79072 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 21, 2011 / Rules and Regulations (d) If a stabilized veteran who requires The Postal Service’s final rule First-Class Mail letters increases by one continued non-emergency treatment includes: several mail classification cent or less. refuses to be transferred to an available changes, modifications to mailpiece Regarding residual letters, the VA facility (or other Federal facility that characteristics, and changes in standards for how additional postage is VA has an agreement with to furnish classification terminology. paid for those pieces will not change. health care services for veterans), VA Regarding permit imprint mailings, the Comments will make payment or reimbursement current standards for identical weight only for the expenses related to the The Postal Service received comments pieces will remain; if a mailing contains initial evaluation and the emergency from eight submitters on various aspects nonidentical weight pieces (even if the treatment furnished to the veteran up to of the proposed changes. The comments postage for such may be the same) a the point of refusal of transfer by the and responses to them are included in special postage payment system must be veteran. the applicable subject matter sections used to document the correct piece * * * * * below. counts and postage. Residual pieces that are not eligible for a free second ounce § 17.1006 [Amended] Changes for Letters must be separated by postage increment ■ 7. Amend § 17.1006 by removing ‘‘Fee Commercial First-Class Mail Letters for verification purposes. Service Review Physician or equivalent The Postal Service also removes The pricing structure for presorted officer’’ and adding, in its place, ® standards for Reply Rides Free, because ‘‘designated VA clinician’’. and automation First-Class Mail letters the program ends on December 31, changes so that the minimum postage 2011. § 17.1008 [Amended] charge would be for a 2-ounce letter ■ 8. Amend § 17.1008 by removing instead of the current 1-ounce minimum Commercial First-Class Mail and ‘‘treatment’’ in both places it appears, postage charge. Standard Mail Letters and adding, in each place, ‘‘treatment One commenter thought that the The Postal Service modifies the and any non-emergency treatment that postage for 1-ounce presorted or process of submitting mailpieces to the is authorized under § 17.1005(c) of this automation letters would be increasing Pricing and Classification Service part’’. to the 2-ounce prices; we clarified that Center (PCSC) for testing and deletes the [FR Doc. 2011–32413 Filed 12–16–11; 8:45 am] instead the prices for 2-ounce letters provision that pieces with attached BILLING CODE 8302–01–P would be closer to the current prices release cards be sent to Engineering. (with an increase as proposed) for 1-ounce letters. Standard Mail Letters We received two sets of comments We clarify that overflow Standard POSTAL SERVICE ® detailing the difficulties that would Mail nonmachinable letters that 39 CFR Part 111 ensue for some mailers to determine, mailers place into existing trays at and apply, proper postage to residual another level require matching New Standards for Domestic Mailing pieces with single-piece postage if they documentation. We received a request Services were not also eligible for the reduced to clarify whether there are DSCF entry prices for nonmachinable Standard Mail AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. postage for 2-ounce letters, and letters weighing over 3.3 ounces at the ACTION: Final rule. requesting therefore that those single- piece letters also be eligible for reduced mixed ADC sort level. There will be no SUMMARY: The Postal Service will revise postage. They asked multiple questions DSCF entry prices for nonmachinable Mailing Standards of the United States about postage payment and separation letters at mixed ADC prices. Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual of mail, since the free second ounce We received a comment requesting (DMM®) throughout various sections to does not include residual pieces. that we confirm that the prices for reflect price adjustments and mailing Beginning on January 22, 2012, the Standard Mail basic carrier route letters requirements changes associated with Postal Service is revising First-Class are the same for automation-compatible the October 2011 filing with the Postal Mail pricing to change the first weight and nonautomation letters. The prices Regulatory Commission (PRC). increment for presort and automation are currently the same, and will DATES: Effective January 22, 2012. First-Class Mail letters to include pieces continue to be the same for both types FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill weighing up to two ounces. This is of letters. One commenter noted that the Chatfield at (202) 268–7278. sometimes referred to as ‘‘2nd ounce maximum weight for carrier route letters is ‘‘less than 16 ounces.’’ This is SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On free.’’ This program was developed in currently the case and will continue to October 18, 2011, the Postal Service conjunction with customers with the be so. filed a notice of mailing services price goal of adding value to the mail. For adjustments with the PRC, effective on example, customers may use the Changes for Flats January 22, 2012. In addition, on additional weight for their operational Automation Flats October 24, 2011, the USPSTM or marketing purposes to realize more published a proposed rule in the value from their mailings. On average, The USPS clarifies that automation Federal Register (FR 76 65640–65653) the price of First-Class Mail Presort flats must meet the standards for all flats based on the PRC filing. This final rule letters and cards is increasing by 1.58 (such as flexibility) in 301.1.0 as well as conveys the comments received on the percent while the price for First-Class the standards in 301.3.0. We received proposal, our responses to comments, Mail single-piece letters and cards two questions about whether the and the final mailing standards. increases by 2.47 percent. The lower minimum size for automation flats will Prices are available under Docket price increase for presorted First-Class remain as it is currently. The minimum Number R2012–3 on the Postal Mail is a direct result of the ‘‘2nd ounce size for automation flats is not changing; Regulatory Commission’s Web site at free’’ program. While the single-piece 1- the applicable dimensions for www.prc.gov, and also on the Postal ounce letter price increases by one cent, automation flats continue to be in DMM Explorer® Web site at pe.usps.com. the price increases for most automation 301.3.2. VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:00 Dec 20, 2011 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\21DER1.SGM 21DER1 jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with RULES Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 21, 2011 / Rules and Regulations 79073 Periodicals Flats Changes for Parcels Not Flat-Machinables (NFMs) Currently, Periodicals flats are Machinable Parcels In 2007, the USPS created a allowed on mixed area distribution temporary NFM price category for To align the standards for machinable Standard Mail items that could not meet center (MADC) pallets only when the parcels with current mail processing revised automation flats standards. In flats are sacked. We will allow bundles equipment capability, the Postal Service the revised proposed rule Federal of Periodicals flats to be placed directly changes the dimensional criteria for all Register published on February 6, 2009 on MADC pallets and assign a specific machinable parcels from the current 34 (74 FR 6250–6257), the Postal Service price for MADC pallets as well. One inches x 17 inches x 17 inches to 27 announced our intention to discontinue commenter asked if carrier route inches x 17 inches x 17 inches. We the NFM category in May 2010. In the bundles would be permitted on MADC additionally reduce the maximum March 25, 2010, Postal Bulletin (22281), pallets; with this final rule, we affirm weight of a machinable parcel from 35 we announced that the NFM price that we will allow carrier route bundles pounds to 25 pounds for all parcels category would be extended. We now to be placed directly on MADC pallets. except those mailed as Parcel Select® or will eliminate the NFM category as of The bundle price for carrier route Parcel Return Service. The maximum January 2012. Pieces that would have bundles on mixed ADC pallets will be weight for machinable parcels that been mailed as NFMs should qualify as the 5-digit bundle price. contain books or other printed matter either Standard Mail Marketing parcels The Postal Service revises a price remains at 25 pounds regardless of class or Parcel Select Lightweight parcels. categorization under nonmachinable of mail. We also modify the processes We received two comments noting flats to insert the correct categorization by which parcels that do not fully meet that some residual standards that mention NFMs still remained if the of nonmachinable flats-nonbarcoded. the machinability standards are evaluated for machinability. In addition, proposed new standards were to be The Postal Service is adding language the Postal Service clarifies that parcels adopted. We are grateful for the to the pending standards in DMM that meet the lightweight machinable feedback and have amended the DMM 705.15. These standards relate to parcel standards are definitively changes to remove those references to combined mailings of Standard Mail categorized as machinable parcels. NFMs. and Periodicals flats, scheduled for One commenter also asked how implementation on January 22, 2012. Standard Mail Parcels pieces that have been mailed as NFMs This change will clarify that bundles Standard Mail regular parcels are would qualify for new prices and what formed in a combined mailing of separated into two groups: Marketing efforts have been made to communicate Standard Mail and Periodicals flats to parcels and parcels that will become with current NFM mailers.