USPS Adds Yet Another Mail Deal to the Pile

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.

2026-15420, Duty Collection for Domestic Mail Arriving From Certain Insular Possessions and Territories

The Postal Service is revising Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM[supreg]), section 608, to provide instructions for customs clearance and the prepayment of applicable customs duties, taxes, and fees for certain goods mailed from American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands destined to the customs territory of the United States (CTUS), which is defined in 19 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 101.1 as the fifty States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

2026-14727, Product Change-Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage Negotiated Service Agreements; Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage Negotiated Service Agreements

The Postal Service is updating its special shipping deals for Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage. These changes affect businesses using negotiated contracts and could mean new pricing or service options starting soon. The updates were officially filed in mid-July 2026 and aim to keep shipping smooth and competitive.

2026-14508, Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

The USPS plans to create a new system to handle records about mail-in and absentee ballots for federal elections, but only if a related rule change gets approved after ongoing court battles. This affects voters and USPS workers by aiming to keep ballot mail safe and private. If the rule passes, the new record system will kick in within about a month, with no extra costs announced yet.

2026-14191, Product Change-Priority Mail, and USPS Ground Advantage Negotiated Service Agreements; Priority Mail Express

The Postal Service is updating its Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Priority Mail Express services by adding new special shipping deals called Negotiated Service Agreements. These changes affect businesses using these shipping options and could mean new pricing or contract terms starting mid-July 2026. If you ship with USPS, keep an eye out for these updates—they might save you money or change how you send packages.

2026-13728, International Product Change-Priority Mail Express International, Priority Mail International & First-Class Package International Service Agreement

The Postal Service is adding a new international shipping deal for Priority Mail Express International, Priority Mail International, and First-Class Package International Service. This change affects customers who send packages overseas and aims to offer better pricing and service options. The update was filed on June 30, 2026, and could mean new shipping choices and costs soon.

Previous: 2026-16776, America's Great Corridors of Commerce; Request for Information

Significant and immediate investment in linear utility infrastructure is essential to meet the surging energy needs of critical manufacturing and emerging technologies that drive America's security, prosperity, and global leadership. Highway and rail transportation assets represent significant linear rights-of-way (ROWs) that have traditionally been reserved solely for transportation needs. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or the Department), through the Build America Bureau, created the America's Great Corridors of Commerce (AGCC) initiative to unleash opportunities for both highway and rail ROW owners to generate revenue streams through utility colocation that can fund transportation improvement projects, while simultaneously delivering significant economic development to these areas. AGCC is a voluntary, applicant- driven process in which ROW owners propose corridors for strategic colocation of utility infrastructure in the transportation ROW through an innovative public-private partnership (P3) model. Selected corridors receive concierge technical assistance and enhanced collaboration from a team of experts from relevant Federal agencies. In this RFI, DOT seeks comments from the public and interested parties on the AGCC model and the proposed elements of DOT's anticipated AGCC designation process.

Next: 2026-16778, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is holding a virtual meeting on September 9-10, 2026, with part of it open to the public. They’ll share updates on brain research programs and review grant applications, some of which will be discussed privately to protect sensitive info. Researchers and organizations applying for grants should note the dates and prepare to submit comments at least 10 days before the meeting.