80 FR 42392 - Revisions to the Requirements for Authority To Manufacture and Distribute Postage Evidencing Systems
POSTAL SERVICE Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 137 (July 17, 2015)
Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 137 (July 17, 2015)
| Page Range | 42392-42393 | |
| FR Document | 2015-17533 |
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 137 (Friday, July 17, 2015)] [Rules and Regulations] [Pages 42392-42393] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2015-17533] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Part 501 Revisions to the Requirements for Authority To Manufacture and Distribute Postage Evidencing Systems AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. ACTION: Final rule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Postal Service is revising the rules concerning authorization to manufacture and distribute postage evidencing systems to reflect new revenue assurance practices. DATES: Effective: July 17, 2015. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlo Kay Ivey, Business Systems Analyst, Payment Technology, U.S. Postal Service, (202) 268-7613 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 23, 2015, the United States Postal Service published a proposed rule to amend 39 CFR part 501 to support the automated revenue assurance program currently in development. (See, 80 FR 22661). Comments were received from two industry stakeholders. The first comment generally supported the proposed rule as written. The second comment suggested that the proposed rule should be clarified to apply only to PC Postage systems, and not postage meters. Further, it suggested that the proposal inadequately addressed the cost burden that would be imposed on PC Postage providers, and should provide additional detail regarding account suspension processes, adjustments for overpayment of postage, and the role of the PC Postage provider in the dispute resolution process. The Postal Service believes that the rule as proposed is appropriately written to encompass all postage evidencing systems. While initial automated collection efforts will be facilitated by PC Postage vendors, all customers should pay postage accurately, regardless of the postage technology they elect to use. As automated solutions become available for the various postage evidencing systems USPS will coordinate implementation plans with the parties concerned. Current manual efforts employed by the Postal Service to collect proper postage are costly and inefficient. An automated approach will reduce costs and improve overall recovery efforts. The costs of program administration will be acknowledged and considered as the USPS establishes operative recovery thresholds and certain other program related business rules. Account suspension, however, is already specifically addressed in postal regulations not modified by this proposal (see, 39 CFR 501.6), and we see no current need for further clarifications in these regulations. We further believe that the proposed rule as written (in conjunction with current 39 CFR 501.11 and 501.12) appropriately discusses PC Postage provider participation in the dispute process. The Postal Service is working diligently to ensure the quality and accuracy of postage evidencing data using automated process controls, and may elect to make such adjustments to our rules in the future as are required to achieve that end. At this time, however, we believe it is appropriate to publish this final rule. List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 501 Administrative practice and procedure. Accordingly, for the reasons stated, 39 CFR part 501 is amended as follows: PART 501--AUTHORIZATION TO MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE POSTAGE EVIDENCING SYSTEMS 0 1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 501 continues to read as follows: Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 410, 2601, 2605, Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (Pub. L. 95- 452, as amended); 5 U.S.C. App. 3. 0 2. In Sec. 501.1, revise paragraph (g) to read as follows: Sec. 501.1 Definitions. * * * * * (g) A customer is a person or entity authorized by the Postal Service to use a Postage Evidencing System as an end user in accordance with Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), including 604 Postage Payment Methods and Refunds, 4.0 Postage Meters and PC Postage Products (Postage Evidencing Systems). 0 3. In Sec. 501.2, revise paragraph (d) to read as follows: Sec. 501.2 Postage Evidencing System Provider authorization. * * * * * (d) Approval shall be based upon satisfactory evidence of the applicant's integrity and financial responsibility, commitment to comply with the Postal Service's revenue assurance practices as outlined in section 501.16, and a determination that disclosure to the applicant of Postal Service customer, financial, or other data of a commercial nature necessary to perform the function for which approval is sought would be appropriate and consistent with good business practices within the meaning of 39 U.S.C. 410(c)(2). The Postal Service may condition its approval upon the applicant's agreement to undertakings that would give the Postal Service appropriate assurance of the applicant's ability to meet its obligations under this section, including but not limited to the method and manner of performing certain financial, security, and servicing functions and the need to maintain sufficient financial reserves to guarantee uninterrupted performance of not less than 3 months of operation. * * * * * 0 4. In Sec. 501.16 add paragraph (i) to read as follows: Sec. 501.16 PC postage payment methodology. * * * * * (i) Revenue Assurance. To operate PC Postage systems, the provider must support business practices to assure Postal Service revenue and accurate payment from customers. Specifically, the provider is required to notify the customer and adjust the balance in the postage evidencing system or otherwise facilitate postage corrections to address any postage discrepancies as directed by the Postal Service, subject to the applicable notification periods and dispute mechanisms available to customers for these corrections. The Postal Service will supply the provider with the necessary detail to justify the correction and amount of the postage correction to be used in the adjustment process. The provider must supply customers with visibility into the identified postage correction, facilitate a payment adjustment from the customer in the amount equivalent to the identified postage discrepancies to the extent possible, and enable customers to submit electronic disputes of such postage discrepancies to the Postal Service. Further if the Customer does not have funds sufficient to cover the amount of the discrepancies or the postage discrepancies have not been resolved, the provider may be required to temporarily suspend or permanently [[Page 42393]] shut down the customer's ability to print PC Postage as described in the Domestic Mail Manual section 604.4. 0 5. In Sec. 501.18, revise paragraph (b)(2) and add paragraph (c)(6) to read as follows: Sec. 501.18 Customer information and authorization. * * * * * (b) * * * * * (2) Within five years preceding submission of the information, the customer violated any standard for the care or use of the Postage Evidencing System, including any unresolved identified postage discrepancies that resulted in revocation of that customer's authorization. * * * * * (c) * * * * * (6) The customer has any unresolved postage discrepancies. * * * * * Stanley F. Mires, Attorney, Federal Compliance. [FR Doc. 2015-17533 Filed 7-16-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
![42392 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
are advised to avoid the regulated accurately, regardless of the postage § 501.2 Postage Evidencing System
navigation area. When inside the technology they elect to use. As Provider authorization.
regulated navigation area, all vessels automated solutions become available * * * * *
must proceed at no wake speed and for the various postage evidencing (d) Approval shall be based upon
with due regard for all other persons systems USPS will coordinate satisfactory evidence of the applicant’s
and/or vessels inside the regulated implementation plans with the parties integrity and financial responsibility,
navigation area. concerned. Current manual efforts commitment to comply with the Postal
(c) Dates. This rule will be enforced employed by the Postal Service to Service’s revenue assurance practices as
from July 1, 2015 through July 31, 2015. collect proper postage are costly and outlined in section 501.16, and a
Dated: June 29, 2015. inefficient. An automated approach will determination that disclosure to the
reduce costs and improve overall applicant of Postal Service customer,
R.T. Gromlich,
recovery efforts. The costs of program financial, or other data of a commercial
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, nature necessary to perform the function
administration will be acknowledged
Thirteenth Coast Guard District.
and considered as the USPS establishes for which approval is sought would be
[FR Doc. 2015–17615 Filed 7–16–15; 8:45 am] appropriate and consistent with good
operative recovery thresholds and
BILLING CODE 9110–04–P certain other program related business business practices within the meaning
rules. Account suspension, however, is of 39 U.S.C. 410(c)(2). The Postal
already specifically addressed in postal Service may condition its approval
POSTAL SERVICE regulations not modified by this upon the applicant’s agreement to
proposal (see, 39 CFR 501.6), and we see undertakings that would give the Postal
39 CFR Part 501 no current need for further clarifications Service appropriate assurance of the
in these regulations. We further believe applicant’s ability to meet its obligations
Revisions to the Requirements for under this section, including but not
that the proposed rule as written (in
Authority To Manufacture and limited to the method and manner of
conjunction with current 39 CFR 501.11
Distribute Postage Evidencing performing certain financial, security,
and 501.12) appropriately discusses PC
Systems and servicing functions and the need to
Postage provider participation in the
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM. dispute process. The Postal Service is maintain sufficient financial reserves to
ACTION: Final rule. working diligently to ensure the quality guarantee uninterrupted performance of
and accuracy of postage evidencing data not less than 3 months of operation.
SUMMARY: The Postal Service is revising using automated process controls, and * * * * *
the rules concerning authorization to may elect to make such adjustments to ■ 4. In § 501.16 add paragraph (i) to read
manufacture and distribute postage our rules in the future as are required to as follows:
evidencing systems to reflect new achieve that end. At this time, however,
revenue assurance practices. we believe it is appropriate to publish § 501.16 PC postage payment
this final rule. methodology.
DATES: Effective: July 17, 2015.
* * * * *
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 501 (i) Revenue Assurance. To operate PC
Marlo Kay Ivey, Business Systems Postage systems, the provider must
Administrative practice and
Analyst, Payment Technology, U.S. support business practices to assure
procedure.
Postal Service, (202) 268–7613 Accordingly, for the reasons stated, 39 Postal Service revenue and accurate
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April CFR part 501 is amended as follows: payment from customers. Specifically,
23, 2015, the United States Postal the provider is required to notify the
Service published a proposed rule to PART 501—AUTHORIZATION TO customer and adjust the balance in the
amend 39 CFR part 501 to support the MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTE postage evidencing system or otherwise
automated revenue assurance program POSTAGE EVIDENCING SYSTEMS facilitate postage corrections to address
currently in development. (See, 80 FR any postage discrepancies as directed by
22661). Comments were received from ■ 1. The authority citation for 39 CFR the Postal Service, subject to the
two industry stakeholders. The first part 501 continues to read as follows: applicable notification periods and
comment generally supported the Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 39 U.S.C. 101, dispute mechanisms available to
proposed rule as written. The second 401, 403, 404, 410, 2601, 2605, Inspector customers for these corrections. The
comment suggested that the proposed General Act of 1978, as amended (Pub. L. 95– Postal Service will supply the provider
rule should be clarified to apply only to 452, as amended); 5 U.S.C. App. 3.
with the necessary detail to justify the
PC Postage systems, and not postage ■ 2. In § 501.1, revise paragraph (g) to correction and amount of the postage
meters. Further, it suggested that the read as follows: correction to be used in the adjustment
proposal inadequately addressed the process. The provider must supply
cost burden that would be imposed on § 501.1 Definitions. customers with visibility into the
PC Postage providers, and should * * * * * identified postage correction, facilitate a
provide additional detail regarding (g) A customer is a person or entity payment adjustment from the customer
account suspension processes, authorized by the Postal Service to use in the amount equivalent to the
adjustments for overpayment of postage, a Postage Evidencing System as an end identified postage discrepancies to the
and the role of the PC Postage provider user in accordance with Mailing extent possible, and enable customers to
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with RULES
in the dispute resolution process. Standards of the United States Postal submit electronic disputes of such
The Postal Service believes that the Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), postage discrepancies to the Postal
rule as proposed is appropriately including 604 Postage Payment Methods Service. Further if the Customer does
written to encompass all postage and Refunds, 4.0 Postage Meters and PC not have funds sufficient to cover the
evidencing systems. While initial Postage Products (Postage Evidencing amount of the discrepancies or the
automated collection efforts will be Systems). postage discrepancies have not been
facilitated by PC Postage vendors, all ■ 3. In § 501.2, revise paragraph (d) to resolved, the provider may be required
customers should pay postage read as follows: to temporarily suspend or permanently
VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:58 Jul 16, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\17JYR1.SGM 17JYR1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/80_FR_42529/page/1.svg)
![Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 137 / Friday, July 17, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 42393
shut down the customer’s ability to August 17, 2015. If adverse comments able to consider your comment.
print PC Postage as described in the are received, EPA will publish a timely Electronic files should avoid the use of
Domestic Mail Manual section 604.4. withdrawal of the direct final rule in the special characters, any form of
■ 5. In § 501.18, revise paragraph (b)(2) Federal Register informing the public encryption, and be free of any defects or
and add paragraph (c)(6) to read as that the rule will not take effect. viruses.
follows: ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, Docket: All documents in the docket
identified by Docket ID No. EPA–R05– are listed in the www.regulations.gov
§ 501.18 Customer information and index. Although listed in the index,
OAR–2013–0193, by one of the
authorization. some information is not publicly
following methods:
* * * * * 1. www.regulations.gov: Follow the available, e.g., CBI or other information
(b) on-line instructions for submitting whose disclosure is restricted by statute.
* * * * * comments. Certain other material, such as
(2) Within five years preceding 2. Email: blakley.pamela@epa.gov. copyrighted material, will be publicly
submission of the information, the 3. Fax: (312) 692–2450. available only in hard copy. Publicly
customer violated any standard for the 4. Mail: Pamela Blakley, Chief, available docket materials are available
care or use of the Postage Evidencing Control Strategies Section, Air Programs either electronically in
System, including any unresolved Branch (AR–18J), U.S. Environmental www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
identified postage discrepancies that Protection Agency, 77 West Jackson the Environmental Protection Agency,
resulted in revocation of that customer’s Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60604. Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, 77
authorization. 5. Hand Delivery: Pamela Blakley, West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago,
* * * * * Chief, Control Strategies Section, Air Illinois 60604. This Facility is open
(c) Programs Branch (AR–18J), U.S. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
Environmental Protection Agency, 77 through Friday, excluding Federal
* * * * *
West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, holidays. We recommend that you
(6) The customer has any unresolved
Illinois 60604. Such deliveries are only telephone Charles Hatten,
postage discrepancies.
accepted during the Regional Office Environmental Engineer, (312) 886–
* * * * * 6031 before visiting the Region 5 office.
normal hours of operation, and special
Stanley F. Mires, arrangements should be made for FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Attorney, Federal Compliance. deliveries of boxed information. The Charles Hatten, Environmental
[FR Doc. 2015–17533 Filed 7–16–15; 8:45 am] Regional Office official hours of Engineer, Control Strategies Section, Air
BILLING CODE 7710–12–P business are Monday through Friday, Programs Branch (AR–18J),
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding Environmental Protection Agency,
Federal holidays. Region 5, 77 West Jackson Boulevard,
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Instructions: Direct your comments to Chicago, Illinois 60604, (312) 886–6031,
AGENCY Docket ID No. EPA–R05–OAR–2013– hatten.charles@epa.gov.
0193. EPA’s policy is that all comments SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
40 CFR Part 52 received will be included in the public Throughout this document whenever
docket without change and may be ‘‘we,’’ ‘‘us,’’ or ‘‘our’’ is used, we mean
[EPA–R05–OAR–2013–0193; FRL–9930–41–
made available online at EPA. This supplementary information
Region 5]
www.regulations.gov, including any section is arranged as follows:
Approval of Air Quality Implementation personal information provided, unless
I. Background: Lead SIP and NESHAP Rules
Plans; Indiana; Lead Rule Revisions the comment includes information II. Discussion of State Submittal
claimed to be Confidential Business III. What action is EPA taking?
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Information (CBI) or other information IV. Incorporation by Reference
Agency (EPA). whose disclosure is restricted by statute. IV. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews
ACTION: Direct final rule. Do not submit information that you
consider to be CBI or otherwise I. Background: Lead SIP and NESHAP
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection protected through www.regulations.gov Indiana’s SIP rules for lead are
Agency (EPA) is approving a request or email. The www.regulations.gov Web contained in two separate parts of the
submitted on March 14, 2013, and site is an ‘‘anonymous access’’ system, State’s regulations. The first is Article
supplemented on November 17, 2014, which means EPA will not know your 15, which EPA approved on August 17,
by the Indiana Department of identity or contact information unless 1989 (See 54 FR 33894). This provision
Environmental Management (IDEM) to you provide it in the body of your addresses lead-bearing emissions from
revise the state implementation plan comment. If you send an email processes and fugitive dust from several
(SIP) for lead. The submittal updates comment directly to EPA without going facilities in Indiana.
Indiana’s lead rule at Title 326 of the through www.regulations.gov your email The second regulatory provision is
Indiana Administrative Code (IAC), address will be automatically captured 326 IAC 20–13, which EPA approved on
Article 15. It also amends 326 IAC and included as part of the comment January 15, 2008 (77 FR 2248). This
Article 20, to incorporate some of the that is placed in the public docket and section contains a partial incorporation
provisions of EPA’s National Emission made available on the Internet. If you by reference of EPA’s June 13, 1997,
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with RULES
Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants submit an electronic comment, EPA NESHAP for secondary lead smelting at
(NESHAP) for secondary lead smelters. recommends that you include your 40 CFR part 63, subpart X (62 FR
IDEM made the revisions to increase the name and other contact information in 32209). This includes: 1) 326 IAC 20–
stringency and clarity of Indiana’s lead the body of your comment and with any 13–1(c) [incorporation by reference of
SIP rules. disk or CD–ROM you submit. If EPA 40 CFR part 63, subpart X, NESHAP
DATES: This direct final rule will be cannot read your comment due to (June 13, 1997; 62 FR 32209), with
effective September 15, 2015, unless technical difficulties and cannot contact exceptions]; 2) 326 IAC 20–13–2(a)
EPA receives adverse comments by you for clarification, EPA may not be [source-specific lead emission limits
VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:58 Jul 16, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\17JYR1.SGM 17JYR1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/80_FR_42529/page/2.svg)
Document Created: 2018-02-23 09:21:43
Document Modified: 2018-02-23 09:21:43
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Rules and Regulations | |
| Action | Final rule. | |
| Dates | Effective: July 17, 2015. | |
| Contact | Marlo Kay Ivey, Business Systems Analyst, Payment Technology, U.S. Postal Service, (202) 268-7613 | |
| FR Citation | 80 FR 42392 |
2025 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR