New Order No. 9566, issued on May 11, 2026, by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) revises regulations for how the United States Postal Service (USPS) reports its service performance for Market Dominant products. These changes are intended to improve oversight following the Postal Service Reform Act (PSRA) of 2022 and to address the increasing complexity of internal measurement systems.
The primary changes include:
Heightened Oversight of Internal Measurement Systems
The Commission is implementing stricter controls over how the USPS measures its own performance (specifically through systems like SPM):
- Prior Approval Required: The Postal Service can no longer implement changes to internal or hybrid measurement systems by simply providing notice. It must now receive formal Commission approval before implementation.
- Burden of Proof: When proposing changes, the USPS must prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the system will remain capable of producing “accurate, reliable, representative, and useful” data.
- New Decision Timeline: The Commission established a default 90-day review period to rule on these proposals, though there may be exceptions that allow for extensions.
Expanded Transparency for Service Standard Changes
- ZIP Code Pair Tracking: The USPS must now provide notice of changes to origin/destination ZIP Code pairs that affect delivery day ranges.
- 7-Day Notice: While the Commission originally proposed a 30-day notice for these operational changes, the final rule requires notice 7 days before implementation to balance transparency with the Postal Service’s operational needs.
Standards for “Reasonable” Performance Targets
Balanced Considerations: Targets must balance two factors: establishing a clear path toward improving performance and being realistically attainable based on the current network and resources.
- Justification Required: The USPS must provide an explanation and sufficient information for the Commission to determine that these targets are actually reasonable.
Public Participation
The rule officially codifies the right of interested persons, including a Public Representative, to petition the Commission to initiate a proceeding to evaluate whether internal measurement systems are functioning correctly.
