[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 66 (Monday, April 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16631-16632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-8724]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


January 1997 Pay Adjustments

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The rates of basic pay and locality payments for certain 
categories of Federal employees were adjusted in January 1997, as 
authorized by the President. This notice documents those pay 
adjustments for the public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sharon Herzberg, Office of Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems 
Service, Office of Personnel Management, (202) 606-2858, FAX (202) 606-
4264, or email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 22, 1996, the President 
transmitted to Congress an alternative plan under the authority of 5 
U.S.C. 5304a that established the January 1997 locality pay adjustments 
for General Schedule (GS) employees in the 48 contiguous States and the 
District of Columbia. On December 27, 1996, the President signed 
Executive Order 13033 (62 FR 252). This order implemented increases in 
rates of basic pay for various categories of Federal employees 
effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning 
on or after January 1, 1997, as required by 5 U.S.C. 5303. The 1997 
General Schedule, reflecting the 2.3-percent general increase, was 
published in Schedule 1 of Executive Order 13033. Executive Order 13033 
also included the percentage amounts of the 1997 locality payments as 
established by the President's alternative plan of November 22, 1996. 
(See Section 5 and Schedule 9 of Executive order 13033.) The 
publication of this notice satisfies the requirement in section 5(b) of 
Executive Order 13033 that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
publish appropriate notice of the 1997 locality payments in Federal 
Register.

    Locality payments are authorized for General Schedule employees 
under 5 U.S.C. 5304 and 5304a. They apply in the 48 contiguous States 
and the District of Columbia. In 1997, there are 30 separate locality 
pay areas with locality payments ranging from 4.81 percent to 11.52 
percent. These 1997 locality pay percentages, which replaced the 
locality pay percentages that were applicable in 1996, became effective 
on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or 
after January 1, 1997. An employee's locality-adjusted annual rate of 
pay is computed by increasing his or her scheduled annual rate of basic 
pay (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5302(8) and 5 CFR 531.602) by the 
applicable locality pay percentage. (See 5 CFR 531.604 and 531.605.)
    On December 5, 1996, the Director of OPM, on behalf of the 
President's Pay Agent, extended the 1997 locality-based comparability 
payments to the same Governmentwide and single-agency categories of 
non-GS employees that were authorized to receive the 1996 locality 
payments. The Governmentwide categories include members of the Senior 
Executive Service (SES), the Foreign Service, and the Senior Foreign 
Service; employees in senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional 
(ST) positions; administrative law judges; and members of Boards of 
Contracts Appeals.
    Public Law 104-208, September 30, 1996, provided that there would 
be no increase in the rates of basic pay for the Executive Schedule. By 
law, the maximum rate of basic pay for members of the SES may not 
exceed level IV of the Executive Schedule. The President has 
established six rates of basic pay for members of the SES with the 
maximum SES rate of basic pay (ES-6) equivalent to the rate of basic 
pay for level IV (currently $115,700). (See 5 U.S.C. 5382(b) and 
Schedule 5 of Executive Order 13033.) Schedule 4 of Executive Order 
13033 reflects a decision by the President to increase the rates of 
basic pay for members of the SES by 2.3 percent at levels ES-1 through 
ES-4. Since level IV of the Executive Schedule was not increased, the 
new rate of basic pay for ES-5 is $115,700 (an increase of about 1.5 
percent), and the rate of basic pay for ES-6 rate remains unchanged at 
$115,700.
    The minimum rate of basic pay for senior-level (SL) and scientific 
or professional (ST) positions increased by 2.3 percent (to $85,073) 
because it is calculated as a percentage of the minimum rate of basic 
pay for GS-15 of the General Schedule. The maximum rate of basic pay 
for SL and ST positions remains unchanged because it is linked to level 
IV of the Executive Schedule ($115,700), which remains unchanged. Rates 
of basic pay for administrative law judges and members of Boards of 
Contract Appeals remain unchanged in 1997 because these rates are 
calculated as a percentage of the rate for level IV of the Executive 
Schedule, which remains unchanged.
    OPM has published ``Salary Table No. 97'' (OPM Doc. 124-48-6, 
January 1997), which provides complete salary tables incorporating the 
1997 pay adjustments, information on general pay administration 
matters, locality pay area definitions, Internal Revenue Service 
withholding tables, and other related information. The rates of pay 
shown in ``Salary Table No. 97'' are the official rates of pay for 
affected employees and are hereby incorporated as part of this notice. 
Copies of ``Salary Table No. 97'' may be purchased from the Government 
Printing Office (GPO) by calling (202) 512-1800 or FAX at (202) 512-
2250. Copies of Salary Table 97'' may also be ordered online from GPO 
at http://www.gpo.gov/su__docs/sale/prf/prf.html. In addition, 
individual pay schedules may be downloaded directly from OPM's 
electronic bulletin board, which is reached by dialing via modem (202) 
606-4800. Pay tables may also be downloaded from OPM's Internet web 
cite at http://www.opm.gov/pay.


[[Page 16632]]


Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
[FR Doc. 97-8724 Filed 4-4-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6301-01-M