The Postal Regulatory Commission has announced it will hold three public hearings as part of its development of regulations for a modern postal rate making system.

The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA), enacted December 20, 2006, requires the Commission to establish a new system of rate regulation to replace the postal ratemaking and classification system that has been in effect since 1970. To carry out this provision of the Act, the Commission has issued two Advance Notices of Rulemaking, co-hosted a public forum with the U.S. Postal Service, and will hold open, public hearings outside of Washington, D.C. In addition to asking field hearing witnesses to share their vision for a new ratemaking system, they will also be asked to discuss their views on delivery service standards, which the U.S. Postal Service must establish in consultation with the Commission.

All testimony and written comments will be included in Docket No. RM2007-1, the public file created by the Commission in which all documents related to the transition to the new system are maintained. This docket may be viewed on the Commission's website, www.prc.gov.

"As part of this rulemaking mission, the Commission has invited different segments of the mailing community to testify at three public hearings to be held in Kansas City, Missouri, Los Angeles, California, and Wilmington, Delaware over the next month," said Dan G. Blair, chairman of the Commission.

Chairman Blair explained that witnesses were chosen based largely on geographic location. "We want this process to be inclusive, and we want to hear from different types of mailers. These hearings will be open to the public, and I encourage individuals not testifying to relay their views through the Commission's electronic filing system, which is accessed on our website."

The first hearing will be on Friday, June 22, 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri, from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon at the Council Chambers, City Hall (26th Floor), 414 E. 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106.

Witnesses scheduled to testify are Donald J. Hall, Jr., Vice Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hallmark Cards, Inc., Kansas City, Missouri; David Berry, Vice President, Community Publications Inc, Boliver, Missouri; Mury L. Salls, Senior Vice President, DST Mailing Services, Kansas City, Missouri; William S. Berkley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tension Envelope Corporation, Kansas City, Missouri; and Randy Stumbo, Director of Distribution and Postal Affairs, Meredith Corporation, Des Moines, Iowa.

Subsequent hearings are scheduled for Thursday, June 28, 2007, in Los Angeles, and Monday, July 9, 2007, in Wilmington. Any changes related to the hearings, including witness and location information for the Los Angeles or Wilmington hearings, will be posted on the Commission's website, www.prc.gov.

All comments and testimony received, including responses to questions from Commissioners, will be transcribed, posted on the Commission's website, and used to inform the Commission's decisions. The public is invited to attend the hearings and the sites are handicapped accessible.

The Postal Regulatory Commission is an independent federal agency comprised of five Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed Commissioners, each serving terms of six years. The Chairman is designated by the President. In addition to Chairman Blair, the other four Commissioners are Ruth Goldway, Tony Hammond, Dawn Tisdale, and Mark Acton.