Rule2026-09554
Service Performance Reporting Requirements; Revisions
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
May 13, 2026
Effective
June 12, 2026
Issuing agencies
Postal Regulatory Commission
Abstract
The Commission is adopting final rule revisions that update the existing annual service performance reporting requirements for the Postal Service's Market Dominant products.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 92 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 26922-26924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-09554]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
39 CFR Part 3055
[Docket No. RM2026-1; Order No. 9566]
RIN 3211-AA40
Service Performance Reporting Requirements; Revisions
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Commission is adopting final rule revisions that update
the existing annual service performance reporting requirements for the
Postal Service's Market Dominant products.
DATES: Effective June 12, 2026.
ADDRESSES: For additional information, Order No. 9566 can be accessed
electronically through the Commission's website at <a href="https://www.prc.gov">https://www.prc.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David A. Trissell, General Counsel, at
202-789-6820.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Basis of Final Rules
III. Final 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. 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.
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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).
\2\ Docket No. PI2015-1, Order Approving Use of Internal
Measurement Systems, July 5, 2018 (Order No. 4697).
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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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\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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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 Rule Revisions
Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 503, 3652, 3653, 3691, and 3692, the
Commission revises the service performance reporting rules at 39 CFR
part 3055, subpart A.
First, the Commission revises existing Sec. Sec. 3055.4 and 3055.5
to more specifically address changes to internal service performance
measurement systems. These revisions establish a
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burden of proof that proposed changes to such systems will be required
to meet and prevent the Postal Service from implementing changes
without prior Commission approval. They also codify the Commission's
existing authority to initiate a proceeding to review such systems at
any time, and implement a procedure whereby interested persons can
petition the Commission to initiate such a proceeding. The Commission
has made one modification to its initial proposal by adding a new
paragraph (c) within revised Sec. 3055.4 that establishes a default
period of 90 days for the Commission to review notices of proposed
changes to internal or hybrid measurement systems, while reserving to
the Commission the right to extend that period if the Commission finds
it necessary to do so. If the Commission does extend the review period,
the Commission shall issue an order explaining why it needs more time
to review the notice and providing an expected date for completion of
the Commission's review.
Second, the Commission revises existing Sec. 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 7 days prior
to implementation. This is a slight modification from the Commission's
initial proposal, which would have required notice of such changes to
be provided 30 days prior to implementation.
Third, the Commission revises existing Sec. Sec. 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 will 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 will improve the
quality of service performance data and further the public interest. 39
U.S.C. 3652(e)(2)(B)-(C).
III. Final 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 amends 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.
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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) In the absence of a determination of good cause for an
extension, the Commission shall issue an order on a notice filed
pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section not later than 90 days
following the filing of the Postal Service's notice. If the Commission
determines that an order cannot reasonably be issued within 90 days,
then the Commission shall issue an order explaining why and providing
an expected date for completion of Commission review.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.
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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 Sec. 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 7 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 of Postal Services docket. Otherwise,
each notice should be filed in the most
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recent Annual Compliance Report docket.
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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.
Mallory S. Richards,
Attorney-Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2026-09554 Filed 5-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on May 13, 2026.
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