal Service Notice Concerning Service 
Standards Measurement for USPS Connect Local and Request for Use of 
Internal Measurement System, October 4, 2024, at 1 (Notice).
    \2\ Docket No. PI2024-1, Order Approving Modifications to 
Service Performance Measurement Plan for Market Dominant Products 
and Related Measurement Changes, May 7, 2024 (Order No. 7084). See 
Docket No. PI2024-1, Library Reference USPS-LR-PI2024-1-1, March 18, 
2024, PDF file ``iSPM_RevPlan_BLACK-LINE--03-18-2024.pdf.''
    \3\ Library Reference USPS-LR-PI2025-1-1, October 4, 2024, PDF 
files ``iSPM RevPlan ConnectLocal_Redline.pdf'' and ``iSPM RevPlan 
ConnectLocal_Blackline.pdf.''
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    On November 10, 2021, the Postal Service announced its intention to 
conduct a market test of an experimental product denominated as USPS 
Connect Local Mail.\4\ USPS Connect Local Mail is a same day/overnight 
delivery product intended for local delivery, enabling customers to 
deposit USPS Connect Local Mail items at participating Destination 
Delivery Units (DDUs) or present them to mail carriers along their 
lines of travel to participating DDUs. Notice at 3. The Commission 
authorized the proposed market test on January 4, 2022.\5\ On October 
11, 2022, the Postal Service requested that USPS Connect Local Mail be 
converted to a permanent offering.\6\ On January 20, 2023, the 
Commission dismissed the Postal Service's request without prejudice, 
finding that the Postal Service's request was premature and that 
significant issues had been raised by commenters with respect to 
whether USPS Connect Local Mail as proposed would violate 39 U.S.C. 
404a--issues which the Commission found had not been adequately 
addressed on the record before it at that time.\7\ The Commission 
stated that the Postal Service was free to ``refile its request once it 
has resolved the issues related to section 404a.'' Order No. 6423 at 
15. The Postal Service has now done so, refiling its request in a 
companion docket to the instant one.\8\
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    \4\ Docket No. MT2022-1, United States Postal Service Notice of 
Market Test of Experimental Product--USPS Connect Local Mail, 
November 10, 2021.
    \5\ Docket No. MT2022-1, Order Authorizing Market Test of 
Experimental Product--USPS Connect Local Mail, January 4, 2022 
(Order No. 6080).
    \6\ Docket No. MC2023-12, United States Postal Service Request 
to Convert USPS Connect Local Mail to a Permanent Offering, October 
11, 2022.
    \7\ Docket No. MC2023-12, Order Dismissing Without Prejudice the 
Postal Service's Revised Request to Convert USPS Connect Local Mail 
Market Test to a Permanent Offering, January 20, 2023 (Order No. 
6423); Docket No. PI2023-1, Order Dismissing Without Prejudice 
Notice of Intent to Establish New Service Standards, Proposed 
Modifications to Service Performance Measurement Plan for Market 
Dominant Products, and Request to Use Internal Service Performance 
Measurement System, January 20, 2023 (Order No. 6424). The 
Commission had previously also dismissed without prejudice a 
separate request in the same docket to convert USPS Connect Local 
Mail to a permanent offering, for procedural reasons. See Docket No. 
MC2023-12, Order Dismissing Without Prejudice Postal Service's 
Request to Convert USPS Connect Local Mail Market Test to a 
Permanent Offering, October 17, 2022 (Order No. 6301).
    \8\ See Docket No. MC2025-19, United States Postal Service 
Request to Convert USPS Connect Local Mail to a Permanent Offering, 
October 3, 2024.
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    In this docket, the Postal Service states that ``[a]ssuming [its 
current request to convert USPS Connect Local Mail into a permanent 
offering] [is] adopted in accordance with the expected date of 
implementation of January 1, 2025, the Postal Service plans to add USPS 
Connect Local Mail as a price category within First-Class Mail Flats.'' 
Notice at 4. To that end, the Postal Service, pursuant to 39 CFR 
3055.5, proposes revisions to the SPM Plan. See id. at 5. Specifically, 
the Postal Service proposes to modify the existing SPM Plan to add USPS 
Connect Local Mail, describe the approach that will be followed to 
measure its service performance, and identify when such performance 
measurements will be reported. Id.
    The Postal Service also, pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3691(b)(2), requests 
approval to apply internal service performance measurement to USPS 
Connect Local Mail. Id. at 5-6. Specifically, the Postal Service 
proposes using its existing internal Intelligent Mail package barcode 
(IMpb) system, which employs automated equipment to sort and track 
mailpieces. Id. at 6. The Postal Service proposes using IMpb tracking 
barcodes at acceptance and delivery to measure service performance for 
USPS Connect Local Mail. Id.
    With respect to the service standard to be applied to USPS Connect 
Local Mail, the Postal Service states that:

    On November 30, 2022, 39 [CFR] 121.1 was revised to establish a 
same-day service standard for USPS Connect Local Mail items accepted 
. . . at a participating DDU by the Critical Entry Time (CET) and to 
establish a next-day service standard for USPS Connect Local Mail 
for items picked-up by a carrier or accepted at a participating DDU 
after that day's CET.

Notice at 4. The Postal Service explains that this would remain the 
applicable service standard for USPS Connect Local Mail should it be 
converted to a permanent offering. Id.

    Interested persons are invited to comment on the Postal Service's 
proposed revisions to its SPM Plan and request to use internal service 
performance measurement for USPS Connect Local Mail. Comments are due 
November 19, 2024. The Commission does not anticipate the need for 
reply comments at this time. The Commission intends to evaluate the 
comments received and use those suggestions to help carry out its 
service performance measurement responsibilities under Title 39 of the 
United States Code. Material filed in this docket will be available for 
review on the Commission's website, http://www.prc.gov. The Commission 
appoints Christopher C. Mohr to represent the interests of the general 
public (Public Representative) in this docket.
    It is ordered:
    1. Docket No. PI2025-1 is established for the purpose of 
considering the Postal Service's proposed revisions to its Service 
Performance Measurement Plan for Market Dominant products and request 
to use internal service performance measurement for USPS Connect Local 
Mail.
    2. Interested persons may submit written comments on any or all 
aspects of the Postal Service's proposals no later than November 19, 
2024.
    3. Christopher C. Mohr is designated to represent the interests of 
the general public in this docket.
    4. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this Notice in 
the Federal Register.

    By the Commission.
Erica A. Barker,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2024-23711 Filed 10-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P