Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 49123 

current rule amendment; therefore, VA 

makes no changes to the rule based on 

these comments. 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 

direct agencies to assess the costs and 

benefits of available regulatory 

alternatives and, when regulation is 

necessary, to select regulatory 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety 

effects, and other advantages; 

distributive impacts; and equity). 

Executive Order 13563 (Improving 

Regulation and Regulatory Review) 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, 

reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and 

promoting flexibility. Executive Order 

12866 (Regulatory Planning and 

Review) defines a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action,’’ which requires 

review by the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB), as ‘‘any regulatory action 

that is likely to result in a rule that may: 

(1) Have an annual effect on the 

economy of $100 million or more or 

adversely affect in a material way the 

economy, a sector of the economy, 

productivity, competition, jobs, the 

environment, public health or safety, or 

state, local, or tribal governments or 

communities; (2) Create a serious 

inconsistency or otherwise interfere 

with an action taken or planned by 

another agency; (3) Materially alter the 

budgetary impact of entitlements, 

grants, user fees, or loan programs or the 

rights and obligations of recipients 

thereof; or (4) Raise novel legal or policy 

issues arising out of legal mandates, the 

President’s priorities, or the principles 

set forth in this Executive Order.’’ The 

economic, interagency, budgetary, legal, 

and policy implications of this final rule 

have been examined, and it has been 

determined not to be a significant 

regulatory action under Executive Order 

12866. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This final rule contains no provisions 

constituting a collection of information 

under the provisions of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 

et seq.). 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Secretary hereby certifies that 

this rule will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities as they are 

defined in the Regulatory Flexibility 

Act, 5 U.S.C. 601–612. This rule will not 

affect any small entities. Only VA 

beneficiaries could be directly affected. 

Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), 

this rule is exempt from the initial and 

final regulatory flexibility analysis 

requirements of sections 603 and 604. 

Unfunded Mandates 

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

of 1995 requires, at 2 U.S.C. 1532, that 

agencies prepare an assessment of 

anticipated costs and benefits before 

issuing any rule that may result in the 

expenditure by state, local, and tribal 

governments, in the aggregate, or by the 

private sector, of $100 million or more 

(adjusted annually for inflation) in any 

year. This rule will have no such effect 

on State, local, and tribal governments, 

or on the private sector. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

The Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance program number and title 

affected by this rule is 64.109, Veterans 

Compensation for Service-Connected 

Disability. 

Signing Authority 

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or 

designee, approved this document and 

authorized the undersigned to sign and 

submit the document to the Office of the 

Federal Register for publication 

electronically as an official document of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gina 

S. Farrisee, Deputy Chief of Staff, 

Department of Veterans Affairs, 

approved this document on September 

25, 2017, for publication. 

List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 3 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Claims, Disability benefits, 

Veterans 

The interim rule amending 38 CFR 

part 3, published October 17, 2016, at 81 

FR 71382, is adopted as final without 

change. 

Dated: September 25, 2017. 

Jeffrey Martin, 

Office Program Manager, Office of Regulation 

Policy & Management, Office of the Secretary, 

Department of Veterans Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22970 Filed 10–23–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 

POSTAL SERVICE 

39 CFR Part 111 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process 

AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Postal Service is revising 

Mailing Standards of the United States 

Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual 

(DMM®), to include a new method of 

Move Update verification and 

assessment procedure for evaluating 

address quality, the ‘‘Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process.’’ This new procedure is 

applicable to mailers who enter eligible 

letter- and flat-size pieces of First-Class 

Mail® and USPS Marketing MailTM that 

meet the requirements for Basic or Full 

Service mailings. In addition, the Postal 

Service is extending no-fee Address 

Correction Service (ACSTM) to mailers 

who enter qualifying mailpieces. 

DATES: Effective January 21, 2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Heather Dyer, USPS Mail Entry, Phone: 

(207) 482–7217, Email: heather.l.dyer@

usps.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 

30, 2017, the Postal Service filed a 

notice of price adjustment with the 

Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) 

seeking approval of price and 

classification changes related to the 

Address Quality Measurement and 

Assessment Process, and the extension 

of no-fee ACS to mailers who enter 

qualifying mailpieces. 

On August 23, 2017, the PRC 

approved the price and classification 

changes related to the Address Quality 

Assessment and Measurement 

Assessment Process, including the 0.5 

percent error threshold, and Move 

Update assessment charge. In addition, 

the PRC approved extending no-fee ACS 

to certain Basic automation and nonautomation mailpieces that are 

submitted by qualifying mailers. The 

prices approved by the PRC are 

available under Docket Number R2017– 

7 on the PRC’s Web site at www.prc.gov, 

and these changes will take effect on 

January 21, 2018. This final rule adopts 

the conforming changes to the DMM, 

which were previously noticed for 

public comment in a proposed rule (79 

FR 76930–76931) and two subsequent 

revisions. 

The Postal Service issued its first 

revised proposed rule on July 6, 2016 

(81 FR 43965–43971). Subsequently, on 

February 27, 2017, the Postal Service 

elected to issue a second, revised 

proposed rule (82 FR 11871–11878) in 

order to further clarify the proposal, 

more thoroughly respond to mailer 

comments, and clearly outline the ways 

in which the proposal had changed 

since the previous proposed rule. In 

response, the Postal Service received 

valuable feedback from the mailing 

industry. Although the substance of the 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process has not 

changed since the proposed rule of 

February 27, 2017, the Postal Service 

has buttressed the level of detail 


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49124 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

provided on the mechanics of the 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process in DMM 

602.5.3, given that it now has obtained 

regulatory approval. 

The following subheadings are 

intended to provide a snapshot of the 

forthcoming Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process. 

Terms 

For purposes of clarification, the 

Postal Service provides the following 

definitions of several terms used in this 

document: 

D eDoc Submitter: The electronic 

documentation (eDoc) Submitter is 

determined using the Customer 

Registration IDentifier (CRID) number 

that is used to upload the eDoc to the 

Postal Service for processing. The eDoc 

submitter most often is the Mail 

Preparer but can also be the Mail 

Owner. All results of the Address 

Quality Measurement will be displayed 

on the scorecards for the eDoc Submitter 

and Mail Owner; however, any 

additional postage assessments will be 

presented to the eDoc submitter. 

D Legal Restraint: Mailers of FirstClass Mail pieces who assert that they 

are restricted by law from incorporating 

Postal Service change of address (COA) 

information onto their mailpieces 

without permission from addressees; 

these mailers may request Postal Service 

approval to meet the requirements for 

Move Update by using the Legal 

Restraint alternate method. Such 

mailers must be able to clearly 

demonstrate how the use of a primary 

Move Update method would violate the 

law. For details, consult Guide to Move 

Update at: http://

beta.postalpro.usps.com/node/1116. 

Pieces that meet the requirements for 

the Legal Restraint method will be 

excluded from the Mailer Scorecard and 

the Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process, 

as long as the mailpieces use the 

appropriate CRID or Mailer IDentifier 

(MID). 

D Mailer: The term mailer within this 

document encompasses Mail Owners, 

Mail Preparers, and Mail Service 

Providers (MSPs). 

D Mailer Scorecard: This is an 

electronic report that contains mail 

quality measurements and assessments 

on mailings over a calendar month for 

Move Update, Full Service Intelligent 

Mail, eInduction® and Seamless 

Acceptance. The Scorecard is accessible 

through the Business Customer Gateway 

(BCG) and provides views for eDoc 

submitters, MSPs, and Mail Owners. 

D Non-qualifying Mailings: The nonqualifying mailpieces listed below will 

be excluded from the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process and the Mailer Scorecard: 

• Mailpieces that are undeliverable 

due to an address change that is 

Temporary, Foreign, Moved Left No 

Address (MLNA), and Box Closed No 

Order (BCNO). 

• Mailpieces that are priced as singlepiece. 

• Mailpieces that qualify for the Legal 

Restraint method. 

• Mailpieces without the 

documentation submitted electronically. 

D Qualifying Mailings: An eDoc 

submitter is eligible for the Address 

Quality Census Measurement and 

Assessment Process when at least one of 

its mailings qualifies for Full Service in 

a calendar month. Thereafter, when 

mailers enter eligible mailings of letterand flat-size pieces of First-Class Mail 

and USPS Marketing Mail that meet the 

requirements for Basic or Full Service 

mailings in a subsequent calendar 

month, the Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process 

will be used, if the postage statement 

and supporting documentation are 

submitted electronically and a unique 

Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb®) is 

included in the eDoc. 

Summary of Industry Comments and 

Postal Service Responses 

The Postal Service appreciates all of 

the comments that were provided by the 

mailing industry in response to the 

revised proposal of February 27, 2017. 

These comments and replies can serve 

as frequently asked questions (FAQs) to 

help clarify the Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process. 

The mailers’ comments and 

corresponding Postal Service responses 

are outlined as follows: 

Mailer Comment 

Mailers are unable to effectively 

determine the success of the new 

measurement and assessment process, 

because the Postal Service has not 

provided sufficient information (i.e., 

statistical analysis) regarding how the 

error threshold will be set or modified. 

Therefore, mailers are not confident that 

mailings will be measured 

appropriately. Additionally, the 

determination of the assessment charge 

is not clearly outlined. We feel that the 

PRC should review both the proposed 

assessment charge along with the error 

threshold percentage and prior to the 

Postal Service publishing a final rule, 

then revisit the requirements of the 

proposed rule in light of the 

determinations made in that docket. 

USPS Response 

As previously stated, on August 23, 

2017, the PRC approved the 0.5 percent 

error threshold and Move Update 

assessment charge under the Address 

Quality Census Measurement and 

Assessment Process. The Postal Service 

will implement the changes on January 

21, 2018, which provides mailers nearly 

five months to adopt a USPS-approved 

Move Update method pursuant to the 

Move Update standard. In addition, this 

lead time will enable mailers to monitor 

COA errors via the Mailer Scorecard 

before the assessment process begins. 

Mailer Comment 

Why are mailers required to adhere to 

specific approved Move Update 

methods? If the USPS decides this is a 

necessary requirement, can they enact 

‘‘safe harbor’’ provisions that protect 

mailers who are consistently meeting 

the criteria for the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process from further liability resulting 

from United States Postal Inspection 

Service (USPIS) investigations? 

USPS Response 

The DMM provides that certain 

commercial mailings must comply with 

the Move Update standard, regardless of 

whether the mail is verified for Move 

Update compliance presently under the 

Mail Evaluation Readability Lookup 

Instrument (MERLIN®) method, or will 

be subject to the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process when it takes effect on January 

21, 2018. Failure to meet the Move 

Update standard may result in an 

additional postage assessment. The 

purpose of the Move Update standard is 

to correct mailpieces bearing an old 

address for which the Postal Service has 

a new address on record to help ensure 

that such mailpieces reach their 

intended recipients. Move Update 

requirements aim to bring down the 

incidence of UAA mail, which is costly 

to both the Postal Service and its 

customers. 

As noted in the proposed rule of July 

6, 2016, there are three USPS-approved 

methods for satisfying the Move Update 

requirement, and mailers must use one 

of those approved methods unless a 

USPS-approved alternate method is 

used. There are two USPS-approved 

alternative methods (99 Percent 

Accuracy and Legal Restraint), which 

are available under very limited 

circumstances for mailers who enter 

First-Class Mail. By contacting the USPS 

National Customer Support Center 

(NCSC), eligible mailers may apply for 


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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 49125 

the following USPS-approved 

alternative methods: 

D 99 Percent Accuracy: This method 

is available to mailers who enter FirstClass Mail and demonstrate that their 

internal list management maintains 

address quality at 99 percent or greater 

accuracy for COAs. Mailpieces that meet 

the criteria for the USPS-approved 99 

Percent Accuracy method are subject to 

the new Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process. 

D Legal Restraint: This method is 

available to mailers who enter FirstClass Mail and First-Class Mail Package 

Service pieces and demonstrate that a 

legal restriction prevents them from 

updating their customer’s address 

without direct contact from the 

customer. Mailpieces that meet the 

conditions of the USPS-approved Legal 

Restraint method are excluded from the 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process. 

For more information related to Move 

Update alternative methods, see the 

Guide to Move Update at https://

postalpro.usps.com/node/1116. 

Mailer Comment 

Why is the Postal Service measuring 

compliance and applying assessments at 

the eDoc submitter and CRID level 

rather than at the Mail Owner level? The 

Postal Service requires by/for and Mail 

Owner information with all eDoc for 

Full Service mailings, which means that 

they have the necessary information to 

determine the Mail Owners with whom 

any identified address quality errors are 

associated. Therefore, Mail Owners with 

less volume are concerned that they will 

be overshadowed by larger Mail Owners 

who dominate the MSP’s volume. 

USPS Response 

The Postal Service will measure 

compliance and apply assessments at 

the eDoc submitter and CRID level, 

because it is the eDoc submitter who 

submits the mail to the Postal Service; 

this allows USPS to remain consistent 

with the current verification process. As 

previously stated in the proposed rule of 

February 27, 2017, the Postal Service is 

providing specific data to assist eDoc 

submitters with identifying the Mail 

Owners who exceed the Census error 

threshold and contribute to the 

assessment charge. These data are 

provided throughout the calendar 

month to allow eDoc submitters and 

Mail Owners to discuss assessments 

before and during the 10-day mailer 

review period. 

Mailer Comment 

It would be beneficial if USPS would 

provide sufficient notice to eDoc 

submitters who are at risk of losing free 

ACS so that they can take action to 

avoid disruption and continue to use 

the program. 

USPS Response 

Once the extension of the no-fee ACS 

proposal takes effect on January 21, 

2018, the Postal Service will monitor 

Full Service compliance for these 

mailers on a quarterly basis. If a mailer’s 

average Full Service volume drops 

below the 95 percent threshold for a 

given quarter, that mailer will receive a 

notification of its removal from 

receiving no-fee ACS in the next billing 

cycle. 

Mailer Comment 

How many locations, if any, will still 

be using MERLIN once this new 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process is 

implemented? What is the transition 

plan to convert any remaining MERLIN 

sites? 

USPS Response 

As stated in the proposed rule of 

February 27, 2017, upon 

implementation of the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process, the MERLIN Move Update 

verification process will terminate for 

all sites. 

Mailer Comment 

When the new Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process becomes effective, will USPIS, 

USPS, and mailers all be using the exact 

same, transparent Move Update 

compliance data for proof of Move 

Update compliance? 

USPS Response 

All mailings using postage prices that 

require compliance with the Move 

Update standard, regardless of whether 

they qualify for verification under the 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process, may be subject 

to a separate assessment in the event 

that they do not comply with the Move 

Update standard pursuant to DMM 

602.5. A mailer has not complied with 

the Move Update standard if a USPSapproved Move Update method (DMM 

602.5.2) was not used to update the 

mailer’s address list with correct 

addresses (unless the mail bears an 

alternative address format under DMM 

602.3). In those circumstances, the 

mailer did not qualify for the Presort or 

Automation price claimed on the 

postage statement or eDoc. The separate 

assessment could be applied to every 

mailpiece in a mailing for which the 

mailer did not comply with the Move 

update standard, and would be limited 

to the difference between the postage 

previously paid (including the Move 

Update assessment charge, if applicable) 

and the applicable First-Class Mail 

single-piece price. 

Mailer Comment 

The Postal Service should further 

clarify how it will reconcile different 

results from NCOALink, MPE NCOALink, 

and ACS. Those systems do not always 

return the same results. 

USPS Response 

As clarified in the proposed rule of 

February 27, 2017, the COA data for 

NCOALink and ACS are from the same 

source, the moving customer, and are in 

sync. If the mailer has a record with a 

name or address that cannot be matched 

to the addressee’s COA request, the 

update may not be provided via 

NCOALink but may be available through 

ACS. These scenarios are encompassed 

within the threshold. 

Mailer Comment 

We disagree with the 95 percent Full 

Service threshold required to access the 

free ACS data. When free ACS data for 

non-Full Service mail was proposed 

several years ago, USPS representatives 

promised to provide free ACS for the 

non-Full Service portion of all Full 

Service mailings. Additionally, the 

proposed threshold is applied to a MSP 

vs. the actual mail owner, which may 

result in a Mail Owner losing out on 

ACS data through no fault and no 

control of their own. 

USPS Response 

In order to further encourage the 

adoption of Full Service and to increase 

the number of mailers who receive 

address quality information, the Postal 

Service is extending no-fee ACS to 

mailers who enter qualifying Basic 

automation and non-automation 

mailpieces that meet the criteria of the 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process and to mailers 

who meet a Full Service threshold of 95 

percent along with other requirements. 

As consistent with all other program 

measurements, this is determined at the 

eDoc submitter and CRID level. 

Mailer Comment 

When the new process is 

implemented, the Federal Register 

indicated that all mail would be 

scanned through the MPE and not just 

randomly sampled. Therefore, if the 

Move Update percentage falls below the 

threshold, will any charges be assessed 

at the time of the mailing like it’s 


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49126 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

currently done or will the penalties 

simply be assessed on the scorecard? 

USPS Response 

Effective January 21, 2018, mailings 

will no longer be assessed at the time of 

mailing. For qualifying mailers all 

mailpieces will be measured and 

aggregated across a calendar month, and 

any mailpieces exceeding the threshold 

will be assessed under the new Address 

Quality Census Measurement and 

Assessment Process. 

Mailer Comment 

When an address list is processed 

through a third-party, USPS-licensed 

software system and the USPS later 

determines that the mail is UAA with 

corresponding COA information is on 

file, the COA error should be charged 

against the software vendor. Such errors 

should be tracked, reported by the 

software vendor, and be a factor in the 

renewal of a software vendor’s 

certification. This would allow mailers 

to make informed decisions regarding 

the accuracy of the software vendor and 

put responsibility for the software 

accuracy and COA errors where it 

belongs. 

USPS Response 

NCOALink Software Developers are 

responsible for programming NCOALink

Software so that it adheres to specific 

USPS performance requirements for 

name and address matching rules. 

Developers are tested on a periodic 

bases using an NCOALink test address 

file similar to the one for CASS/MASS 

certification. The Postal Service is 

providing specific data to mailers to 

assist with identifying errors exceeding 

the established threshold and 

contributing to the assessment fee. 

Mailers who submit eDoc are 

encouraged to use this data to identify 

root causes for failures and related fees. 

The Postal Service is providing specific 

data to mailers to assist with identifying 

errors that exceed the established 

threshold and contribute to the 

assessment fee. Mailers who submit 

eDoc are encouraged to use this data to 

identify root causes for failures and 

related fees. 

Mailer Comment 

The Postal Service should provide 

additional detail with respect to the 

appeals process. The revised proposed 

rule references the Guide to Postage 

Assessments, but does not provide 

specific guidance on the type of 

information that the Postal Service 

would require to rescind or revise an 

assessment or audit result. Further 

certainty in this area would help 

Mailers, MSPs, and the Postal Service 

by setting clear advance guidelines as to 

what would be considered reasonable 

and acceptable evidence when 

appealing an assessment. 

USPS Response 

As in the past, the Postal Service will 

continue to work with mailers in 

relations to the appeal process, fee 

assessments, and to obtain supporting 

documentation. For example, if a mailer 

is using NCOALink to update addresses, 

a summary/acknowledgement report 

could be provided to show that 

NCOALink was performed on the 

mailpieces. 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process Overview 

The Postal Service will replace the 

existing MERLIN Move Update 

verification process with the Address 

Quality Census Measurement and 

Assessment Process on January 21, 

2018. In other words, MERLIN Move 

Update verification will terminate upon 

implementation of the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process. The new method will apply to 

First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing 

Mail letter- and flat-size pieces that 

meet the requirements for Basic and 

Full Service mailings. 

Once the Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process is 

in place, mailers will still be required to 

document Move Update compliance 

methods on a postage statement, 

mail.dat, or mail.xml. Documents 

demonstrating the method used should 

be available upon request by the Postal 

Service. 

Mailers who enter Periodicals will be 

provided with address quality data, but 

Periodicals mailpieces will not be 

verified under the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process. The Postal Service is 

emphasizing that the Move Update 

standards in DMM 602.5 do apply to 

Periodicals, because the proposed rule 

published on February 27, 2017 (82 FR 

11871–11878) inaccurately stated that 

Periodicals are not subject to the Move 

Update standard. 

The Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process 

will generate several benefits, including 

enhanced mailing visibility and 

improved mail quality metrics on all 

mailings entered within a calendar 

month, rather than sampled mailings. 

Under the Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process, 

qualifying mailpieces within a calendar 

month will be measured according to 

the following process: 

D Mailpieces will be scanned on MPE. 

D Address information captured from 

mailpieces identified as UAA will be 

evaluated to determine if COA 

information is on file. 

D The address information for 

mailpieces matching an active COA will 

be sent electronically to NCSC. 

D NCSC will forward COA 

information to the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process for evaluation. 

D Move Update validations will be 

performed by comparing the MID + 

Serial Number of the IMb from the COArelated mailpiece data. If the COA is 

between 95 days and 18 months old, 

and the address has not been updated, 

then a COA error for the associated IMb 

will be logged and allocated under the 

CRID of the eDoc submitter. 

D All qualifying mailpieces entered by 

an eDoc submitter in a calendar month 

are subject to the proposed error 

threshold for the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process. The error threshold is 0.5 

percent. 

D The Move Update Assessment 

Charge is assessed by Postal Service to 

the relevant eDoc submitter at the CRID 

level for each mailpiece with a COA 

percentage that exceeds the error 

threshold. 

D The data will be collected and 

reported on the Mailer Scorecard under 

the eDoc submitter CRID. 

Move Update Assessment Charge 

When the ratio of qualifying 

mailpieces with COA errors to total 

qualifying mailpieces submitted in the 

calendar month by the eDoc submitter 

exceeds the Address Quality Census 

Measurement and Assessment Process 

error threshold, the Move Update 

assessment charge will apply to the 

mailpieces with COA errors above the 

threshold. 

Mailer Scorecard 

The Mailer Scorecard is currently 

available to mailers, and provides data 

that allow mailers to gauge address 

quality on their mailpieces. Mailers will 

be charged only for mailpieces above 

the errors threshold. 

Criteria 

Mailers will be verified under the 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process when they: 

D Have submitted any mailpieces as 

Full Service in the current month or any 

previous month. 

D Use a unique Basic or Full Service 

IMb on mailings of letter- and flat-size 

pieces for First-Class Mail and USPS 

Marketing Mail. 

D Use eDoc to submit mailing 

information. 


pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 49127 

Specifications 

The Postal Service has retained the 

proposed specifications for assessing 

address quality. Once the Postal Service 

implements the proposed process, 

address quality will be measured as 

follows: 

D Analysis will be performed on all 

pieces in the mailing, rather than on a 

sample. 

D The assessment will be determined 

by the number of COA errors in a 

calendar month, divided by the total 

number of pieces mailed that were 

subject to analysis. The resulting 

percentage will be compared to the 

Address Quality Census Measurement 

and Assessment Process error threshold 

of 0.5 percent. 

D There are a number of exclusions to 

the measurement and assessment 

process. Generally, mailpieces with 

addresses that have the following COA 

characteristics will not be included in 

the assessment: Temporary moves, 

MLNA, BCNO, and COA data for foreign 

addresses. 

D Mailpieces authorized for the Legal 

Restraint alternate Move Update method 

(See Guide to Move Update) will be 

excluded. 

Mailpiece Results 

Once qualifying mailings are 

processed on MPE, the data from 

mailpieces will be reconciled with 

eDoc. These results will be available on 

the BCG and displayed on the Electronic 

Verification tab of the Mailer Scorecard, 

which will be easily accessible at 

https://gateway.usps.com/eAdmin/view/ 

signin. Mailers will be able to review the 

Mailer Scorecard and corresponding 

detailed reports to identify any 

anomalies or issues. 

To resolve Mailer Scorecard 

irregularities, mailers should contact the 

PostalOne! Help Desk at 800–522–9085 

or their local Business Mail Entry Unit 

(BMEU). 

Address Change Service and Correction 

Notifications 

The Postal Service will extend no-fee 

Full Service ACS to qualifying Basic 

automation and non-automation 

mailpieces for mailers who enter at least 

95 percent of their mail as Full Service 

in a calendar month. 

The Basic mailpieces must be 

prepared as follows: 

D Bear a unique IMb printed on the 

mailpiece. 

D Include a Full Service ACS or 

OneCode ACS® STID in the IMb. 

D Include the unique IMb in eDoc. 

D Be sent by an eDoc submitter 

providing accurate By/For identification 

in eDoc. 

As clarification, if mailers meet the 95 

percent threshold during a calendar 

month, they will be enrolled to receive 

free Full Service ACS for all Basic 

automation and non-automation 

mailpieces in the following month. The 

Postal Service will monitor Full Service 

compliance for these mailers on a 

quarterly basis. If an enrolled mailer’s 

average Full Service volume dropped 

below the 95 percent threshold for a 

given quarter, that mailer will receive 

notification of its removal from 

receiving free ACS in the next billing 

cycle. If the 95 percent threshold is met 

in a subsequent month, the removed 

mailer will be re-enrolled to receive free 

Full Service ACS for Basic automation 

and non-automation mailpieces for the 

next billing cycle. 

Address change information will be 

provided through Full Service ACS 

feedback to the Mail Owner identified 

in eDoc or its delegate. ACS information 

will continue to be distributed through 

SingleSource to the Mail Owner 

identified in the IMb or its delegate. 

Regarding Periodicals, mailers who 

enter mailings of Full Service 

Periodicals will no longer be required to 

receive and pay for manual address 

corrections when a Full Service ACS 

STID is used. However, these mailers 

may elect to receive and pay for manual 

address correction notifications by 

including the appropriate STID within 

the IMb. 

List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Postal Service. 

The Postal Service adopts 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. 

Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is 

amended as follows: 

PART 111—[AMENDED] 

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

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

3633, and 5001. 

■ 2. Revise the following sections of 

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) 

* * * * * 

507 Mailer Services 

1.0 Treatment of Mail 

* * * * * 

1.5 Treatment for Ancillary Services 

by Class of Mail 

* * * * * 

1.5.2 Periodicals 

* * * * * 

[Revise 507.1.5.2c by changing the 

last word of the sentence to ‘‘received’’ 

as follows:] 

c. Address correction service is 

mandatory for all Periodicals 

publications, and the address correction 

service fee must be paid for each notice 

received. 

* * * * * 

4.0 Address Correction Services 

* * * * * 

4.2 Address Change Service (ACS) 

* * * * * 

4.2.2 Service Options 

[Revise 507.4.2.2 by modifying the 

introductory sentence and adding a new 

item ‘‘d’’ as follows:] 

ACS offers four levels of service, as 

follows: 

* * * * * 

d. A Full Service option available to 

mailings of First-Class Mail automation 

cards, letters, and flats; USPS Marketing 

Mail automation letters and flats; USPS 

Marketing Mail Carrier Route, High 

Density, and Saturation letters; 

Periodicals Outside County barcoded or 

Carrier Route letters and flats; 

Periodicals In-County automation or 

Carrier Route letters and flats; and 

Bound Printed Matter Presorted, nonDDU barcoded flats. Mailers who 

present at least 95 percent of their 

eligible First-Class Mail and USPS 

Marketing Mail volume as Full Service 

in a calendar month would receive 

electronic address correction notices for 

their qualifying Basic automation and 

non-automation First-Class Mail and 

USPS Marketing Mail pieces, at the 

address correction fee for pieces eligible 

for the Full Service Intelligent Mail 

option as described in DMM 705.23.0 

for future billing cycles. The Basic FirstClass Mail and USPS Marketing Mail 

mailpieces must: 

1. Bear a unique IMb printed on the 

mailpiece; 

2. Include a Full Service or OneCode 

ACS STID in the IMb; 

3. Include the unique IMb in eDoc; 

4. Be sent by an eDoc submitter 

providing accurate Mail Owner 

identification in eDoc, and; 


pmangrum on DSK3GDR082PROD with RULES
49128 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 204 / Tuesday, October 24, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 

5. Be sent by an eDoc submitter 

maintaining 95 percent Full Service 

compliance to remain eligible for this 

service and undergo periodic Postal 

Service re-evaluation. 

* * * * * 

4.2.8 Address Correction Service Fee 

[Revise 507.4.2.8 by deleting the old 

language and replacing with new 

language as follows:] 

ACS fees would be assessed as 

follows: 

a. The applicable fee for address 

correction is charged for each separate 

notification of address correction or the 

reason for nondelivery provided, unless 

an exception applies. 

b. Once the ACS fee charges have 

been invoiced, any unpaid fees for the 

prior invoice cycle (month) would be 

assessed an annual administrative fee of 

10 percent for the overdue amount. 

c. Mailers who present at least 95 

percent of their eligible First-Class Mail 

and USPS Marketing Mail volume as 

Full Service in a calendar month would 

receive electronic address correction 

notices for their qualifying Basic 

automation and non-automation FirstClass Mail and USPS Marketing Mail 

mailpieces, as specified in 4.2.2. The 

electronic address correction notices are 

charged at the applicable Full Service 

address correction fee for all future 

billing cycles. 

* * * * * 

600 Basic Mailing Standards for All 

Mailing Services 

* * * * * 

602 Addressing 

* * * * * 

5.0 Move Update Standards 

* * * * * 

[Revise 602.5.3 by deleting former 

contents and replacing with new title 

and contents as follows:] 

5.3 Move Update Verification 

Mailers who submit any Full Service 

volume in a calendar month will be 

verified pursuant to the Address Quality 

Census Measurement and Assessment 

Process beginning in the next calendar 

month. First-Class Mail and USPS 

Marketing Mail letter and flat-size 

mailpieces with addresses that have not 

been updated in accordance with the 

Move Update Standard will be subject 

to the Move Update assessment charge, 

if submitted via eDoc with unique Basic 

or Full Service IMbs. The Move Update 

assessment charge will be assessed if: 

a. The percent of all qualifying 

mailpieces submitted in a calendar 

month that have a COA error is greater 

than the 0.5 percent error threshold, as 

determined by an analysis of the data 

captured by mail processing equipment. 

b. Each mailpiece with addresses 

containing COA errors in excess of the 

error threshold will be assessed the 

Move Update assessment charge. 

c. Supporting details are described in 

Publication 685, Publication for 

Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters 

and Flats, available at 

www.postalpro.usps.com. 

[Revise 602.5.4 as follows:] 

5.4 Mailer Certification 

The mailer’s signature on the postage 

statement or electronic confirmation 

during eDoc submission certifies that 

the Move Update standard has been met 

for the address records including each 

address in the corresponding mailing 

presented to the USPS. 

* * * * * 

700 Special Standards 

* * * * * 

705 Advanced Preparation and 

Special Postage Payment Systems 

* * * * * 

23.0 Full Service Automation Option 

* * * * * 

23.5 Additional Standards 

* * * * * 

23.5.2 Address Correction Notices 

* * * * * 

[Revise 705.23.5.2a as follows:] 

a. Address correction notices would 

be provided at the applicable Full 

Service address correction fee for letters 

and flats eligible for the Full Service 

option, except for USPS Marketing Mail 

ECR flats, BPM flats dropshipped to 

DDUs, or BPM carrier route flats. 

Mailers who present at least 95 percent 

of their eligible First-Class Mail and 

USPS Marketing Mail volume as Full 

Service in a calendar month would 

receive electronic address correction 

notices for their qualifying Basic 

automation and non-automation FirstClass Mail and USPS Marketing 

mailpieces charged at the applicable 

Full Service address correction fee for 

future billing cycles. The Basic 

automation and non-automation FirstClass Mail and USPS Marketing Mail 

mailpieces must: 

1. Bear a unique IMb printed on the 

mailpiece. 

2. Include a Full Service or OneCode 

ACS STID in the IMb. 

3. Include the unique IMb in eDoc. 

4. Be sent by an eDoc submitter 

providing accurate Mail Owner 

identification in eDoc. 

5. Be sent by an eDoc submitter 

maintaining 95 percent Full Service 

compliance to remain eligible for this 

service and undergo periodic USPS reevaluation. 

* * * * * 

We will publish an appropriate 

amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to reflect 

these changes. 

Stanley F. Mires, 

Attorney, Federal Compliance. 

[FR Doc. 2017–22962 Filed 10–23–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7710–12–P 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

AGENCY 

40 CFR Part 52 

[EPA–R03–OAR–2017–0342; FRL–9969–83– 

Region 3] 

Approval and Promulgation of Air 

Quality Implementation Plans; 

Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania’s 

Adoption of Control Techniques 

Guidelines for Automobile and LightDuty Truck Assembly Coatings 

AGENCY: Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA). 

ACTION: Direct final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) is taking direct final 

action to approve a revision to the 

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s state 

implementation plan (SIP). The revision 

includes the addition to the SIP of 

amendments to the Pennsylvania 

Department of Environmental 

Protection’s (PADEP) regulations and 

addresses the requirement to adopt 

reasonably available control technology 

(RACT) for sources covered by EPA’s 

control techniques guidelines (CTG) 

standards for automobile and light-duty 

assembly coatings. This action is being 

taken under the Clean Air Act (CAA). 

DATES: This rule is effective on 

December 26, 2017 without further 

notice, unless EPA receives adverse 

written comment by November 24, 

2017. If EPA receives such comments, it 

will publish a timely withdrawal of the 

direct final rule in the Federal Register 

and inform the public that the rule will 

not take effect. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R03– 

OAR–2017–0342 at https://

www.regulations.gov, or via email to 

stahl.cynthia@epa.gov. For comments 

submitted at Regulations.gov, follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. Once submitted, comments 

cannot be edited or removed from 


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