[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 4940-4941]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-2285]



 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 28 / Friday, February 9, 1996 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 4940]]


OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AH28


Prevailing Rate Systems; Changes in Survey Responsibilities for 
Certain Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed 
rule to change survey responsibilities for several appropriated fund 
Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas in recognition of shifting 
employment patterns among agencies and the need for lead agencies to 
balance their wage survey workloads throughout the 2-year survey cycle. 
The proposed changes are designed to improve administration of the 
Federal Wage System and would effect the following local wage areas: 
Eastern South Dakota; Ft. Wayne-Marion, Indiana; Madison, Wisconsin; 
Buffalo, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Augusta, Maine; 
Southeastern Michigan; and Southwestern Oregon.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 11, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant 
Director for Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems Service, 
Office of Personnel Management, Room 6H31, 1900 E Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20415, or Fax: (202) 606-0824.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Angela Graham Humes, (202) 606-2848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM has received several requests for 
changes in the lead agency responsibility for FWS surveys and in the 
timing of such surveys. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
requested that the Department of Defense (DOD) assume responsibility 
for the following wage areas: Eastern South Dakota; Ft. Wayne-Marion, 
Indiana; Madison, Wisconsin; and Buffalo, New York. VA's request was 
based on several factors. First, in each of the wage areas, DOD has the 
largest number of FWS employees. Additionally, VA host activities are 
experiencing difficulty in providing personnel and logistical support 
for the FWS surveys because of continuing employment reductions, the 
delegation of certain human resources responsibilities to VA field 
activities, and additional requirements at the local level associated 
with the VA Nurse Locality Pay System.
    DOD has indicated its willingness to assume this responsibility. 
However, in order to balance the increased survey workload, DOD has 
requested a change in the timing of the Buffalo, New York, full-scale 
survey from even years to odd years and of the Eastern South Dakota 
full-scale survey from odd years to even years. Accomplishing the 
changes would require consecutive full-scale surveys.
    As lead agency for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Augusta, Maine; 
and Southwestern Michigan wage areas, VA also requested changes in the 
survey order month and full-scale survey year for these wage areas in 
order to improve the balance of its remaining survey workload. VA 
requested to advance the survey order month for the Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, wage area from August to July and to change the timing of 
the Augusta, Maine, full-scale survey from odd years to even years and 
of the Southwestern Michigan full-scale from even years to odd years. 
The odd/even changes would require consecutive full-scale surveys.
    Finally, VA requested, and OPM approved by letter in 1989 and 1990, 
changes in the survey order months for 1990 full-scale surveys in the 
Ft. Wayne-Marion, Indiana, and Southwestern Oregon wage areas. However, 
the new survey order months of October and June, respectively, were not 
incorporated into OPM regulations at that time. The proposed rule 
belatedly reflects the de facto change of the survey order months for 
the Ft. Wayne-Marion, Indiana, wage area from November to October and 
for the Southwestern Oregon wage area from May to June.
    On behalf of the affected agencies, OPM presented the proposals 
described above for discussion by the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory 
Committee, which has reviewed and concurred with the proposed changes.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    I certify that these regulations would not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they 
would affect only Federal agencies and employees.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532

    Administrative practice and procedure, Freedom of information, 
Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Wages.

Office of Personnel Management.
Lorraine A. Green,
Deputy Director.

    Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management proposes to amend 5 
CFR part 532 as follows:

PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS

    1. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; Sec. 532.707 also issued under 5 
U.S.C. 552.

    2. Appendix A to subpart B of part 532 is amended by revising the 
entries for Fort Wayne-Marion, Indiana; Augusta, Maine; Southwestern 
Michigan, Michigan; Buffalo, New York; Southwestern Oregon, Oregon; 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Eastern South Dakota, South Dakota; and 
Madison, Wisconsin and by adding a footnote to read as follows:

Appendix A to Subpart B of Part 532--Nationwide Schedule of 
Appropriated Fund Regular Wage Surveys

* * * * *

[[Page 4941]]


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                            Fiscal year of full 
             State                    Wage area           Lead agency     Beginning month   scale survey odd or 
                                                                             of survey              even        
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Indiana * * *.................  Fort Wayne-Marion....  DoD.............  October.........  Odd.                 
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Maine.........................  Augusta\1\...........  VA..............  May.............  Even.                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Michigan * * *................  Southwestern           VA..............  October.........  Odd.                 
                                 Michigan\1\.                                                                   
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
New York * * *................  Buffalo\1\...........  DoD.............  September.......  Odd.                 
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Oregon * * *..................  Southwestern Oregon..  VA..............  June............  Even.                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Pennsylvania * * *............  Pittsburgh...........  VA..............  July............  Odd.                 
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
South Dakota..................  Eastern South          DoD.............  October.........  Even.                
                                 Dakota\1\.                                                                     
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
Wisconsin.....................  Madison..............  DoD.............  July............  Even.                
*                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                
                                                        *                                                       
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The revised fiscal year entries are scheduled to begin for Augusta, Maine, in fiscal year 1996; for Buffalo,
  New York and Southwestern Michigan in fiscal year 1997; and for Eastern South Dakota in fiscal year 1998.     

[FR Doc. 96-2285 Filed 2-8-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M