Proposed Rule2025-23260
Service Performance Reporting
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 18, 2025
Issuing agencies
Postal Regulatory Commission
Abstract
The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes revisions to update the existing annual service performance reporting requirements for the Postal Service's Market Dominant products. The proposed revisions are based on both recent legal developments and the Commission's experience with the existing rules. This document informs the public of the filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 59086-59088]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23260]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
39 CFR Part 3055
[Docket No. RM2026-1; Order No. 9397]
RIN 3211-AA40
Service Performance Reporting
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes revisions to update
the existing annual service performance reporting requirements for the
Postal Service's Market Dominant products. The proposed revisions are
based on both recent legal developments and the Commission's experience
with the existing rules. This document informs the public of the
filing, invites public comment, and takes other administrative steps.
DATES: Comments are due: January 19, 2026. Reply comments are due:
February 9, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing
Online system at <a href="https://www.prc.gov">https://www.prc.gov</a>. Those who cannot submit comments
electronically should contact the person identified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section by telephone for advice on filing
alternatives. The Rule Summary can be found on the Commission's Rule
Summary Page at <a href="https://www.prc.gov/rule-summary-page">https://www.prc.gov/rule-summary-page</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at
202-789-6820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Basis of Proposed Rules
III. Proposed Rules
I. Background
The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) enhanced the
Commission's role in overseeing how the Postal Service reports
information.\1\ The PAEA requires the Commission to prescribe the
content and form of the public reports that the Postal Service files
with the Commission under section 3652. 39 U.S.C. 3652(e)(1). The
Commission may initiate proceedings to improve the quality, accuracy,
or completeness of Postal Service reporting whenever the Commission
determines that service performance data have become significantly
inadequate, could be significantly improved, or otherwise requires
revision as necessitated by the public interest. 39 U.S.C. 3652(e)(2).
The PAEA introduced new requirements that led to the Postal Service
developing service standards (a delivery day range and business rules),
service performance goals (on-time percent targets), and service
performance measurement systems.
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\1\ Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), Public Law
109-435, 120 Stat. 3198 (2006). See 39 U.S.C. 3652(e).
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Following a multi-year evaluation process, on July 5, 2018, the
Commission approved the use of the Internal Service Performance
Measurement (SPM) System.\2\ In doing so, the Commission found the
applicable standard for use of an internal service performance
measurement system to be whether the system is capable of reporting
accurate, reliable, and representative service performance data. Id. at
15. From a design perspective, SPM is significantly more complex than
the measurement systems that preceded it. In recent months, the Postal
Service has three times given the Commission notice of substantial
planned changes to the SPM system.\3\
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\2\ Docket No. PI2015-1, Order Approving Use of Internal
Measurement Systems, July 5, 2018 (Order No. 4697).
\3\ In the first two of these instances, the Commission put in
place interim reporting requirements to enable it to evaluate the
effect of these changes on SPM's accuracy, reliability, and
representativeness, and also to evaluate whether any revisions to
the Commission's service performance reporting requirements with
respect to measurement exclusions are necessary. See Docket Nos.
RM2024-9 and PI2025-2, Interim Order Regarding Proposed Service
Performance Measurement Changes, March 28, 2025, at 22-23, 37-39,
40-41 (Order No. 8761). These reporting requirements were partially
modified by Order No. 8823. See Docket Nos. RM2024-9 and PI2025-2,
Order Conditionally Granting Motion for Reconsideration of Order No.
8761, April 30, 2025 (Order No. 8823). See also Docket Nos. RM2024-
9, PI2025-2, and PI2025-5, Interim Order Regarding Further
Proceedings on Planned Service Performance Measurement Changes, June
27, 2025, at 23-24 (Order No. 8942). The third notice of planned
changes was dismissed without prejudice. See Docket Nos. RM2024-9,
PI2025-2, PI2025-5, and PI2025-6, Order Dismissing Without Prejudice
Notice of Planned Service Performance Measurement Changes, October
8, 2025 (Order No. 9241).
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[[Page 59087]]
The recent enactment of the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022
(PSRA) codified a requirement for the Postal Service to set reasonable
performance targets for each product and to provide those targets to
the Commission for the Commission to evaluate compliance each year.\4\
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\4\ Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, Public Law 117-108, 136
Stat. 1127 (2022).
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II. Basis of Proposed Rules
Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 503, 3652, 3653, 3691, and 3692, the
Commission proposes revisions to the service performance reporting
rules at 39 CFR part 3055, subpart A.
First, the Commission proposes revisions to existing sections
3055.4 and 3055.5 to more specifically address changes to internal
service performance measurement systems. These revisions would
establish a burden of proof that proposed changes to such systems would
be required to meet and would prevent the Postal Service from
implementing changes without prior Commission approval. They would also
codify the Commission's existing authority to initiate a proceeding to
review such systems at any time, and would implement a procedure
whereby interested persons could petition the Commission to initiate
such a proceeding.
Second, the Commission proposes revisions to existing section
3055.5 to require the Postal Service to begin providing notice of all
changes to service standard delivery day ranges and changes to origin/
destination ZIP Code pairs that affect the number of days to delivery,
at least 30 days prior to implementation.
Third, the Commission proposes revisions to existing sections
3055.6 and 3055.7 in recognition of the PSRA's requirement that the
Postal Service establish and file with the Commission reasonable
performance targets, which the Commission must use to evaluate
compliance for each product. 39 U.S.C. 3692(a). The Postal Service
would be required to provide sufficient information about the criteria
used to select the targets for the Commission to be able to determine,
by a preponderance of the evidence, that the targets are, in fact,
reasonable.
The Commission finds that each of these revisions should improve
the quality of service performance data and further the public
interest. 39 U.S.C. 3652(e)(2)(B)-(C).
III. Proposed Rules
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 3055
Administrative practice and procedure, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Commission proposes to
amend 39 CFR part 3055 as follows:
PART 3055--SERVICE PERFORMANCE AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION REPORTING
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1. The authority citation for part 3055 is revised to read as follows:
Authority: 39 U.S.C. 503, 3622, 3651, 3652, 3653, 3691, 3692,
3705.
Subpart A--Annual Reporting of Service Performance Achievements
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2. Revise Sec. 3055.4 to read as follows:
Sec. 3055.4 Internal service performance measurement systems.
(a) Service performance measurements obtained from internal service
performance measurement systems or hybrid service performance
measurement systems (which are defined as systems that rely on both an
internal and an external measurement component) shall not be used to
comply with any reporting requirement under subparts A or B of this
part without prior Commission approval.
(b) The Postal Service shall file notice with the Commission
describing any proposed changes to internal or hybrid service
performance measurement systems (including proposed changes to any
associated reporting methodologies or the use of proxies). In proposing
such changes, the Postal Service must demonstrate, by a preponderance
of the evidence, that internal or hybrid service performance
measurement systems will be capable of producing accurate, reliable,
representative, and useful service performance data and results. The
Commission may summarily dismiss (without prejudice to refiling) any
proposal that fails to include this information. The Postal Service's
proposal must specify any planned implementation date(s), any requested
decision date(s), and the reasons therefor. Preponderance of the
evidence means proof by information that, compared with that opposing
it, leads to the conclusion that the fact at issue is more probably
true than not.
(c) Changes to internal or hybrid service performance measurement
systems proposed pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section may not be
implemented without prior Commission approval.
(d) The Commission may initiate a proceeding at any time to
consider whether internal or hybrid service performance measurement
systems are producing accurate, reliable, representative, and useful
service performance data and results. Any interested person, including
a public representative, may submit a petition to the Commission to
initiate such a proceeding.
0
3. Revise Sec. 3055.5 to read as follows:
Sec. 3055.5 Changes to external service performance measurement
systems, service standards, service goals, or reporting methodologies.
(a) The Postal Service shall file notice with the Commission
describing all changes to external service performance measurement
systems and service goals (including performance targets), 30 days
prior to planned implementation. The Postal Service shall also file
notice with the Commission describing all changes to reporting
methodologies, including the use of proxies (other than reporting
methodologies or the use of proxies associated with internal or hybrid
service performance measurement systems as described by section 3055.4
of this part), 30 days prior to planned implementation. The Commission
may initiate a proceeding at any time to consider such changes if it
appears that the changes might have a material impact on the accuracy,
reliability, or utility of the reported measurement, or if the changes
might have a material impact on the characteristics of the underlying
product.
(b) No later than 30 days before planned implementation of any
change to service standard delivery day ranges or origin/destination
ZIP Code pairs that affect the number of days to delivery, the Postal
Service shall file notice with the Commission describing the exact
nature and scope of implementation. Each notice shall use plain
language to list all locations affected by the change in service
standards (at the level of granularity of the service standard), the
categories of affected market dominant products, the current service
standard, the planned service standard, and the date of the planned
change. If the change in service standards is associated with a Change
in the Nature of Postal Services docket pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3661 and
part 3020 of this chapter, then each notice shall be filed in the
applicable Change in the Nature
[[Page 59088]]
of Postal Services docket. Otherwise, each notice should be filed in
the most recent Annual Compliance Report docket.
0
4. Revise Sec. 3055.6 to read as follows:
Sec. 3055.6 Addition of new market dominant products or changes to
existing market dominant products.
Whenever the Postal Service proposes the addition of a new market
dominant product or a change to an existing market dominant product, it
also shall propose new or revised (as necessary) service performance
measurement systems, service standards, service goals (including
performance targets), data reporting elements, and data reporting
methodologies.
0
5. Revise Sec. 3055.7 to read as follows:
Sec. 3055.7 Reasonable performance targets.
(a) Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3692(a)(1), the Postal Service shall
establish reasonable performance targets for each market dominant
product for each fiscal year and provide such targets to the Commission
not later than 60 days after the beginning of the fiscal year in which
they will apply. In setting reasonable performance targets, the Postal
Service must consider and balance:
(1) the need for each target to establish a clear path toward
improving performance and enabling the provision of high-quality
service; and
(2) the need for each target to be realistically attainable
considering the Postal Service's network, workforce, transportation
capacity, and financial resources, and actual service standards in
effect.
(b) The Postal Service's filing made pursuant to paragraph (a) of
this section shall contain sufficient information about the criteria
used to select the targets for the Commission to be able to determine
(based on the contents of the Postal Service's filing alone), by a
preponderance of the evidence, that the targets set by the Postal
Service are reasonable. Preponderance of the evidence means proof by
information that, compared with that opposing it, leads to the
conclusion that the fact at issue is more probably true than not.
(c) The Commission will use each reasonable target set by the
Postal Service to evaluate compliance for each market dominant product
for a given fiscal year pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3653(b)(2).
By the Commission.
Erica A. Barker,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-23260 Filed 12-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 18, 2025.
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