SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On March 19, 2026, the Postal Service published a notice of proposed rulemaking (91 FR 13263-13266) to discontinue the mailing of parcels with Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail Open and Distribute service. In response to the proposed rule, the Postal Service received one formal comment. The comment and response are as follows:

Comment: The commenter believed that the proposed changes should be subject to numerous laws and related guidance, including 39 U.S.C. 3622, 3642, the Paperwork Reduction Act, and Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Response: For a variety of legal reasons, these laws, and by extension any related guidance, do not apply to the Postal Service or this rulemaking.

The Postal Service has determined it will discontinue the mailing of parcels using Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail Open and Distribute as a published service. Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail Open and Distribute service will continue to provide an option for mailers who want to expedite letter or flat mailings to destination postal facilities. However, the Postal Service is revising this final rule to be effective January 17, 2027, rather than the proposed effective date of July 12, 2026.

As an alternative for parcel mailers, Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail Open and Distribute service will be made available to mailers through a negotiated service agreement (NSA).

The Postal Service adopts the described changes to Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations. We will publish an appropriate amendment to 39 CFR part 111 to reflect these changes.