UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
CHIEF FOIA OFFICER’S REPORT FOR 2026

The United States Postal Service (USPS or Postal Service), which is “an independent establishment of the executive branch of Government of the United States,” 39 U.S.C. § 201, submits this report, through the Postal Service’s Chief FOIA Officer, Natalie Bonanno, in response to the Attorney General’s directive to Chief FOIA Officers to review and to report each year to the Department of Justice on their progress in improving transparency through implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 

The basic functions of the Postal Service were established in 39 U.S.C. § 101(a) and include binding “the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people.” This mission, to provide the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service, is to be done in accordance with sound business principles. 

Organizational Structure and Other Background Information:

The USPS Deputy Chief FOIA Officer, within the Privacy and Records Management Office, reports to the Chief FOIA Officer through the Chief Privacy and Records Management Officer. The Deputy Chief FOIA Officer is responsible for the overall administration of the Postal Service’s FOIA Program and its compliance with the FOIA, except for records independently maintained by the Postal Inspection Service and the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG). The Privacy and Records Management Office is a part of the Ethics and Compliance Group. The Ethics and Legal Compliance section of the Ethics and Compliance Group is responsible for FOIA appeals for Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service. 

This report represents responses from the following FOIA program offices:

•	USPS FOIA Program
•	USPS General Counsel (appeals for USPS and Postal Inspection Service)
•	USPS OIG FOIA Program (initial requests and appeals) 
•	U.S. Postal Inspection Service FOIA Program (initial requests)

The USPS FOIA program is decentralized. The OIG and Postal Inspection Service FOIA programs are centralized. USPS FOIA Requester Service Center (RSC) tracks and coordinates all FOIA requests received. The Postal Service has over 30,000 facilities throughout the country at which records are maintained. FOIA Coordinators have been designated to assist records custodians in each of the USPS Headquarters departments and each of the Area and District offices across the country. The FOIA Coordinator, an ad-hoc position, provides procedural guidance on the FOIA to record custodians regarding requests that fall within their areas of responsibility.

The Privacy and Records Office is responsible for developing a program and framework to assist records custodians in processing FOIA requests. As such, it issues detailed instructions to record custodians on the FOIA (see 39 Code of Federal Regulations § 265 and USPS Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the FOIA, and Records Management). The FOIA RSC staff is available to assist FOIA Coordinators and records custodians or their designees throughout the organization with record release determinations and other FOIA matters. The General Counsel’s office at Postal Service Headquarters and the Law Department’s Area Law Offices provide advice to records custodians regarding the FOIA, including the applicability of exemptions. 

It is USPS policy to make its official records available to the public to the maximum extent consistent with the public interest and with the needs of the Postal Service. In its commitment to the “Presumption of Openness” concept as it carries out its FOIA responsibilities, Postal Service policy requires a practice of full disclosure subject only to the specific exemptions required or authorized by law. It is Postal Service policy to promote transparency and accountability by adopting a presumption in favor of disclosure in all decisions involving the FOIA.

Section I: FOIA Leadership and Applying the Presumption of Openness

A. Leadership Support for FOIA

1.  The FOIA requires each agency to designate a Chief FOIA Officer who is a senior official at the Assistant Secretary or equivalent level.  See 5 U.S.C. § 552(j)(1) (2018).  Is your agency’s Chief FOIA Officer at this level?  
Yes
2. Please provide the name and title of your agency’s Chief FOIA Officer. 

Natalie Bonanno, Associate General Counsel and Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer 

3. What steps has your agency taken to incorporate FOIA into its core mission? For example, has your agency incorporated FOIA milestones into its strategic plan? 

The Privacy and Records Management Office’s fiscal year goals include a FOIA backlog of less than 5%, closing the ten oldest FOIA requests, logging in and assigning FOIA requests the same business day as receipt, updating FOIA websites on a quarterly basis, creating and delivering FOIA training presentations to FOIA Coordinators and records custodians on a monthly basis, and holding quarterly conference calls with FOIA Coordinators to answer specific FOIA questions. In addition, the Privacy and Records Management Office work on a FOIA special project each fiscal year. In FY26, the Privacy and Records Management Office will update the FOIA Coordinator welcome packet to ensure that new FOIA Coordinators receive updated, relevant, helpful information on processing FOIA requests from start to finish.  

B. Presumption of Openness

4. DOJ’s 2022 FOIA Guidelines provides that “agencies should confirm in response letters to FOIA requesters that they have considered the foreseeable harm standard when reviewing records and applying FOIA exemptions.” Does your agency provide such confirmation in its response letters? 
Yes
5. In some circumstances, agencies may respond to a requester that it can neither confirm nor deny the existence of requested records if acknowledging the existence of records would harm an interested protected by a FOIA exemption. This is commonly referred to as a Glomar response. If your agency tracks Glomar responses, please provide: 

a). the number of times your agency issued a full or partial Glomar response (separate full and partial if possible)?

N/A

b). the number of times a Glomar response was issued by exemption (e.g. Exemption 7(C)-20 times, Exemption 1 – 5 times)
    		N/A
6. Optional – If there are any other initiatives undertaken by your agency to ensure that the presumption of openness is being applied, please describe them here.
The Ethics and Legal Compliance team hosts a FOIA conference call with the public twice per year to provide information on how to submit a proper FOIA request to the public. The Privacy and Records Management Office nominate a FOIA Coordinator each quarter to receive the Chief FOIA Officer’s Award for ensuring that FOIA requests are accurately and timely processed. The Privacy and Records Management Office also proactively disclose postal records on relevant topics featured in the news.

Section II: Ensuring Fair and Effective FOIA Administration

A. FOIA Training 

1. The FOIA directs agency Chief FOIA Officers to ensure that FOIA training is offered to agency personnel.  See 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(j)(2)(F).  Please describe the efforts your agency has undertaken to ensure proper FOIA training is made available and used by agency personnel. 

•	To promote continued learning, the Privacy and Records Management Office and the Ethics and Legal Compliance team created and delivered monthly FOIA training presentations on a variety of FOIA-related topics to Headquarters and Field FOIA Coordinators and other FOIA professionals. 

•	The Privacy and Records Management Office developed a training plan for new and current FOIA Coordinators to ensure they accurately advise records custodians on properly processing FOIA requests from start to finish. 

•	The Privacy and Records Management Office solicited FOIA and Privacy Act questions from Headquarters and Field FOIA Coordinators on a quarterly basis and then scheduled quarterly conference calls to address those questions. This effort provides another informal training opportunity with a smaller group of participants. 

•	The Ethics and Legal Compliance team created and delivered training presentations on a variety of Privacy Act and FOIA topics to the General Law Service Center and other attorneys involved in the FOIA process on a bi-monthly basis. 

2. Did your FOIA professionals or the personnel at your agency who have FOIA responsibilities attend substantive FOIA training during the reporting period such as that provided by the Department of Justice?

Yes

3. If yes, please provide a brief description of the type of training attended or conducted and the topics covered.

American Society of Access Professionals (ASAP) training: 

•	ASAP Annual National Training Conference 
•	ASAP Transparency and Public Access in Ukraine: Past, Present, and Future
•	ASAP Significant Recent FOIA Decision
•	Webinar - FOIA & Privacy Act Interface
•	Webinar - FOIA Procedural Overview
•	Webinar -- Interplay Between the Privacy Act and the FOIA
Department of Justice training: 
•	DOJ OIP Virtual Administrative Appeals, FOIA Compliance and Customer Service Training
•	DOJ OIP Virtual Best Practices Workshop
•	DOJ OIP Procedural Requirements and Fees Workshop 
•	DOJ OIP Advanced FOIA Training 
•	Virtual Litigation Workshop
•	DOJ OIP Virtual Continuing FOIA Education
•	Virtual Procedural Requirements and Fees Workshop
•	Annual FOIA Report and Quarterly Report Training 
•	Virtual Chief FOIA Officer Report Training
•	DOJ Virtual Best Practices Workshop
•	DOJ Virtual Privacy Considerations Training
•	DOJ Virtual Litigation Workshop
•	DOJ Virtual Intro to FOIA
•	DOJ Virtual Exemption 1 and 7 Workshop
•	DOJ Virtual Exemption 4 and 5 Workshop
•	DOJ Virtual Introduction to FOIA Training 
•	DOJ Processing FOIA requests from Start to Finish
•	DOJ Training Course: How to Build or Rebuild a successful agency information program
•	DOJ Virtual Continuing FOIA Education
User Conference and Technology Summit (a vendor sponsored workshop) – topics included:
•	FOIAXpress New User Training 
•	User Annual Summit Conference 
•	Steps to Reduce FOIA Request Backlog
•	FOIA Tracking System 
•	EDR Workshop
•	Supercharge Your FOIA Workflow with eDiscovery
•	Learn How to Speed Up Record Requests with FOIAXpress
•	FOIAXpress Collaboration Portal
Roundtables:
•	The FOIA and Congressional Requests for Information
•	Exemption 5
•	Exemption 6
•	Adequate Search
•	Exemption 7
•	FOIA/PA Interplay case law update
•	Exemption 9
Brown Bags:
•	Requirement for a Proper FOIA Request
•	Essentials for processing Privacy Act requests v. FOIA requests
•	Assessing FOIA Fees
•	FOIA Facts
•	Procedural and search issues including creating a record, reasonably described requests, unduly burdensome searches, and adequate search
•	FAQ’s of FOIA Coordinators and Requesters
•	Redactions Using Adobe
•	Exemption 3 and 39 U.S.C. § 410 (c)(2) and Exemption 4
•	Exemption 5 overview and the deliberative process privilege
•	Exemption 6 overview and FOIA requests for job application materials Procedural Issues
•	FOIA Tools and Tips
•	Responsibilities of a FOIA Coordinator and Records Custodian
•	Commonly Used FOIA Exemptions
•	Fun Facts on Postal Policies and FOIA regulations
•	FOIA and Privacy Act interplay
•	Applying the FOIA Exemptions to Records of Hiring Selections
•	Final Response Letter Writing and PS Form 8170 Completion

MyHR Training:
•	FY25 Freedom of Information Act 
•	How to Process a FOIA Request from Start to Finish
•	FY25 Privacy Act Compliance

4.. Please provide an estimate of the percentage of your FOIA professionals and staff with FOIA responsibilities who attended substantive FOIA training during this reporting period.
100%
5. OIP has directed agencies to “take steps to ensure that all of their FOIA professionals attend substantive FOIA training at least once throughout the year.” If your response to the previous question is that less than 80% of your FOIA professionals attended training, please explain your agency’s plan to ensure that all FOIA professionals receive or attend substantive FOIA training during the next reporting year.
N/A
6. Describe any efforts your agency has undertaken to inform non-FOIA professionals of their obligations under the FOIA. In particular, please describe, how often and in what formats your agency provide FOIA training or briefings to non-FOIA staff; and if senior leaders at your agency received a briefing on your agency’s FOIA resources, obligations and expectations during the FOIA process?

•	FOIA and Privacy training courses in the Postal Service’s training system are mandatory each year for employees tasked with FOIA duties. 

•	FOIA requests that are close to overdue are escalated to senior management to ensure that records custodians timely respond to FOIA requests within the statutory deadline. This strategy is intended to promote the importance of the FOIA throughout the organization and has helped to reduce the backlog. 

•	USPS Publication 550, For the Record, is a pamphlet that is made available online to all postal employees. The pamphlet describes the FOIA and the Privacy Act and includes employees’ rights and responsibilities under the Acts. The pamphlet is distributed to all new employees. 

•	OIG holds periodic meetings to educate staff participating in the OIG New Leadership Development Program regarding FOIA best practices, processing, and records production. 

•	The Postal Inspection Service Chief Counsel discusses the FOIA with newly appointed Postal Inspector recruits. The Chief Counsel encourages cooperation from the Inspection Service’s National Leadership Team regarding their FOIA obligations.

B. Outreach

7. As part of the standard request process, do your FOIA professionals proactively contact requesters concerning complex or voluminous requests in an effort to clarify or narrow the scope of the request so requesters can receive responses more quickly? Please describe any such outreach or dialogue and if applicable, any specific examples.

•	Yes. The Privacy and Records Management Office routinely contacts requesters and provides options to narrow scope of a request or call us to discuss narrowing the scope of a request.

8. Outside of the standard request process or routine FOIA Liaison or FOIA Requester Service Center interactions, did your FOIA professionals engage in any outreach or dialogue, outside of the standard request process, with the requester community or open government groups regarding your administration of the FOIA? For example, did your proactively contact frequent requesters, host FOIA-related conference calls with open government groups, or provide FOIA training to members of the public? Please describe any such outreach or dialogue, and, if applicable, any specific examples of how this dialogue has led to improvements in your agency’s FOIA administration.
Yes. The Ethics and Legal Compliance team hosted two conference calls with the public on March 21, 2025, and September 19, 2025, that were advertised in advance on the Postal Service’s public FOIA website. The conference calls included an introduction to the Freedom of Information Act and included instructions on how to submit a proper FOIA request to the Postal Service. Members of the public had the opportunity to ask questions during the conference calls 

9. The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 requires additional notification to requesters about the services provided by the agency’s FOIA Public Liaison. Please provide an estimate of the number of times requesters sought assistance from our agency’s FOIA Public Liaison during FY2025 (please provide a total number or an estimate of the number).
The FOIA Public Liaisons collectively receive around 15 calls each week from FOIA requesters. With more than 30,000 facilities throughout country at which records are maintained, FOIA Coordinators in each of the USPS Headquarters departments and each of the field offices across the country play a key role in responding to inquiries from FOIA requesters about their requests. In many instances, USPS FOIA Coordinators can respond to inquiries from FOIA requesters without the need for them to contact the FOIA RSC or public liaison for assistance.

C. Other Initiatives

10. Has your agency evaluated the allocation of agency personnel resources needed to respond to current and anticipated FOIA demands? If so, please describe what changes your agency has or will implement.

The Privacy and Records Management Office continue undertaking efforts to ensure that certain functional organizations within the Postal Service have enough FOIA coordinators trained to answer FOIA questions, provide guidance, and assist with processing FOIA requests. 

11. How does your agency use data or processing metrics to ensure efficient management of your FOIA workload? For example, case management reports, staff processing statistics, etc. In addition, please specifically highlight any data analysis methods or technologies used.

The Postal Service’s FOIA management software generates a weekly report of the FOIA requests received as well as the FOIA requests assigned to each Government Information Specialist. The Postal Service’s FOIA management software also generates a monthly aggregate report of the number of FOIA requests received, closed, and overdue. This allows the Postal Service to effectively manage the FOIA workload.

12. Optional – If there are any other initiatives undertaken by your agency to ensure fair and effective FOIA administration, please describe them here.

Section III: Proactive Disclosures

1. Please describe what steps your agency takes to identify, track and post (a)(2) proactive disclosures.

The United States Postal Service (USPS or Postal Service) provides a vital public service that is a part of the nation’s critical infrastructure. The statute that created the Postal Service begins with the following sentence: “The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by an Act of Congress, and supported by the people.” 39 U.S.C. § 101(a).
The Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 155.9 million residences and 12.6 million businesses. Everyone living in the United States and its territories has access to postal products and services and pays the same for a First-Class Mail postage regardless of location. With more than 34,000 retail locations and one of the most frequently visited websites in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual operating revenue of more than $78 billion and delivers 44 percent of the world’s mail. With more than 630,000 employees, we are one of the nation’s largest employers with one of the world’s largest computer networks. 
Our strategic initiatives and continuous improvement efforts are guided by these goals:
•	Deliver a world-class customer experience
•	Equip, empower, and engage employees
•	Innovate faster to deliver value
•	Invest in our future platforms
•	Support the legislative and regulatory changes to enable this vision
We are mindful that we must build upon the core strengths of the Postal Service: our mission of public service and our people — who live, work, and serve in every community in America. We strive to provide world-class affordable and dependable service to every American community six and seven days a week — today, tomorrow and for generations to come. The Postal Service is proud of its ability to provide a trusted, valued service to the American public.
The Postal Service remains focused on the original strategies found within the Delivering for America Plan. We continue to revitalize our network of nearly 19,000 delivery units (DUs), the last stop for mail and packages before they are delivered by our letter carriers. The Postal Service’s new Sorting and Delivery Centers will offer businesses and customers a better approach to shipping packages quickly and affordably to local customers by offering the following benefits:
 
•	Quickly reaches 200,000 customers in one local market 
•	Expanded same-day/next-day shipping across the region from one convenient location 
•	99.7% on-time performance from one entry point 
•	Convenient returns, back in one day 
•	New Product Offerings: USPS Connect Local and Ground Advantage 
•	249 package sorting machines installed across the country
•	Increased daily package handling capacity to 60 million
As an independent establishment of the executive branch, the Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to fund its operations. Because it is not funded by annual appropriations from Congress, it is not subject to government shutdowns.
USPS Service Alerts and USPS Newsroom sites have the latest information.

•	https://about.usps.com/newsroom/
•	https://about.usps.com/
•	https://facts.usps.com/

The Postal Service website, found at www.usps.com, is one of the most frequently visited government sites, recording 12.3 million visitors each day. It provides customers with quick and easy access to Postal Service information, products, and services, as well as links to both OIG and Postal Inspection Service websites. The Postal Service is multi-lingual and offers usps.com in Spanish and Simplified Chinese. 

The Postal Service website is an online Post Office and is open for business 24/7. The Postal Service’s smartphone apps make it even quicker to use the most popular functions on usps.com, anytime and anywhere. With Informed Delivery service, customers are able to digitally preview incoming mail and manage packages from a computer, tablet, or mobile device. More than 50 million customers have enrolled since it was launched in 2017.

The FOIA Library (http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/foia/readroom/welcome.htm) includes links to previously released records that have been or are likely to become the subject of multiple FOIA requests. It contains links to Purchasing Protest Decisions, Judicial Office Administrative Decisions, Board of Contract Appeal Decisions, Business Disagreement Decisions, Agency Policy Statements, Administrative Manuals, and Frequently Requested Records. There is also a link to the Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) website (www.prc.gov). The PRC is an independent establishment of the Executive Branch that exercises regulatory oversight over the Postal Service. The PRC proactively publishes information of interest to the mailing community and public. For example, the PRC’s Reports/Data page, http://www.prc.gov/reports, includes dockets, PRC reports and studies, and Postal Service periodic reports. 

Our about.usps.com website provides corporate information, such as USPS history and the latest news and information on the Postal Service. This site helps keep the public and the news media informed about what the Postal Service is doing regarding mail service, sustainability, corporate structure, and how we impact the world around us.

The Postal Service is required to disclose operational and financial information beyond that demanded of federal government agencies and private sector companies. The financial reports include the below information and are available at: http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/financials/welcome.htm.

•	Annual reports and Form 10-K Annual Reports, and Integrated Financial Plans
•	Form 10-Q showing financial conditions and results
•	Quarterly Statistics Reports (QSR) presenting statistics on mail activity and focusing on estimates of postal revenue, volume, and weight by mail category and transit time estimates for selected items.
•	Cost and Revenue Analysis Report showing revenue, cost and contribution by mail class, subclasses, and key special services.
•	The Cost Segments and Components Report show Postal Service estimates of costs attributable to mail classes, subclasses, and key special services, summarized by cost segments and by major cost components. The report is generated annually.
•	Revenue, Pieces, and Weight Reports (RPW) presenting official estimates of revenue, volume and weight by class, subclass, and major special service. 
•	Annual Report to Congress which includes Combined Postal Comprehensive Statements and Annual Performance Plans drawing on the work of the entire organization.

Highlights of some of the other updated or new information posted this past reporting period, including links to where this material can be found online, are summarized below.

Corporate Communications

Corporate Communications (http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm) proactively and routinely makes a wide variety of documents available for public viewing based on the public’s and media’s interest in Postal Service issues. These documents are available on the about.usps.com pages and include the Newsroom, with links to all national and local Postal Service press releases on postal products, consumer and business issues, financial results, and other issues of great public interest. The Postal Service Newsroom provides national and local news releases, statements, fact sheets, electronic news kits, videos, leadership bios, written congressional testimony, and other information to the news media and the public. Included in the Newsroom are as follows:  

•	Service Alerts:  http://about.usps.com/news/service-alerts/welcome.htm
This page provides information to consumers, small businesses and other business mailers about postal facility service disruptions due to weather-related and other natural disasters or events.
•	2024 Annual Report to Congress (2025 report to be posted soon) https://about.usps.com/what/financials/annual-reports/fy2024.pdf 
•	2024 Impact Report: https://about.usps.com/what/corporate-social-responsibility/sustainability/report/2024/usps-impact-report-2024.pdf 
•	2025 Postal Facts: https://facts.usps.com
•	Judicial decisions: https://about.usps.com/who/judicial/admin-decisions/
•	Financial reports: https://about.usps.com/what/financials/
•	Service performance results: https://about.usps.com/what/performance/service-performance/ 
•	Board of Governors open sessions and slides: https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/#sessions 
•	Postal Service Newsroom: http://about.usps.com/news/welcome.htm
Provides national and local news releases, statements, fact sheets, electronic news kits, videos, leadership bios, written congressional testimony and other information to the news media and the general public.
•	Delivering for America: https://about.usps.com/what/strategic-plans/delivering-for-america/ 
Our vision and ten-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence.
•	Holiday newsroom: http://about.usps.com/holidaynews/
A sub-site of the Postal Service newsroom. Provides a single location for information regarding the Postal Service’s holiday efforts, including Operation Santa, news releases, mail-by dates, and other customer resources.
•	Election Mail: https://about.usps.com/what/government-services/election-mail/
Provides information and resources for voters and election officials.
•	Postal Bulletin: http://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/welcome.htm
The Postal Bulletin, one of the oldest federal publications still in print, is posted to the About pages of usps.com every two weeks. It provides information on USPS operations, policies, procedures and forms, as well as postal product information, and stamp news.
•	FOIA Library: https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/library.htm 
The FOIA Library contains records required to be proactively disclosed, frequently requested records, and information on the Postal Service’s FOIA process.

Postal Service Social Media:

•	YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/uspstv 
•	Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/USPS 
•	X (Formerly Twitter): http://twitter.com/usps 
•	Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/uspsstamps/ 
•	Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uspostalservice/
•	Threads: https://www.threads.net/@uspostalservice
•	LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/usps 

Historian’s Office

Information can be found on the Postal History webpages: https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/

New biographies of postmasters general were added during FY25. Prior to posting on our website, they were made 508-compliant. A 508-compliant version of the 250th Anniversary edition of USPS official history (Publication 100) was posted to our website. https://about.usps.com/publications/pub100.pdf. 

The Postmaster Finder search pages and FAQs were updated to enhance functionality. We also embarked on a months-long project to enter information from record cards of postmaster appointments into Postmaster Finder ensuring the preservation of this unique information and providing immediate public access to it. 

The Postal History webpages (https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/) were redesigned to enhance functionality. During this process, we refreshed the content of numerous pages to add clarity. The Postal History photo galleries benefited from the design refresh. They now display photographs of a much larger size than before, better conveying historical information.

We also post the following items:

Postmaster Finder  
    (updated weekly)	http://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/postmaster-finder/ 	
Postal Facilities Dedicated by Congress 
    (updated semiannually)	http://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/pdf/dedicated-facilities.pdf 	
Biographies of Postmaster Generals (added during 2025)
Gideon Granger
Return J. Meigs
John McLean
William Barry
Amos Kendall 	https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/personnel.htm 	
Number of Stamped Cards … Since 1926;
Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863;
Rates for Stamped Cards and Postcards; 
Number of Postal Employees Since 1926;
Delivery Points Since 1905;
Pieces of Mail Handled … Since 1789;
First-Class Mail Volume Since 1926
   (update annually with most recent data)	https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/rates-historical-statistics.htm

African American Subjects on Stamps; 
American Indian Subjects on Stamps; 
Hispanic Subjects on Stamps;
Women Subjects on Stamps;
Christmas Holiday Stamps 
Love Series Stamps
    (updated in July 2025)	https://about.usps.com/who/profile/history/stamps-postcards.htm 

Supply Management

Supply Management periodically reviews our assigned FOIA requests to identify the frequency of the requested records tracked on our internal spreadsheet. Further, Supply Management publicly posts all Final Resolutions from the Supplier Disagreement Resolution Official (SDRO). These business disagreements, filed by offerors under issued Postal Service solicitations, concern solicitation and pre-award matters or challenges to contracting officer source selection determinations of best value, the Postal Service’s source selection standard. The final resolution issued by the SDRO discusses our acquisition policies and assists the public in understanding Postal Service acquisition practices for potential participation in future Postal Service requirements. During the specified period, Supply Management has reviewed, and will provide for external posting, of all standard terms and conditions used in Postal Service procurement contracts. This includes all provisions and contract clauses that contracting officers use in drafting solicitations and contracts. This provision and clause set review is expected to be completed by March 2026 and will replace current terms and conditions currently posted and available on www.usps.com.

Posted information includes:

Purchase Cardholder Listing:	https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/documents/purchase-cardholder-list-ending-july-2025.xlsx	
New issues to the Supplier Newsletter: Supply Management
USPS | Re: Supply Newsletter: 
https://about.usps.com/suppliers/forms-publications.htm#H1
	https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/forms-publications/re-supply-01-31-25.pdf
https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/forms-publications/re-supply-02-14-25.pdf
https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/forms-publications/re-supply-05-28-25.pdf
https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/forms-publications/re-supply-08-05-25.pdf
	
New Business Disagreement Decisions:
https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/general-information/disagreement-decisions.htm
	https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/assets/pdf/disagreement-decisions/2025/sdr-25-cs-001.pdf
https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/assets/pdf/disagreement-decisions/2025/sdr-25-ti-002.pdf
https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/assets/pdf/disagreement-decisions/2025/sdr-25-tr-003.pdf
https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/assets/pdf/disagreement-decisions/2026/sdr-25-cs-004.pdf

https://about.usps.com/what/business-services/suppliers/assets/pdf/disagreement-decisions/2026/sdr-25-fc-005.pdf

Supply Management posts various formats of information to the FOIA Library. For example, data spreadsheets are uploaded in XLS and CSV formats to allow for ease of sortation and filtering of the data by the public.

Facilities

Posted information includes:

•	National listing of both leased and owned postal facilities along with land for all fifty States and U.S. Territories: http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/foia/readroom/welcome.htm 
•	Listing of Postal Service properties for sale: https://powersearch.jll.com/usps/	 

Sustainability

Posted information includes: 

The Annual Sustainability Report is now called the Impact Report

https://about.usps.com/what/corporate-social-responsibility/sustainability/report/2024/usps-impact-report-2024.pdf

Additionally, the links below show news releases and a podcast that has been shared with the public:

•	U.S. Postal Service Sets Broad Goals to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030 - Newsroom - About.usps.com
•	Biden-Harris Administration Honors U.S. Postal Service with a Presidential Federal Sustainability Award - Newsroom - About.usps.com
•	U.S. Postal Service Headquarters Showcases New Next Generation Delivery Vehicle - Newsroom - About.usps.com
•	Sustainability Goals Update | Mailin’ It! - The Official USPS Podcast

The public can send a query on any environmental or sustainability topic regarding the US Postal Service, for prompt replies at: Sustainability@usps.gov

Postal Inspection Service

The Inspection Service posts a wealth of information on its website at https://www.uspis.gov/

•	As one of our country’s oldest federal law enforcement agencies, the Inspection Service has a proud history of fighting criminals who attack the postal system and misuse it to defraud, endanger, or otherwise threaten the American public. The Postal Inspection Service redesigned its website to make it easier for consumers to find crime prevention tips and to learn about the agency. The site offers information on avoiding common types of crime—including mail and identity theft, lottery scams and phishing—as well as guidelines on reporting suspicious activity. The redesigned site also offers a behind-the-scenes look into the types of cases the Inspection Service investigates, the state-of-the-art tools used to solve crimes, and how to join the law enforcement organization.

•	Some of the specific new content released to the Inspection Service’s website includes 24 public service awareness videos covering a wide range of frauds, scams, and other prevention messaging. Additionally, USPIS.gov contains several new features and information sources, including the following:
•	Scam articles 
•	Hot topics
•	Counterfeit stamps scam article and video, as well as phishing/smishing and brushing
•	YouTube videos to highlight large, high profile Inspection Service cases: US Postal Inspection Service - YouTube
•	High profile cases highlighted throughout the news section in the form of news stories and press releases: News – United States Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov)
•	Highlights on OPIOIDS and DRUG STRATEGY: Combating Illicit Drugs in the Mail – United States Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov)
•	Began posting short format videos to share reward poster information to garner attention/actionable tips and information for investigations. 
•	Posted 40 new videos to our YouTube channel, including 16 shorts. These videos covered a range of crime prevention topics, updates on high profile investigations, rewards for identifying suspects, and recruitment announcements. 
•	Counterfeit postage: Report – United States Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov)
•	Asset forfeiture results: https://www.uspis.gov/terms-of-service#asset-forfeiture
•	Drug seizure numbers: Combating Illicit Drugs in the Mail – United States Postal Inspection Service (uspis.gov)
•	Posted weekly wanted reward posters and videos to the website and social media accounts

Many of these pages include various forms of supporting content, such as embedded public service awareness videos hosted on the Inspection Service YouTube page, informational flyers, and infographics posted to the Inspection Service social media channels. This comprehensive media strategy is intended to drive online traffic to the website, which serves as the main hub of the information shared with the public.
Controller

In accordance with the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the USPS is required to file Forms 10-Q and 10-K abiding by the same rules that govern publicly traded private industry companies. To comply with those requirements, management uses a variety of resources to identify, track, and post related financial disclosures, including publications from authoritative bodies, consultations with internal and external stakeholders, continuing education courses, and corresponding with regulators.

Posted information includes:

FY2024 USPS Annual Report to Congress (FY2025 to be published in December 2025) –
https://about.usps.com/what/financials/annual-reports/fy2024.pdf

Form 10-Q Quarter I FY 2025 - https://about.usps.com/what/financials/financial-conditions-results-reports/fy2025-q1.pdf

Form 10-Q Quarter II FY 2025 - https://about.usps.com/what/financials/financial-conditions-results-reports/fy2025-q2.pdf

Form 10-Q Quarter III FY 2025 - https://about.usps.com/what/financials/financial-conditions-results-reports/fy2025-q3.pdf

Form 10-K FY 2025 - https://about.usps.com/what/financials/10k-reports/fy2025.pdf

Finance and Planning

Posted information includes:

•	USPS FY24 Integrated Financial Plan: https://about.usps.com/what/financials/integrated-financial-plans/fy2024.pdf  
•	USPS Annual Report to Congress which includes the Annual Performance Plan, Annual Performance Report, and the Comprehensive Statement of Operations: https://about.usps.com/what/financials/annual-reports/fy2022.pdf 

Board of Governors

Posted information includes:

•	Announcements of all Board of Governors’ meeting days, times, locations are posted on https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/. In addition, this information is also published in the Federal Register. 
•	Live audio webcasts and presentations of Board of Governors’ open sessions are available online. Three hours after the conclusion of the meeting, a recorded audio file is available. In compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the audio webcasts are open-captioned. These are available at: https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/briefings/welcome.htm
•	This website serves as a platform to provide background information on various aspects related to the members of the Board and its operations: https://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/

Delivery and Retail Operations

The Postal Service will continue to improve the measurement of customer experience by ensuring questions accurately measure both customer sentiment and attributes of customer satisfaction across the CX surveys, as well as empower its workforce to prevent undesirable customer experiences by providing actionable data to help them resolve customer pain points and improve customers’ experience.
Posted information includes:
FOIA Library Link – (Delivery Operations) - https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/library.htm
i.	Administrative Manuals that affect the Public
ii.	Frequently Requested Records
iii.	City Delivery: Headquarters Holiday Operations
•	Curbside Delivery: http://about.usps.com/what-we-are-doing/current-initiatives/delivery-growth-management/welcome.htm

Judicial Office

Posted information includes:

•	Decisions issued by the U.S. Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals, Office of the Administrative Law Judges, and Judicial Officer are added to the Decisions page (as part of the U.S. Postal Service website). Further, a report of pending Board of Contract Appeals cases is available on the Electronic Filing website. The report is accessible from the start page and does not require an electronic filing account.
https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/judicial/welcome.htm

International Postal Affairs

Posted information includes:

The International Mail Manual IMM, Pub 123 and International Service Alerts

Price changes are highlighted via postal bulletins: https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2025/pb22671/html/updt_005.htm

USPS communicates closely with the International Mailers Advisory Group (IMAG); representatives from different functional departments in International Business meet weekly with IMAG leadership to exchange information and discuss industry relevant issues, upcoming changes, operational updates, etc.

Key International Updates (2025)
•	Mandatory HS Codes: Effective September 1, 2025, the USPS requires a minimum of a six-digit Harmonized System (HS) code on customs declarations for all international commercial shipments. This aligns USPS mailing standards with Universal Postal Union and World Customs Organization regulations to improve customs efficiency and security. Shippers providing a detailed English description of their goods may not need to look up the code manually, but including it helps avoid delays or rejected shipments. A lookup tool is available on the USPS website.
•	Price Changes: The USPS implemented two general international price increases in 2025:
o	January 19, 2025: Price adjustments to competitive services, including Priority Mail Express International (PMEI), Priority Mail International (PMI), and First-Class Package International Service (FCPIS).
o	July 13, 2025: Price increases for market-dominant international services, such as First-Class Mail International (FCMI) letters and postcards. The price for a single-piece international postcard and 1-ounce letter increased to $1.70.
•	Service Suspensions: The USPS has continued to temporarily suspend international mail acceptance to certain countries where the foreign postal operator is unable to process or deliver mail due to various disruptions. Customers should check the USPS Service Updates page for the current list of affected destinations before mailing.
•	De Minimis Exemption Suspension: A significant U.S. trade rule change, effective August 29, 2025, suspended the long-standing US $800 duty-free threshold for shipments entering the U.S. from most countries. This means most low-value international shipments to the U.S. may now be subject to duties and taxes, increasing costs and paperwork for e-commerce sellers and importers. 
The most current prices and mailing standards are published in the online 
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual
 (IMM) and Notice 123, Price List, both available on the Postal Explorer website. 

Landing page for all international information on usps.com: https://www.usps.com/international/

Information about issues/disruptions in other countries that could impact mail flow to and from the US: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm 

The Postal Service launched an HS Code Lookup tool to allow customers to easily ascertain required HS codes for items being shipped overseas.  
Lookup tool: https://tools.usps.com/hscode/?_gl=1*gh7z80*_ga*OTE3NDMzMzcyLjE3Mjg5MjM3MjU.*_ga_QM3XHZ2B95*czE3NjQ5NTIzNTgkbzUkZzAkdDE3NjQ5NTIzNTgkajYwJGwwJGgw
HS Codes Information: https://www.usps.com/international/customs-forms.htm 
Comprehensive information about customs forms: https://www.usps.com/international/customs-forms.htm 

Marketing

Posted information and outreach to the public includes:

•	Industry Engagement & Outreach manages the Industry Alert mailbox and distributes news to commercial mailers via email. Items like service disruptions, weather disruptions, facility closures, key personnel announcements, IT system changes and updates, price change information, educational workshops, information on USPS programs – NPF and PCC, are all shared via this channel. All Industry Alerts are housed on PostalPro: Industry Alerts and Notices | PostalPro

•	Marketing and various websites such as PostalPro, this site contains presentations, meeting notes, webinars, and schedules for meetings that USPS holds regularly with customers and industry partners. It can be accessed at https://postalpro.usps.com/. 

•	The Postal Customer Council (PCC) is a postal-sponsored organization which provides local support to business mailers large and small through education and networking events. Our PCC website located at www.usps.com/pcc is designed to allow interactive communication. We also send regular PCC alert notices to our industry partners with updates and information.

Common types of material can be found starting at Welcome | USPS and similar links below:
•	What We Do - About.usps.com
•	Postal Bulletin - Resources - About.usps.com
•	The Eagle Magazine - Resources - About.usps.com
•	Postal Facts - U.S. Postal Service (usps.com)
•	Financials - What we do - About.usps.com

Innovative Business Technology

Posted information includes:

•	Mail & Package Visibility: All of customers’ Informed Visibility-Mail Tracking and Reporting (IV-MTR) data is available for those customers to access via the IV-MTR portal. They have access to data about any mail that they sent directly or mail that they manage on behalf of a sender. 
•	There are 3 steps for a customer to get scan data for their mail via IV-MTR*:
a.	Sign up in Business Customer Gateway
https://gateway.usps.com/ 
b.	Request IV-MTR service
c.	Make appropriate delegations to have the data available to the individuals in a company or their partners to have access to the scans
*Assumes appropriate barcoding and mail make-up.
Product Solutions
The following links are available to the public to learn more about the initiatives in the Mailing Services team and mailing promotions. 

•	USPS.COM: https://www.usps.com/business/promotions-incentives.htm
•	POSTALPRO: https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions
•	Business Customer Gateway: https://gateway.usps.com/eAdmin/view/knowledge?securityId=INCENTIVEPROGRAMS
Information about current and upcoming mailing promotions is provided to industry and other interested parties in the following ways: 
•	Quarterly MTAC presentations (industry membership group) 
•	Monthly Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) teleconferences (This group is open to mailers and mail service providers who wish to join. Meeting notes are posted on PostalPro and are available to MTAC members.) 
•	Promotions information is also posted on PostalPro, which is available to the public: https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions. This site contains information about each promotion that is offered as well as recordings of informational webinars. Promotions & Incentive Programs for First-Class® & USPS Marketing Mail® | PostalPro

Promotions and associated webinars are advertised in Industry Alert emails that are sent to a subscriber list. 

•	Direct Mail Technology Integrator Directory: https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/

•	PostalPro Documents on Share Mail: https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/share-mail

•	Every Door Direct Mail: https://www.usps.com/business/advertise-with-mail.htm 

•	POSTALPRO: https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/every-door-direct-mail

•	Vendor Participation in the USPS Printer Directory: https://postalpro.usps.com/printer-directory

•	Case studies of the impact of different Informed Delivery strategies: https://www.uspsdelivers.com/informed-delivery-case-studies/	

•	Examples of Direct Mail Innovation: www.uspsdelivers.com/marketing/direct-mail-innovations/

Connect Local is a new service providing same-day and next-day delivery in select local markets. Participants have an opportunity to list their business in the directory. Information is available at the following links: 

Connect Local | USPS
Local Delivery Across Your Entire Neighborhood | USPS Connect™

Government Relations and Public Policy

Posted information includes:

•	Congressional Hearing Testimony: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/testimony-speeches/welcome.htm

Remarks of Postmaster General David Steiner at the 250th anniversary stamps FDOI ceremony https://about.usps.com/newsroom/testimony-speeches/pdf/072325-david-steiner-remarks-250th-fdoi.pdf

Statement of Inspector in Charge Brendan Donahue before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform https://about.usps.com/newsroom/testimony-speeches/pdf/072325-statement-of-inspector-in-charge-brendan-donahue.pdf 

Remarks of Postmaster General David Steiner in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the Postal Service https://about.usps.com/newsroom/testimony-speeches/pdf/072225-david-steiner-remarks-250th-national-postal-museum.pdf 

ZIP Code Legislation Harms Mail Delivery at a Potential $800 Million Cost: PMG David Steiner letter to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Rand Paul – Dec. 3, 2025 https://about.usps.com/who/government-relations/assets/chairman-rand-paul-zip-code-letter.pdf 

HSGAC Budget Reconciliation Proposal Would Make Damaging Changes to Vehicle Fleet Program: Government Relations VP Peter Pastre Letter to U.S. Senate – June 13, 2025 https://about.usps.com/who/government-relations/assets/senate-vehicle-letter-june-13-2025.pdf 

Government Relations V.P. Peter Pastre provides additional information on engagement with GSA and DOGE – March 26, 2025 https://about.usps.com/who/government-relations/assets/notification-to-committee-leadership-3-26-25.pdf 

Postmaster General provides updates to Congress on agreement with GSA and DOGE – March 17, 2025 https://about.usps.com/who/government-relations/assets/pmg-letter-to-congress-03172025.pdf 

Postmaster General communicates with congressional leaders on Delivering for America accomplishments – March 13, 2025 https://about.usps.com/who/government-relations/assets/pmg-dejoy-to-congressional-leaders-03132025.pdf 

Human Resources

Posted information and websites available to the public include:

•	USPS Careers: about.usps.com/careers/
USPS Careers website is updated with an application guide and frequently asked questions to simplify the applicant application experience.

General Counsel

•	The Postal Service Law Department’s website contains the mission statement as well as information about the honors attorney program and practice groups: https://about.usps.com/who/legal/
•	The Postal Service Law Department Ethics and Legal Compliance team’s ethics website contains information about the ethics provisions for prospective employees, current employees, former employees, and customers: https://about.usps.com/who/legal/ethics/welcome.htm
•	The Postal Service Law Department Ethics and Legal Compliance held two FOIA conference calls with the public this fiscal year. The conference calls are advertised on the Postal Service’s public facing FOIA website to ensure maximum attendance. Both calls this fiscal year were well attended by members of the public. These calls allow us to interface with the requester community, provide a description of the FOIA and how to submit a request, and field questions from the attendees.   
•	The Postal Service Law Department Privacy and Records Management Office collaborated with other functional organizations to post frequently requested records in the FOIA Library including but not limited to change of address stats, leased and owned facilities by state, highway contract routes, and current postage prices:  https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/library.htm	

Chief Data and Analytics Office (CDAO)

The Postal Service, as required by law, provides quarterly and annual service performance reports for Market Dominant products to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). Additionally, the Postal Service discloses service performance measurement information to the public through a Public-Facing Dashboard that displays service performance scores for Market Dominant products. This dashboard is accessible via the USPS.com website.

The Postal Service is required to file service performance reports with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) on a quarterly and annual basis. Access the Advanced Docket Search feature and input the following parameters:
•	Title Contains search box: “Performance”
•	Document Type search box: “Periodic Reports/Data Reports”
•	https://prc.arkcase.com/portal/docket-search/advanced

The Postal Service makes quarterly reports available to the public on the USPS.com website. These reports can be accessed at the following URL:   https://about.usps.com/what/performance/service-performance/
The Postal Service offers a Public-Facing Dashboard accessible to the general public, displaying service performance scores for Market Dominant products. The service performance scores for Market Dominant products are updated weekly to ensure the information is useful and current for public reference. Additionally, the Public-Facing Dashboard has been improved to display both 3-Digit and 5-Digit service performance scores.  This dashboard can be accessed at the following URL:  https://about.usps.com/what/performance/service-performance/external-service-measurement.htm

Corporate Information Security Office (CISO) 

CISO maintains a public facing page on usps.com with some cyber security content and tips for the mailing industry and the public.  Corporate Information Security Office (CISO) | PostalPro
•	The CISO Policy and Standards Team (CPST) works with internal and external stakeholders to publish new documents and update existing documents relative to USPS cybersecurity on the about.usps.com site. CISO coordinates activities with the USPS Corporate Brand and Policy team members during the publication process of CISO material to the public facing page. 
•	Access to the current AS-805-I Information Security for Suppliers on the external publicly accessible PostalPro website. This also includes some Cyber Safe tips for remote workers: Corporate Information Security Office (CISO) | PostalPro 

Technology Applications 
All FOIA requests related to Address Management are tracked both locally and by the FOIA Office. There have been no recurring requests that would constitute the need for publicly available data. 

Posted Data Includes:  48 months of Change-of-Address Data (updated monthly) https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/library.htm  

Office of Inspector General

Posted information includes:

•	OIG posted audit reports, white papers, semi-annual reports to congress, and congressional testimony in full or with modest redactions: https://www.uspsoig.gov/document-library

Pricing & Costing
Posted information includes:
•	On a regular basis, non-sensitive/non-proprietary information related to USPS costs, revenue, and volume reporting and pricing are filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
•	On a quarterly and annual basis, Revenue, Pieces and Weight reports are posted on usps.com.
•	On an annual basis, Cost and Revenue Analysis reports are posted on usps.com.
•	On an annual basis, Cost Segments and Components reports are posted on usps.com.
•	Pricing presentations are posted on the Postal Service’s PostalPro website.
•	Prices are also posted on Postal Explorer at all times and can also be found via internet searches.

Non-sensitive/non-proprietary information related to USPS costs, revenue, and volume reporting and pricing are filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and are available at their website, https://www.prc.gov.
In FY25, the Pricing team began proactively providing the line-item detail of the FY25 promotions in their reporting of billing determinants which is publicly available at https://www.prc.gov.

Logistics and Infrastructure
To increase proactive disclosures, Logistics will endeavor to review incoming FOIA requests to identify, determine and contribute information that may be most useful to the public. Initial steps for consideration include, but are not limited to:
•	Monitoring and tracking incoming FOIA requests and reviewing current posted Logistics information to identify the core community of individuals and determine what posted information is most frequently accessed and thereby possibly more useful to the public users.

•	Concurrently coordinating with other stakeholder functions (i.e., Headquarters Processing and Maintenance Operations) and subject matter experts to develop mutually beneficial plans to identify, determine and proactively promote potential disclosures.

2. Does your agency post logs of its FOIA requests?

Yes

•	If so, what information is contained in the logs?
Request ID
Receive Date
Closed Date
Request Description
Final Disposition

•	Are they posted in CSV format? If not, what format are they posted in?

Yes

•	Please provide a link to the page where any FOIA logs are posted. If applicable, please provide component links. 

FOIA Library - Who We Are - About.usps.com

FOIA Library - Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Logs - FY26 Log - Who We Are - About.usps.com	

3. Provide examples of any materials (with links) that your agency has proactively disclosed during the past reporting year, including records that have been requested and released three or more times in accordance with 5 U.S.C. SS552 (a)(2)(D).

•	FOIA Logs
•	Change of Address Stats
•	Election Mail
•	Holiday Operations
•	Facilities Owned and Leased by State

FOIA Library - Who We Are - About.usps.com

4. Please provide a link (or component links, if applicable) where your agency routinely posts its frequently requested records. 

	FOIA Library - Who We Are - About.usps.com	

5. Beyond posting new material, is your agency taking steps to make the posted information more useful to the public, especially to the community of individuals who regularly access your agency’s website? If yes, please provide examples of such improvements such as steps taken to post information in open and machine-readable formats. If your agency is not taking steps to make posted information more useful, please explain why.
Yes. The Postal Service develops its strategic plan and the associated goals, objectives, performance indicators, and targets through a process that relies heavily on participation by postal stakeholders. To effectively reach the stakeholder community, the Postal Service has attempted to map out an all-inclusive list of key stakeholders.

For example, the USPS Direct Mail Technology Integrator Directory allows select technology providers the opportunity to be included in a national directory available to mailers. The directory is an opportunity for providers to connect with mailers who are seeking to integrate technology into their direct mail campaigns.

•	With the launch of our new Mailing Promotions Portal, it will modernize the sample review process and allow mailers to keep better track of their submissions and receive answers to their questions. This new portal enhances customer experience and gives mailers insight in the approval process.
•	Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) is a venue for the Postal Service to share technical information with mailers, to receive their advice and recommendations on matters concerning mail-related products and services, and to enhance customer value and expand the use of these products and services for the mutual benefit of mailing industry stakeholders and the Postal Service. More information can be found at: Mailers' Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) | PostalPro (usps.com).
•	Postal Customer Councils (PCCs): These Postal Service-affiliated networks connect business mailers with local Post Office management to develop more effective and profitable mailings through training and information-sharing. Since the 1960s, PCCs have been the go-to local resource for helping mailers learn, innovate, and build their business. More information can be found at: Postal Customer Council® (PCC) | PostalPro (usps.com)
•	National Postal Forum (NPF): The annual mailing industry conference provides educational and networking opportunities for thousands of business customers. Attendees learn about the latest mail trends and innovations through more than 100 workshops and seminars. More information can be found at npf.org.
Examples of improvements made to post information in open formats to the public:

The Mailpiece Design Analysts (MDA) Support Center is a centralized agency that routes Mailpiece Design requests from customers to MDAs who have specialized mailpiece design expertise. It is the goal of the Support Center to directly connect postal customers with MDAs, so that customers can receive assistance in a timely, effective manner. The MDA Support Center supplies postal customers with several key services and support that directly benefits their businesses:
•	Customers have access to a nationwide pool of highly qualified MDAs who provide valuable mailpiece design consultation
•	If the MDA Support Center cannot directly connect customers with available MDAs, they can expect to be contacted by an MDA within one business day
•	Specialized training has been created to further develop and maintain the skills and expertise of the MDAs, providing the customer with an experienced partner with whom to collaborate
•	Tickets and ticket numbers for transactions are actively tracked and monitored to support response quality and timeliness
The MDA Support Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. CST.

The Business Customer Gateway (BCG) provides a single-entry point for Postal Service® online business services. Users can access Intelligent Mail® products and services, including PostalOne!®, Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST), Mailer IDs, eInduction, tracking, and more. Access to multiple services is provided through a single username and password. The simplified, consolidated, and streamlined registration process grants access automatically to the most popular services and gives the user the ability to custom select services at multiuser business locations. Improved navigation allows the user to easily see which services are accessible and request services. The Business Customer Gateway is a secure portal to reach mailing and shipping services. 

Postal Wizard is an online tool that gives small-volume mailers a secure, electronic means for submitting postage statements and simplifies calculating postage, checking balance and fees, and viewing mailing reports and mailing history. Using Postal Wizard eliminates the need for hard-copy postage statements. Users must have a USPS Business Customer Gateway (BCG) Account with an active mailing permit linked to their BCG account.
PostalPro is a web-based computing resource providing services for information-sharing with the mailing industry.

6. Does your proactive disclosure process or system involve any collaboration with agency staff outside the FOIA office, such as IT or data personnel? If so, describe this interaction.

Yes. The Privacy and Records Management Office frequently collaborates with the Interactive Digital team to ensure the FOIA Library is updated on a regular basis. The Privacy and Records Management Office also collaborates with other departments to post records to the FOIA Library.

7. Optional – Please describe the best practices used to improve proactive disclosures and any challenges your agency faces in this area.

Given the size and decentralized nature of the FOIA program, the Postal Service continually emphasizes to FOIA coordinators and records custodians that they must inform the Privacy and Records Management Office if they receive three or more requests for the same records. In addition, Privacy and Records Management Office periodically reviews FOIA logs to determine whether there are new categories of frequently requested that should be added to the public FOIA Library. Beyond these efforts to identify frequently requested records, the Privacy and Records Management Office continually works with stakeholders throughout the organization to identify regularly queried databases and information repositories, as well as newly created IT tools and systems to identify new categories of records that may be subject to the FOIA.  

Section IV: Steps Taken to Make Better Use of Technology

1.	Has your agency reviewed its FOIA-related technological capabilities to identify resources needed to respond to current and anticipated FOIA demands?

Yes

2.	Please briefly describe any new types of technology your agency began using during the reporting period to support your FOIA program.

•	We ensure the vendor successfully updates the Postal Service’s FOIA software each year. 
•	Veritas eDiscovery
•	We consider new applications and technology related to FOIA and records management.
•	USPS Information Catalog Program Office (ICP) and IT professionals provide required support and assistance in conducting electronic records searches. ICP sorts and de-duplicates email records and may provide data transfer services for the exchange of electronic files. 
•	Postal Service has one of the world’s largest computer networks. The services provided daily by the Postal Service depend on an astonishing network of people and technologies that collect, transport, process and deliver the nation’s mail. As such, records custodians at the over 30,000 facilities throughout the country at which records are maintained may utilize available technology which supports the programs they manage to help create efficiencies in processing FOIAs.  

3.	Does your agency currently use any technology to automate request intake, customer service, or record processing? For example, does your agency use artificial intelligence or other tools to conduct searches or make redactions? If so, please describe and, if possible, estimate how much time and financial resources are saved since implementing the technology.

Yes. The Postal Service’s FOIA software assists with automating acknowledgment letters that are sent to the requester as soon as a FOIA request is received through the PAL system. Also, the Postal Service’s FOIA software has a tool to remove duplicate records and redact certain information using specific filters. Additionally, we are in the process of testing the use of AI for redactions on responsive records.

4.	OIP issued guidance in 2017 encouraging agencies to regularly review their FOIA websites to ensure that they contain essential resources, and are informative and user-friendly. Has your agency reviewed its FOIA website(s) during the reporting period to ensure it addresses the elements noted in the guidance?

Yes

5.	Did all four of your agency's quarterly reports for Fiscal Year 2025 appear on your agency's website and on FOIA.gov?

Yes

6.	If your agency did not successfully post all quarterly reports, with information appearing on FOIA.gov, please explain why and provide your agency’s plan for ensuring that such reporting is successful in Fiscal Year 2026.

N/A

7.	The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 requires all agencies to post the raw statistical data used to compile their Annual FOIA Reports. Please provide the link to this posting for your agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 Annual FOIA Report and, if available, for your agency’s Fiscal Year 2025 Annual FOIA Report.

• Fiscal Year 2024 – https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/annual-foia-reports/fy2024-rawdata.csv	
• Fiscal Year 2025 – https://about.usps.com/who/legal/foia/annual-foia-reports/fy2025-rawdata.csv

8.	In February 2019, DOJ and OMB issued joint Guidance establishing interoperability standards to receive requests from National FOIA Portal on FOIA.gov. Are all components of your agency in compliance with the guidance?

Yes

9.	Optional -- Please describe best practices in better utilizing technology and any challenges your agency faces in this area. 

The Privacy and Records Management Office continue to work with an IT portfolio manager to identify technological tools that it may need to provide for efficient FOIA processing. This approach requires yearly review by communicating with IT to develop a plan for accomplishing explicit development goals and timelines, gauging results, and making any necessary modification or enhancements.

Section V: Steps Taken to Remove Barriers to Access, Improve Timeliness in Responding to Requests and Reducing Backlogs

A. Remove Barriers to Access
1. Has your agency established alternative means of access to first party requested records outside of the FOIA process? 
Yes. 
2. If yes, please provide examples. If no, please indicate why not. Please also indicate if you do not know. 
First-party requesters seeking employment records may obtain those records outside of the FOIA process. 
3. Please describe any other steps your agency has taken to remove barriers to accessing government information. 
The Postal Service’s public FOIA website is updated with frequently requested records and other records required to be made available to the public so that requesters have immediate access.
B. Timeliness
4. For Fiscal Year 2025, what was the average number of days your agency reported for adjudicating requests for expedited processing? Please see Section VIII.A of your agency's Fiscal Year 2025 Annual FOIA Report. 
1.47 
5. If your agency's average number of days to adjudicate requests for expedited processing was above ten calendar days, please describe the steps your agency will take to ensure that requests for expedited processing are adjudicated within ten calendar days or less. 
N/A 
6. Does your agency utilize a separate track for simple requests? 
Yes. 
7. If your agency uses a separate track for simple requests, according to Annual FOIA Report section VII.A, was the agency overall average number of days to process simple requests twenty working days or fewer in Fiscal Year 2025? 
Yes. 
8. If not, did the simple track average processing time decrease compared to the previous Fiscal Year? 
N/A 
9. Please provide the percentage of requests processed by your agency in Fiscal Year 2025 that were placed in your simple track. Please use the following calculation based on the data from your Annual FOIA Report: (processed simple requests from Section VII.C.1) divided by (requests processed from Section V.A.) x 100. 
75.97%
10. If your agency does not track simple requests separately, was the average number of days to process all non-expedited requests twenty working days or fewer?
N/A
C. Backlogs 
Backlogged Requests
11. If your agency had a backlog of requests at the close of Fiscal Year 2025, according to Annual FOIA Report Section XII.D.2, did that backlog decrease as compared with the backlog reported at the end of Fiscal Year 2024? 
Yes
12. If not, according to Annual FOIA Report Section XII.D.1, did your agency process more requests during Fiscal Year 2025 than it did during Fiscal Year 2024? 
N/A
13. If your agency’s request backlog increased during Fiscal Year 2025, please explain why and describe the causes that contributed to your agency not being able to reduce its backlog. When doing so, please also indicate if any of the following were contributing factors: 
•	An increase in the number of incoming requests. 
•	A loss of staff. 
•	An increase in the complexity of the requests received. If possible, please provide examples or briefly describe the types of complex requests contributing to your backlog increase. 
•	Litigation 
•	Any other reasons – please briefly describe or provide examples when possible. 

The Postal Service received 824 more FOIA requests this fiscal year than last fiscal year.  
14. If you had a request backlog, please report the percentage of requests that make up the backlog out of the total number of requests received by your agency in Fiscal Year 2024. Please use the following calculation based on data from your Annual FOIA Report: (backlogged requests from Section XII.A) divided by (requests received from Section V.A) x 100. This number can be greater than 100%. If your agency has no request backlog, please answer with “N/A.” 
2.75%
Backlogged Appeals
15. If your agency had a backlog of appeals at the close of Fiscal Year 2025, according to Section XII.E.2 of the Annual FOIA Report, did that backlog decrease as compared with the backlog reported at the end of Fiscal Year 2024? 
No
16. If not, according to section XII.E.1 of the Annual FOIA Report, did your agency process more appeals during Fiscal Year 2025 than it did during Fiscal Year 2024? 
Yes
17. If your agency’s appeal backlog increased during Fiscal Year 2025, please explain why and describe the causes that contributed to your agency not being able to reduce its backlog. When doing so, please also indicate if any of the following were contributing factors: 
•	An increase in the number of incoming appeals. 
•	A loss of staff. 
•	An increase in the complexity of the requests received. If possible, please provide examples or briefly describe the types of complex requests contributing to your backlog increase. 
•	Litigation 
•	Any other reasons – please briefly describe or provide examples when possible.

The appeal backlog increased because while there were not any overdue appeals in Fiscal Year 2024, there was one overdue appeal in Fiscal Year 2025.  This appeal was overdue because the attorney working on the appeal needed to consult with the records custodian prior to completing the appeal, but the records custodian was out of the office around the statutory due date for the appeal.  The appeal was completed during the first week of Fiscal Year 2026.

18. If you had an appeal backlog, please report the percentage of appeals that make up the backlog out of the total number of appeals received by your agency in Fiscal Year 2025. Please use the following calculation based on data from your Annual FOIA Report: (backlogged appeals from Section XII.A) divided by (appeals received from Section VI.A) x 100. This number can be greater than 100%. If your agency did not receive any appeals in Fiscal Year 2025 and/or has no appeal backlog, please answer with "N/A." 
1.3%
D. Backlog Reduction Plans
19. In the 2025 guidelines for Chief FOIA Officer Reports, any agency with a backlog of over 1000 requests in Fiscal Year 2024 were asked to provide a plan for achieving backlog reduction in the year ahead. Did your agency implement a backlog reduction plan last year? If so, describe your agency’s efforts in implementing this plan and note if your agency was able to achieve backlog reduction in Fiscal Year 2025? 
N/A 
20. If your agency had a backlog of more than 1,000 requests in Fiscal Year 2025, please explain your agency’s plan to reduce this backlog during Fiscal Year 2026.
N/A 
E. Reducing the age of Requests, Appeals, and Consultations 
Ten Oldest Requests
21. In Fiscal Year 2025, did your agency close the ten oldest pending perfected requests that were reported in Section VII.E. of your Fiscal Year 2024 Annual FOIA Report? 
No 
22. If no, please provide the number of these requests your agency was able to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section VII.E of your Fiscal Year 2025 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than ten total oldest requests to close, please indicate that. 
6
23. Beyond work on the ten oldest requests, please describe any steps your agency took to reduce the overall age of your pending requests. 
The Privacy and Records Management Office continued meeting on a weekly basis and ensured that all team members were assisting with closing the oldest requests and any overdue requests. The Privacy and Records Management Office also maintains and reviews an overdue request list.
Ten Oldest Appeals
24. In Fiscal Year 2025, did your agency close the ten oldest appeals that were reported pending in Section VI.C.5 of your Fiscal Year 2024 Annual FOIA Report? 
Yes
25. If no, please provide the number of these appeals your agency was able to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section VI.C.(5) of your Fiscal Year 2024 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than ten total oldest appeals to close, please indicate that.
N/A
26. Beyond working on the ten oldest appeals, please describe any steps your agency took to reduce the overall age of your pending appeals. 
N/A
Ten Oldest Consultations
27. In Fiscal Year 2025, did your agency close the ten oldest consultations that were reported pending in Section XII.C. of your Fiscal Year 2024 Annual FOIA Report? 
Yes 
28. If no, please provide the number of these consultations your agency was able to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section XII.C. of your Fiscal Year 2024 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than ten total oldest consultations to close, please indicate that. 
N/A
Additional Information Regarding Ten Oldest 
29. If your agency was unable to close any of its ten oldest pending requests, appeals or consultations, please explain why and provide a plan describing how your agency intends to close those “ten oldest” requests, appeals, and consultations during Fiscal Year 2026. 
We closed 6 of the 10 oldest cases in FY25. We are meeting with custodians monthly to ensure these case are closed by the end of FY26.  
F. Additional Information about FOIA Processing
30. Were any requests at your agency the subject of FOIA litigation during the reporting period? If so, please describe the impact on your agency’s overall FOIA request processing and backlog. If possible, please indicate:
Yes.  Two FOIA requests were the subject of litigation, but did not substantially impact on the Postal Service’s overall FOIA request processing and backlog
a) The number and nature of request subject to litigation
The first FOIA litigation request is seeking records that are not clearly defined and the second FOIA litigation request is seeking records related to an investigation. 
b) Common causes leading to litigation
Adequate search and application of exemptions
c) Any other information to illustrate the impact of litigation on your overall FOIA administration: 
Litigation takes time, resources, and extensive coordination amongst various departments.