§ 955.1 (Rule 1) Jurisdiction, procedure, and service of documents.

(a) Jurisdiction. Under the Contract Disputes Act, 41 U.S.C. 7101-09, the Postal Service Board of Contract Appeals (Board) has jurisdiction over appeals from contracting officers' final decisions issued by the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission relative to their contracts. The Board also has jurisdiction over other matters assigned to it by the Postmaster General and over matters otherwise authorized by applicable law.

(b) Organization and location of the Board.

(1) The Board is located at 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, Virginia 22201-3078. The Board's telephone number is (703) 812-1900, and its website is https://about.usps.com/who/judicial/. The Board's fax number is (703) 812-1901. The website for electronic filing is https://usps-judicialoffice.journaltech.com.

(2) All members of the Board must meet the qualifications established by the Contract Disputes Act. Unless otherwise allowed by this part, appeals are decided by a panel of at least three judges, with the majority's opinion constituting the Board's decision.

(c) Board procedures —

(1) Scope. This part govern appeals filed under the Contract Disputes Act and other disputes assigned to the Board.

(2) Administration and interpretation of this part. This part will be interpreted to ensure a just, inexpensive, and timely resolution of every appeal. The Board may use the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for guidance in interpreting this part and to resolve issues not covered by this part.

(3) Computation of time and extensions.

(i) Unless otherwise specified by the Board, orders and decisions are deemed received by the parties on the date they are posted to the electronic filing system.

(ii) Except as otherwise provided by law, in computing time periods under this part or a Board order, the day of the event from which the designated time period begins to run will not be included, but the last day of the period will be included unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday. In those cases, the period will run to the next business day. Except as otherwise provided in this part or an applicable order, time periods are measured in calendar days.

(iii) Requests for time extensions from either party must be in writing and state good cause for the request. The requesting party must contact the opposing party about the request, or make a good faith effort to do so. The request must state whether the opposing party consents to the extension. Requests filed after a deadline should state the reason for the party's failure to file a timely request.

(4) Manner of filings.

(i) Documents must be filed in the electronic filing system unless the Board permits otherwise. Documents filed electronically are deemed filed on the date and time (Eastern Time) reflected in the electronic filing system.

(ii) Documents mailed to the Board are deemed filed on the date mailed, as indicated by a United States postmark or other proof of mailing.

(iii) Documents may be filed by fax only with the Board's prior approval. Documents filed by fax are deemed filed when the Board receives a complete, legible copy.

(iv) Documents submitted by any other means are deemed filed when a complete copy is received by the Recorder during the Board's working hours (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Eastern Time).

(5) Service. If both parties use the electronic filing system, separate service on the opposing party is not required. Otherwise, documents must be served by an equally or more expeditious means of transmittal than was used to submit the filing to the Board. The filing must also state that it has been furnished to the opposing party.

(d) Parties —

(1) Appellant. The term appellant means a party that has filed an appeal with the Board.

(2) Respondent. The term respondent means the United States Postal Service or the Postal Regulatory Commission.