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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 5, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9013-9015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-02212]

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POSTAL SERVICE

39 CFR Part 111

Optional 5-Digit/3-Digit/ADC Sortation

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of 
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to 
change the standards for First Class Mail[supreg] and USPS Marketing 
Mail[supreg] flats from a ``required'' 5-digit, 3-digit, and ADC 
preparation to an ``optional'' preparation.

DATES: Submit comments on or before March 7, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the Director, 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 
[email protected], with a subject line of ``Optional 5-Digit/
3-Digit/ADC Sortation''. Faxed comments are not accepted.
    You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment 
only, at USPS[supreg] 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: Dale Kennedy at (202) 268-6592 or 
Doriane Harley at (202) 268-2537.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All submitted comments and attachments are 
part of the public record and subject to disclosure. Do not enclose any

[[Page 9014]]

material in your comments that you consider to be confidential or 
inappropriate for public disclosure.
    Currently, the standards in DMM sections 235 and 245 require 
mailers of First Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail flats to make a 5-
digit, 3-digit, and ADC bundle and tray preparation.
    The Postal Service is proposing to amend the standards in DMM 
sections 235 and 245 to make the 5-digit, 3-digit, and ADC preparation 
``optional'' when preparing bundles and trays of First Class Mail and 
USPS Marketing Mail flats.
    The Postal Service is proposing to implement this change effective 
May 1, 2025.
    We believe that the proposed revisions will encourage mailers to 
create full flat trays of flat mail and will reduce the volume of 
bundles entered into the mailstream.
    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 
comment on the proposed revisions to Mailing Standards of the United 
States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), incorporated by 
reference in the Code of Federal Regulations.
    We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to 
reflect these changes.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111

    Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.

    Accordingly, the Postal Service proposes the following changes 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):

PART 111--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-
1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401-404, 414, 416, 3001-3018, 3201-3220, 3401-
3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3629, 3631-3633, 3641, 3681-3685, and 5001.

0
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 Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels

* * * * *

230 Commercial Mail First-Class Mail

* * * * *

235 Mail Preparation

* * * * *

7.0 Preparation of Nonautomation Flats

* * * * *

7.4 Bundling and Labeling

* * * * *
    [Revise the text of items (a) through (c) to read as follows:]
    a. 5-digit (optional); 10-piece minimum; red Label 5 or optional 
endorsement line (OEL).
    b. 3-digit (optional); 10-piece minimum; green Label 3 or OEL.
    c. ADC (optional); 10-piece minimum; pink Label A or OEL.
* * * * *

7.5 Traying and Labeling

* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (a) to read as follows:]
    a. 5-digit (optional); full trays (no overflow); labeling: * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (b) to read as follows:]
    b. 3-digit (optional); full trays (no overflow), except for one 
less-than-full tray for each origin 3-digit(s); labeling: * * *
    c. ADC (optional); full trays (no overflow); labeling: * * *
* * * * *

8.0 Preparation of Automation Flats

* * * * *

8.5 First-Class Mail Required Bundle-Based Preparation

8.5.1 Bundling and Labeling

    Preparation sequence, bundle size (except as allowed under 
203.4.12), and labeling:
* * * * *
    [Revise the text of items (b) through (d) to read as follows:]
    b. 5-digit (optional); 10-piece minimum; red Label 5 or optional 
endorsement line (OEL).
    c. c. 3-digit (optional); 10-piece minimum; green Label 3 or OEL.
    d. d. ADC (optional); 10-piece minimum; pink Label A or OEL.
* * * * *

8.5.2 Traying and Labeling

    Preparation sequence, tray size, and labeling:
* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (a) to read as follows:]
    a. 5-digit (optional); full trays (no overflow); labeling: * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (b) to read as follows:]
    b. 3-digit (optional); full trays (no overflow); labeling: * * *
* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (d) to read as follows:]
    d. ADC (optional); full trays (no overflow); labeling: * * *
* * * * *

8.6 First-Class Mail Optional Tray-Based Preparation

    Tray size, preparation sequence, and Line 1 labeling:
* * * * *
    [Revise the text of item (a) to read as follows:]
    a. 5-digit: optional (90-piece minimum); one less-than-full or 
overflow tray allowed; for Line 1, use city, state, and 5-digit ZIP 
Code destination of pieces (for military mail see 4.0). (Preparation to 
qualify for 5-digit price is optional and need not be done for all 5-
digit destinations.)
    [Revise the text of item (b) to read as follows:]
    b. 3-digit: optional (90-piece minimum); one less-than-full or 
overflow tray allowed; for Line 1, use L002, Column A for 3-digit 
destinations.
* * * * *
    [Revise the first sentence of item (d) to read as follows:]
    d. ADC: optional (90-piece minimum); one less-than-full or overflow 
tray allowed; group pieces by 3-digit ZIP Code prefix; for Line 1, use 
L004. * * *
* * * * *

240 Commercial Mail USPS Marketing Mail

* * * * *

245 Mail Preparation

* * * * *

8.0 Preparing Nonautomation Flats

* * * * *

8.3 Bundling and Labeling

* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (b) to read as follows:]
    b. 5-digit (optional), see definition in 1.4j: * * *
* * * * *
    [Revise the text of items (d) and (e) to read as follows:]
    d. 3-digit (optional), see definition in 1.4o; 10-piece minimum; 
green Label 3 or OEL.

[[Page 9015]]

    e. ADC (optional); 10-piece minimum; pink Label A or OEL.
* * * * *

8.6 Traying, Sacking, and Labeling

* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (a) to read as follows:]
    a. 5-digit/scheme; scheme sort required before 5-digit sort, 5-
digit sort optional, only for pieces meeting the automation flats 
criteria in 201.6.0, see definition in 1.4j; full flat tray; 125-piece, 
or 15-pound minimum; labeling: * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (b) to read as follows:]
    b. 3-digit (optional); full flat tray; 125-piece, or 15-pound 
minimum; labeling: * * *
* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (d) to read as follows:]
    d. ADC (optional); full flat tray; 125-piece, or 15-pound minimum; 
labeling: * * *
* * * * *

10.0 Preparing Automation Flats

* * * * *

10.4 USPS Marketing Mail Bundle and Flat-Tray Preparation

10.4.1 Bundling and Labeling

* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (b)
    b. 5-digit presort (optional); see definition in 1.4g: * * *
    [Revise the text of items (d) and (e) to read as follows:]
    d. 3-digit presort (optional); see definition in 1.4n; 10-piece 
minimum; green Label 3 or OEL.
    e. ADC (optional); 10-piece minimum; pink Label A or OEL.
* * * * *

10.4.3 Traying, Sacking, and Labeling

* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (a) to read as follows:]
    a. 5-digit/scheme; scheme sort required before 5-digit sort, 5-
digit sort optional; see definition in 1.4g; full flat tray, 125-piece, 
or 15-pound minimum, labeling: * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (b) to read as follows:]
    b. 3-digit (optional); full flat tray, 125-piece or 15-pound 
minimum; labeling: * * *
* * * * *
    [Revise the first paragraph of item (d) to read as follows:]
    d. ADC (optional); full flat tray, 125-piece, or 15-pound minimum; 
labeling: * * *
* * * * *

Kevin Rayburn,
Attorney, Ethics & Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2025-02212 Filed 2-4-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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