Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 131 / Friday, July 9, 2010 / Proposed Rules 39477 these changes if our proposal is particularly pieces that are part of full- • Mailers who did not mail adopted. service Intelligent Mail® automation commercial First-Class Mail letters in mailings entered at PostalOne!® fiscal year 2009 may not participate in Stanley F. Mires, acceptance facilities. Accordingly, we the Reply Rides Free program. Chief Counsel, Legislative. propose revised mailing standards to • The program period will be from [FR Doc. 2010–16799 Filed 7–7–10; 8:45 am] allow First-Class Mail letters weighing January 2, 2011 through December 31, BILLING CODE 7710–12–P over 1 ounce up to 1.2 ounces to qualify 2011. for postage payment at the 1-ounce price Mail owners, but not mail service when those letters include a reply card providers, who have mailed commercial POSTAL SERVICE or reply envelope under specified First-Class Mail letters during USPS conditions. fiscal years (FY) 2009 and 2010 may 39 CFR Part 111 This new program provides an apply to participate in this incentive incentive for mailers to include more program by following instructions New Standards for Domestic Mailing content in their automation First-Class provided on our Web site: http:// Services Mail letters by providing a postage www.usps.com/firstclassmailincentive, AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. credit as follows: beginning November 1, 2010, but no • ACTION: Proposed rule. Eligible letters must qualify for the later than December 31, 2010. Mail full-service Intelligent Mail barcode owners must validate that they have SUMMARY: In July 2010, the Postal discount and weigh more than 1 ounce mailed or intend to mail at least one Service filed a notice of mailing services up to 1.2 ounces. At the time of mailing, commercial presorted or automation price adjustments with the Postal mailers would pay the applicable 2- mailing of First-Class Mail letters during Regulatory Commission (PRC), effective ounce price for these pieces. All each of calendar years 2009 and 2010, in January 2011. This proposed rule commercial (presorted and automation) and should state their intent to mail provides the mailing standards that First-Class Mail letter-size volume First-Class Mail letters containing would accompany the new prices in counts towards meeting the overall mail qualifying reply pieces weighing more 2011. volume threshold, but only those letters than 1 ounce up to 1.2 ounces during DATES: We must receive comments on or qualifying for the full-service Intelligent the 2011 program period. After before August 9, 2010. Mail barcode discount will be eligible registration, mail owners must supply ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written for postage credit. adequate proof of the total qualifying • Letters must include a reply card or comments to the Manager, Mailing mail volume claimed for USPS FY 2009 envelope, either Business Reply Mail® Standards, U.S. Postal Service, 475 and FY 2010 in order to be eligible for or Courtesy Reply MailTM. The reply L’Enfant Plaza SW., Room 4446, participation. piece may be in the format of a reusable Washington, DC 20260–4446. You may envelope. Permit reply mail pieces are 2011 Saturation and High Density inspect and photocopy all written Incentive Program ® not eligible for this program. comments at USPS Headquarters • The postage credit would be for the The Postal Service proposes to add Library, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW., 11th amount paid for the second ounce and new standards to the eligibility sections Floor N, Washington, DC between 9 a.m. would be provided for those pieces of DMM 243 and 343 describing an and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. E- mailed during the 2011 program period incentive program designed to increase mail comments, containing the name when the mailer’s volume of the volume of Standard Mail and and address of the commenter, may be commercial First-Class Mail (FCM) Nonprofit Standard Mail letters and flats sent to: [email protected], letter-size mailpieces mailed in 2011 is mailed at saturation and high density ‘‘ with a subject line of January 2011 at least 2.5 percent greater than the prices. This program would encourage ’’ Domestic Mailing Standards Proposal. mailer’s trend of commercial FCM mailers to increase the volume within Faxed comments are not accepted. letter-size volume mailed during USPS two of our highest margin products and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill fiscal year 2010 (October 1, 2009 would be open to all mailers meeting Chatfield, 202–268–7278. through September 30, 2010) compared the basic eligibility requirements. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Proposed with volume mailed in USPS fiscal year program would enable customers to prices are or will be available under 2009 (October 1, 2008 through expand mailing to additional markets, Docket Number(s) R2010–XX on the September 30, 2009). The threshold test new mailpieces, and increase the Postal Regulatory Commission’s Web volume for program postage credit frequency of their mailings at reduced site at http://www.prc.gov. eligibility will be the total amount that net postage prices. The Postal Service’s proposed rule is 2.5 percent greater than the mailer’s Mailers of Standard Mail or Nonprofit includes: Two incentive programs, projected volume based on the mailer’s Standard Mail letters and/or flats several mail classification changes, trend. For example, if a mailer’s letter- (complete mailpieces) applying for modifications to mailpiece size volume has declined from 100,000 participation in the program would have characteristics, and changes in to 95,000 pieces (a 5 percent decline) to meet the eligibility requirements for classification terminology. This from 2009 to 2010, the projected volume participation in the price category proposed rule contains the revisions to for 2011 at the same trend would be selected. Mailers meeting the eligibility Mailing Standards of the United States 90,250. That mailer’s volume must be at criteria would be able to participate in Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual ® least 92,507 (1.025 times 90,250) during both the saturation and high density (DMM ) that we would adopt to the program period to meet the categories simultaneously. Participants implement the new prices. eligibility threshold. Similarly, a mailer would have the option to demonstrate Incentive Programs with a positive trend would have a growth in total mailed volume or growth threshold that is 2.5 percent more than within a defined market. Mailers who Reply Rides Free First-Class Mail their volume trend. The credit would be participate only within defined market Incentive Program provided after the end of the program, areas would be required to demonstrate The Postal Service encourages the upon calculation and verification of the volume growth within a specific, or growth of automation letter-size mail, mail volume data. group of specific, USPS sectional center VerDate Mar<15>2010 14:51 Jul 08, 2010 Jkt 220001 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\09JYP1.SGM 09JYP1 wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with PROPOSALS_PART 1 39478 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 131 / Friday, July 9, 2010 / Proposed Rules facility (SCF) service area(s) to qualify For either the saturation or high Program Administration for the incentive. Participants would density incentive, applicants would be Those mailers identified by the Postal have the option to select one or more, required to demonstrate a combined Service as being eligible to participate in up to a maximum of 20, individual SCF minimum of six saturation or high the program would be sent an invitation areas or up to five metropolitan target density mailings within the period of letter on or before November 1, 2010. markets (consisting of multiple October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010. These invitation letters would direct contiguous SCFs), for participation in Applicants meeting the other eligibility mailers to apply for the program online the program, and would be required to criteria would have the option to at http://www.usps.com/SaturationHD. participate in both price categories meet the eligibility requirements for Mailers wishing to participate in the simultaneously. Applicants who choose each area selected. The USPS would program, but who were not notified by to participate only within defined approve all applicant-selected market letter, would be able to request a review market areas would be required to meet areas prior to acceptance into the of their eligibility by contacting the the eligibility criteria independently for program. USPS no later than December 1, 2010 at each selected SCF service area or Franchisees that are not separate [email protected]. Any business entities would not be able to selected metropolitan target market. Mail owners participating in the 2011 mailer wishing to participate in the apply for an incentive independently of program would be required initially to the parent organization. Applicants Saturation and High Density Incentive Program would not be eligible for apply online no later than December 15, would receive a credit for volume 2010. demonstrated, within their selected concurrent participation in any other Postal Service-sponsored, volume Mailers completing the online growth area and price category, above application process would receive an their USPS-determined threshold. The incentive program that includes Standard Mail pieces in the saturation electronic response from the USPS that program period would be from January includes: 2, 2011 through December