(a) The Commission may initiate a proceeding by issuing a notice or order that establishes a docket in which a proceeding is to be conducted.

(b) When permitted by statute or regulation, any person may seek the initiation of a proceeding by filing a request with the Commission that complies with the rules governing the type of proceeding being requested.

(c) The Secretary shall maintain a docket for all matters that come before the Commission.

(d)(1) The Secretary shall assign docket designations to each matter that comes before the Commission that reflect the nature of the matter, set forth the fiscal year in which the matter came before the Commission, and where applicable, the sequential number of the docket type within the fiscal year. Available docket types are:

(i) Appeal of a Post Office Closing (A);

(ii) Annual Compliance Report (ACR);

(iii) Complaint (C);

(iv) Competitive Product Rates (CP);

(v) General (G);

(vi) International Mail (IM);

(vii) Competitive Negotiated Service Agreement (K);

(viii) Mail Classification (MC);

(ix) Market Test (MT);

(x) Change in the Nature of Postal Services (N);

(xi) Public Inquiry (PI);

(xii) Market Dominant Rates (R);

(xiii) Rulemaking (RM);

(xiv) Special Studies (SS); and

(xv) Annual Review of Tax Calculation (T).

(2) The Commission may modify the list of docket types and document formats without prior notice.

(e) The Secretary's assignment of a docket designation does not, by itself, establish a docket or initiate a proceeding. A docket is formally established and proceedings initiated only by the issuance of a Commission notice or order except for certain negotiated service agreements for which the authority to establish a docket and initiate a proceeding by issuance of a Secretary's notice has been delegated to the Secretary.

(f) The substance of the matter presented to the Commission, not the assigned docket type, shall govern the procedural requirements for the docket.

(g) Material filed with the Commission following the Secretary's assignment of a docket designation shall include the assigned docket designation.

(h) Public material filed within a docket may be viewed at the Commission's Docket Section during regular business hours. Public documents filed in a docket that appear in electronic format may also be accessed remotely via the Commission's website. Confidential material filed under seal in a docket may only be accessed with prior authorization. Part 3011 of this chapter sets forth the procedures for obtaining such authorization. Persons who wish to access confidential material should contact the Commission's Docket Section for the appropriate mode for transmitting material filed under seal.

(i) Active dockets may only be closed by the Commission.