New Electronic Signature Option
| Published date | 15 March 2019 |
| Citation | 84 FR 9470 |
| Record Number | 2019-04566 |
| Section | Proposed rules |
| Court | Postal Service |
Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9470-9471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04566]
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POSTAL SERVICE
39 CFR Part 111
New Electronic Signature Option
AGENCY: Postal ServiceTM.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is proposing to revise Mailing Standards of
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to
include a more flexible option for package addressees to provide an
electronic signature indicating delivery of a package.
DATES: Submit comments on or before April 15, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Mail or deliver written comments to the manager, Product
Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446,
Washington, DC 20260-5015. If sending comments by email, include the
name and address of the commenter and send to
[email protected], with a subject line of ``New Electronic
Signature Option''. Faxed comments are not accepted.
All submitted comments and attachments are part of the public
record and subject to disclosure. Do not enclose any material in your
comments that you consider to be confidential or inappropriate for
public disclosure.
You may inspect and photocopy all written comments, by appointment
only, at USPS[supreg] Headquarters Library, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, 11th
Floor North, Washington, DC, 20260. These records are available for
review on Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.--4 p.m., by calling 202-268-
2906.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen F. Key at (202) 268-7492,
Tiffany S. Jesse at (202) 268-7303, or Garry Rodriguez at (202) 268-
7281.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Postal Service is proposing to amend the
DMM in various sections to offer a more flexible option for package
addressees (or their representatives) to provide an electronic
signature indicating delivery of a package, when the sender chooses the
following signature services: Priority Mail Express[supreg], Signature
ConfirmationTM service, and Insurance for more than $500.
Generally, current practice is for the recipient of the package to sign
at the time of delivery.
An exception is offered for some packages addressed to a Post
Office BoxTM. Post Office Box customers at Competitive Post
Office Box locations can sign up for a Signature On File option, and
provide a signature that is retained at the Post Office for scanning
when the aforementioned signature services are used. The package is
then left in the customer's Post Office Box or a parcel locker for
pickup at the customer's convenience, without having to provide a new
signature.
The Postal Service is proposing to add an option for deliveries
outside of postal facilities. Customers would sign up and provide a
signature electronically. This would enable the customer to apply the
previously provided signature to future Commercial package deliveries
sent to the customer's address using Priority Mail Express, Signature
Confirmation service, or Insurance for more than $500, eliminating the
need for a signature at the time of delivery. However, shippers who
want the Postal Service to obtain a signature at the time of delivery
would have the option to indicate this requirement on the shipping
manifest. When the shipper does not reject the use of the previously
provided signature, the customer who previously provided an electronic
signature would be given the option for each delivery whether to sign
at the time of delivery, or use the previously provided electronic
signature.
For Priority Mail Express, the shipper already must request a
signature in order for it be collected. The proposal would be to make
the previously provided electronic signature available for such
deliveries, unless the shipper indicates on the shipping manifest that
the signature needs to be collected from the recipient at the time of
delivery.
Application to all shipments using Priority Mail Express, Signature
Confirmation service, and Insurance for more than $500, rather than
just Commercial shipments, may be phased in later.
Changes to the DMM language include a more general reference to the
signature for the affected services, while adding a description of
``signature'' which distinguishes between the traditional signature and
the electronic signature.
In addition, the Postal Service will remove outdated text referring
to Priority Mail Express labels printed prior to January 2012.
List of Subjects in 39 CFR Part 111
Administrative practice and procedure, Postal Service.
Although exempt from the notice and comment requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(b), (c)) regarding proposed
rulemaking by 39 U.S.C. 410(a), the Postal Service invites public
comments on the following proposed revisions to Mailing Standards of
the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM),
incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations. See 39
CFR 111.1.
We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to
reflect these changes.
Accordingly, 39 CFR part 111 is proposed to be amended as follows:
PART 111--[AMENDED.]
0
1. The authority citation for 39 CFR part 111 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552(a); 13 U.S.C. 301-307; 18 U.S.C. 1692-
1737; 39 U.S.C. 101, 401, 403, 404, 414, 416, 3001-3011, 3201-3219,
3403-3406, 3621, 3622, 3626, 3632, 3633, and 5001.
0
2. Revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service,
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) as follows:
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic
Mail Manual (DMM)
* * * * *
100 Retail Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
* * * * *
110 Priority Mail Express
* * * * *
115 Mail Preparation
* * * * *
[[Page 9471]]
2.0 Priority Mail Express 1-Day and 2-Day
* * * * *
[Delete 2.2, Waiver of Signature, in its entirety and renumber 2.3
and 2.4 as 2.2 and 2.3.]
2.2 Signature Required
[Revise the first sentence of renumbered 2.2 to read as follows:]
For editions of Priority Mail Express Label 11-B or Label 11-F
printed on or after January 2012, a mailer sending a Priority Mail
Express item, and requiring a signature, must instruct the USPS to
provide a signature by checking the ``signature required'' box on Label
11-B or Label 11-F or indicating signature is requested on single-ply
commercial label. * * *
* * * * *
200 Commercial Mail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels
* * * * *
210 Priority Mail Express
* * * * *
215 Mail Preparation
* * * * *
2.0 Priority Mail Express 1-Day and 2-Day
* * * * *
[Delete 2.2, Waiver of Signature, in its entirety and renumber 2.3
and 2.4 as 2.2 and 2.3.]
2.2 Signature Required
[Revise the first sentence of renumbered 2.2 to read as follows:]
For editions of Priority Mail Express Label 11-B or Label 11-F
printed on or after January 2012, a mailer sending a Priority Mail
Express item, and requiring a signature, must instruct the USPS to
provide a signature by checking the ``signature required'' box on Label
11-B or Label 11-F or indicating signature is requested on single-ply
commercial label. * * *
* * * * *
500 Additional Mailing Services
503 Extra Services
1.0 Basic Standards for All Extra Services
1.1 Description
[Revise the first sentence of 1.1 to read as follows:]
Extra services described in 2.0 through 11.0 provide optional
services such as insurance coverage, restricted delivery, and evidence
of mailing, or a record of delivery (which includes a signature). * * *
* * * * *
1.8 Obtaining Delivery Information and Delivery Records
Delivery records for extra services are available as follows:
[Revise the text of item a to read as follows:]
a. Information by article number can be retrieved at www.usps.com
or by calling 1-800-222-1811. A proof of delivery letter (including a
signature, when available) may be provided by email. When a proof of
delivery letter includes a signature, the signature provided may be a
signature that was obtained from the recipient at the time of delivery
or, for certain services, an electronic signature that was previously
provided by the addressee (or representative) and is maintained on file
with the Postal Service. Eligible mailers may require at the time of
mailing that a signature be obtained from the recipient at the time of
delivery.
* * * * *
4.0 Insured Mail
* * * * *
4.3 Basic Standards
4.3.1 Description
Insured mail is subject to the basic standards in 1.0; see 1.4 for
eligibility. The following additional standards apply to insured mail:
* * * * *
[Revise the fourth and fifth sentences of item c to read as
follows:]
c. * * * An item insured for more than $500.00 receives a delivery
scan (includes returns products meeting the applicable standards in
505) and the USPS provides a signature as the delivery record to the
mailer electronically (excludes returns products). Customers may
optionally obtain a delivery record by purchasing a printed return
receipt (Form 3811; also see 6.0 excludes returns products). * * *
* * * * *
8.0 USPS Signature Services
8.1 Basic Standards
8.1.1 Description
* * * USPS Signature Services are available as follows:
[Revise the second sentence of item a to read as follows:]
a. * * * A delivery record (including a signature) is maintained by
the USPS and is available electronically or by email, upon request. * *
*
* * * * *
508 Recipient Services
1.0 Recipient Options
1.1 Basic Recipient Concerns
* * * * *
1.1.7 Priority Mail Express and Accountable Mail
The following conditions also apply to the delivery of Priority
Mail Express, Registered Mail, Certified Mail, mail insured for more
than $500.00, Adult Signature, or COD, as well as mail for which a
return receipt is requested or the sender has specified restricted
delivery:
* * * * *
[Revise the text of item b to read as follows:]
b. Unless an electronic signature is used as described in 503.1.8a,
a mailpiece may not be opened or given to the recipient before the
recipient signs and legibly prints his or her name on the applicable
form or label and returns the form or label to the USPS employee.
* * * * *
Brittany M. Johnson,
Attorney, Federal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2019-04566 Filed 3-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
