[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 4585-4587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2620]



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MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD

5 CFR Part 1201


Practices and Procedures

AGENCY: Merit Systems Protection Board.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Merit Systems Protection Board (the Board) is amending 
appendices II and III to its rules at 5 CFR part 1201 to reflect a 
realignment of the geographical jurisdictions of its regional and field 
offices, effective immediately, and to announce the closing of its St. 
Louis Field Office as of April 1, 1996.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 7, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Darrell L. Netherton, Director of Regional Operations, (202) 653-5805.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Board is amending appendices II and III 
to its rules at 5 CFR part 1201 to reflect a realignment of the 
geographical jurisdictions of its regional and field offices, effective 
immediately, and to announce the closing of its St. Louis Field Office 
as of April 1, 1996. This realignment is a continuation of the Board's 
efforts to streamline its operations and will enable the Board to 
continue to respond to the needs of its customers while maximizing the 
use of its financial and human resources.
    The realignment results in the following changes:
    (1) The San Francisco Regional Office is redesignated the Western 
Regional Office. The amendment also reflects the new address and 
facsimile number of this office. The Denver Field Office, previously 
under the Dallas Regional Office, is realigned with the Western 
Regional Office. The geographic areas covered by the Western Regional 
Office and its Denver and Seattle field offices now constitute the 
Western Region.
    (2) The Chicago Regional Office is redesignated the Central 
Regional Office and gains jurisdiction over the geographic areas 
formerly under the St. Louis Field Office, except for its jurisdiction 
in Tennessee as described in item 4 below. The Dallas Regional Office 
is redesignated as a field office. The geographic areas covered by the 
Central Regional Office and its Dallas Field Office new constitute the 
Central Region.

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    (3) The Philadelphia Regional Office is redesignated the 
Northeastern Regional Office. The geographic areas covered by the 
Northeastern Regional Office and its Boston and New York field offices 
now constitute the Northeastern Region.
    (4) The Atlanta Regional Office gains jurisdiction over the area of 
Tennessee west of the Tennessee River and now has jurisdiction over the 
entire state of Tennessee. The geographic areas covered by the Atlanta 
Regional Office now constitute the Atlanta Region.
    (5) There is no change to the jurisdiction of the Washington 
Regional Office. The geographic areas covered by the Washington 
Regional Office now constitute the Washington Region.
    (6) The St. Louis Field Office will close as of April 1, 1996.
    Because appeals and related matters must be filed with the regional 
or field office having geographic jurisdiction, appellants, agencies, 
and other interested parties should carefully review the amended 
regional and field office jurisdictions in appendix II to part 1201 and 
the approved hearing locations in appendix III to part 1201. (The 
approved hearing locations in appendix III are listed in alphabetical 
order by state, and alphabetically by city within each state.) For the 
convenience of its customers, the Board is republishing appendices II 
and III to part 1201 in their entirety.
    Effective as of the date of this notice, all new appeals from the 
geographic areas formerly covered by the St. Louis Field Office should 
be filed with the Central Regional Office in Chicago (except those from 
Tennessee west of the Tennessee River, which should be filed with the 
Atlanta Regional Office). The St. Louis Field Office will continue to 
process its pending caseload until the office closes and cases in 
process are turned over to the Central Regional Office. Parties with 
cases pending before judges in the St. Louis Field Office should 
continue to make any required filings and direct any inquiries to the 
St. Louis Field Office until otherwise advised by the judge assigned to 
their case.
    The Board is publishing this rule as a final rule pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 1204(h).

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 1201

    Administrative practice and procedure, Civil rights, Government 
employees.

    Accordingly, the Board amends 5 CFR part 1201 as follows:

PART 1201--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 1201 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 1204, and 7701 unless otherwise noted.

    Appendices II and III to part 1201 are revised to read as follows:

Appendix II to Part 1201--Appropriate Regional or Field Office for 
Filing Appeals

    All submissions shall be addressed to the Regional Director, if 
submitted to a regional office, or the Chief Administrative Judge, 
if submitted to a field office, Merit Systems Protection Board, at 
the addresses listed below, according to geographic region of the 
employing agency or as required by Sec. 1201.4(d) of this part. The 
facsimile numbers listed below are TDD-capable; however, calls will 
be answered by voice before being connected to the TDD. Address of 
Appropriate Regional or Field Office and Area Served:

1. Atlanta Regional Office, 401 West Peachtree Street, N.W., 10th 
floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3519, Facsimile No.: (404) 730-2767, 
(Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and 
Tennessee).
2. Central Regional Office, 230 South Dearborn Street, 31st floor, 
Chicago, Illinois 60604-1669, Facsimile No.: (312) 886-4231, 
(Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas City, Kansas; Kentucky; Michigan; 
Minnesota; Missouri; Ohio; and Wisconsin).
2a. Dallas Field Office, 1100 Commerce Street, Room 6F20, Dallas, 
Texas 75242-9979, Facsimile No.: (214) 767-0102, (Arkansas, 
Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas).
3. Northeastern Regional Office, U.S. Customhouse, Room 501, Second 
and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106-2987, 
Facsimile No.: (215) 597-3456, (Delaware; Maryland--except the 
counties of Montgomery and Prince George's; New Jersey--except the 
counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union; Pennsylvania; and West 
Virginia).
3a. Boston Field Office, 99 Summer Street, Suite 1810, Boston, 
Massachusetts 02110-1200, Facsimile No.: (617) 424-5708, 
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and 
Vermont).
3b. New York Field Office, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 3137-A, New York, 
New York 10278-0022, Facsimile No.: (212) 264-1417, (New Jersey--
counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union; New York; Puerto Rico; 
and Virgin Islands).
4. Washington Regional Office, 5203 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1109, Falls 
Church, Virginia 22041-3473, Facsimile No.: (703) 756-7112, 
(Maryland--counties of Montgomery and Prince George's; North 
Carolina; Virginia; Washington, DC; and all overseas areas not 
otherwise covered).
5. Western Regional Office, 250 Montgomery Street, Suite 400, 4th 
floor, San Francisco, California 94104-3401, Facsimile No.: (415) 
705-2945, (California and Nevada).
5a. Denver Field Office, 12567 West Cedar Drive, Suite 100, 
Lakewood, Colorado 80228-2009, Facsimile No.: (303) 969-5109, 
(Arizona, Colorado, Kansas--except Kansas City, Montana, Nebraska, 
New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming).
5b. Seattle Field Office, 915 Second Avenue, Suite 1840, Seattle, 
Washington 98174-1056, Facsimile No.: (206) 220-7982, (Alaska, 
Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Pacific overseas areas).

Appendix III to Part 1201--Approved Hearing Locations By Regional 
Office

Atlanta Regional Office

Birmingham, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Jacksonville, Florida
Miami, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Jackson, Mississippi
Charleston, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee

Central Regional Office

Chicago, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Davenport, Iowa/Rock Island, Illinois
Des Moines, Iowa
Lexington, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Detroit, Michigan
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
Kansas City, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
Cleveland, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Dallas Field Office

Little Rock, Arkansas
Alexandria, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Corpus Christi, Texas
Dallas, Texas
El Paso, Texas
Houston, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Temple, Texas
Texarkana, Texas

Northeastern Regional Office

Dover, Delaware
Baltimore, Maryland
Trenton, New Jersey
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Charleston, West Virginia
Morgantown, West Virginia

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Boston Field Office

Hartford, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
Bangor, Maine
Portland, Maine
Boston, Massachusetts
Manchester, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Providence, Rhode Island
Burlington, Vermont

New York Field Office

Newark, New Jersey
Albany, New York
Buffalo, New York
New York, New York
Syracuse, New York
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Washington Regional Office

Washington, DC
Asheville, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Bailey's Crossroads, Falls Church, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia

Western Regional Office

Fresno, California
Los Angeles, California
Sacramento, California
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
Santa Barbara, California
Las Vegas, Nevada
Reno, Nevada

Denver Field Office

Phoenix, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Denver, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Wichita, Kansas
Billings, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Omaha, Nebraska
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Bismarck, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Salt Lake City, Utah
Casper, Wyoming

Seattle Field Office

Anchorage, Alaska
Honolulu, Hawaii
Boise, Idaho
Pocatello, Idaho
Medford, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco, Washington

    Dated: February 2, 1996.
Robert E. Taylor,
Clerk of the Board.
[FR Doc. 96-2620 Filed 2-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7400-01-M