[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 116 (Friday, June 15, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 32544-32545]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14931]


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POSTAL RATE COMMISSION

39 CFR Part 3000

[Docket No. RM2001-1; Order No. 1313]


Revision to Standards of Conduct

AGENCY: Postal Rate Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is updating its standards of conduct to reflect 
government-wide ethics rules. This entails eliminating existing, 
redundant procedures for reviewing employees' security holdings for 
conflicts of interests. This change will help avoid confusion in 
administration of the Commission's ethics program.

DATES: Effective June 15, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Steven W. Williams, Acting Secretary, 
Postal Rate Commission, 1333 H Street NW., Suite 300, Washington, DC 
20268-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, 202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Regulatory History

    66 FR 11242-43 (Order No. 1303); Order No. 1313 (May 15, 2001).

B. Background

    On February 7, 2001, the Commission issued a notice of proposed 
rulemaking proposing to delete rule 103(b) (39 CFR 3000.735.103(b)) 
from the Commission's standards of conduct. See order no. 1303 
published in the Federal Register on Friday, February 23, 2001 (66 FR 
11242-43).
    Rule 103(b) was a de minimis rule. It provided that security 
interests held by a Commission employee that were valued below a 
certain amount would receive a different level of scrutiny for 
conflicts of interest than security interests valued above the 
specified amount. The notice observed that this provision had been 
superceded by, and become duplicative of, government-wide ethical 
standards and screening procedures. To conform the Commission's 
standards of conduct with government-wide ethics rules and financial 
disclosure procedures, the Commission proposed that rule 103(b) be 
deleted.
    The notice provided a 30-day period from the date of its 
publication in the Federal Register for public comment. No comments 
were received. Accordingly, the proposal is adopted as proposed.
    Rule 103(b) (39 CFR 3000.735.103(b)) is hereby deleted from the

[[Page 32545]]

Commission's Standards of Conduct. Rule 103(a) will be redesignated 
rule 103.

C. Ordering Paragraghs

    It is ordered:
    Paragraph (b) shall be deleted from rule 103 of the Commission's 
standards of conduct, effective upon publication of this order in the 
Federal Register.
    Rule 103(a) of the Commission's standards of conduct shall be 
redesignated rule 103.
    The acting secretary is directed to cause this final rule to appear 
in the Federal Register.

Steven W. Williams,
Acting Secretary.

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 3000

    Admininstrative practice and procedure, Postal Service

    For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Postal Rate Commission 
amends 39 CFR part 3000 as follows:

PART 3000--STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

    The authority citation for part 3000 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 39 U.S.C. 3603; E.O. 12674, 54 FR 15159, 3 CFR, 1989 
Comp., p. 215, as modified by E.O. 12731, 56 FR 42547, 3 CFR, 1990 
Comp., p. 306; 5 CFR parts 2634 and 2636.

    Revise Sec. 3000.735-103 to read as follows:


Sec. 3000.735-103  Financial interests.

    An employee shall not, either directly or indirectly, have any 
financial interest (whether by ownership of any stock, bond, security, 
or otherwise) in any entity or person whose interests may be 
significantly affected by rates of postage, fees for postage services, 
the classification of mail, or the operation of the Postal Service. 
This paragraph does not proscribe interests in an entity or person 
whose use of the mail is merely an incidental or a minor factor in the 
general conduct of its business.

[FR Doc. 01-14931 Filed 6-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P