Post Office Plays Hide-and-Seek with Sunshine Act
Published Date: 5/21/2025
Notice
Summary
The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors held a special, closed meeting on May 16, 2025, in Washington, DC, to discuss important administrative and personnel matters. They decided to keep the meeting private because public notice couldn’t be given earlier. This affects Postal Service leadership and ensures sensitive topics are handled securely without impacting costs or timing for the public.
No Economic Impacts Identified for this Document
Personalized for You
How does this regulation affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Key Dates
Related Federal Register Documents
2026-19720, National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures
The United States Postal Service is updating its rules for how it checks the environmental impact of its actions, making the process simpler and clearer. This affects USPS employees and anyone interested in how the Postal Service protects the environment. The new rules start on September 25, 2026, and the USPS wants your feedback by October 26, 2026—no extra costs involved, just smarter steps!
2026-18371, Labels 888, 889, 891, and 892, Discontinued
The Postal Service is proposing to amend Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to discontinue the use of Label 888 and Label 889 respectively. Revisions to the DMM concern only Labels 888 and 889.
2026-17884, Free Matter for the Blind and Other Physically Handicapped Persons
The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]) to clarify the applicability of the Hazmat Handling Fee, and to require a parcel barcode, on parcels mailed as Free Matter for the Blind and Other Physically Handicapped Persons (Free Matter).
2026-17986, Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is responding to public comments regarding the creation of a new General Privacy Act System of Records (SOR) USPS 820.225, Federal Ballot Mail. The new SOR coincides with the Postal Service's publication of the Final Rule amending the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), regarding the transmission of mail-in or absentee ballots for federal elections. The Postal Service created the SOR to maintain a list of individuals, each individual's address, the unique Intelligent Mail barcodes printed on each individual's outbound and return ballot envelope for a federal election, and the state or political subdivision thereof that issued such ballot for inclusion on a state's Mail-in and Absentee Participation List, as required by the new DMM section. There will be no changes to the new system of records in light of public comments received.
2026-17640, Change in Rates of General Applicability for Competitive Products
This notice sets forth time-limited changes in rates of general applicability for competitive products.
2026-16016, New Mailing Standards for Live Animals
The Postal Service proposes revising Publication 52, Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail (Pub 52), for various package requirements for live animals. This proposal will improve package integrity and container identification for all live animal shipments during processing and handling by prohibiting the reuse of fiberboard containers and requiring individual addressing and sequential numbering for multiple container shipments when bound together in a single shipment. Also, this proposal requires mailers to write the recipient's name and address directly on the packaging of Adult Bird shipments in the event the shipping label becomes detached from the packaging.
Previous / Next Documents
Previous: 2025-09151, Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System
CSX Transportation wants to change or stop using some railroad signals and asked for official approval. This affects train safety systems and could change how trains run on certain tracks. The decision might impact schedules or costs, so everyone’s watching the timeline closely!
Next: 2025-09206, Sunshine Act Meetings
The Legal Services Corporation Board will hold an open virtual meeting on May 28, 2025, starting at 10:30 a.m. ET, letting the public watch live on YouTube. They'll review important reports from the Inspector General and discuss key business, keeping everything transparent and easy to follow. This means anyone interested can stay informed without spending a dime or leaving home!