[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 15787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8515]


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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 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.
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  Federal Register/Vol. 63, No. 62/Wednesday, April 1, 1998/Proposed 
Rules  

[[Page 15787]]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Parts 293 and 410

RIN 3206-AH94


Personnel Records and Training

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing proposed 
regulations governing personnel records and Federal employee training. 
The proposed regulations amend a statement about maintaining individual 
employee training records and clarify agency authority for training 
employees outside the United States.

DATES: Submit comments on or before June 1, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver written comments to Steven R. Cohen, 
Director, Office of Workforce Relations, U.S. Office of Personnel 
Management, Room 7508, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC, 20415-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 5 CFR Part 293 information: Linda 
Brick on 202-606-1126, fax 202-606-1719, or email [email protected]. For 
5 CFR 410 information: Judith Lombard on 202-606-2431, fax 202-606-
2394, or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These proposed rules affect the training of 
Government employees. The changes are summarized as follows:
    (1) Training Records. The proposed rules remove a parenthetical 
sentence in 5 CFR 293.403(b)(3) that provides for records of training 
of 8 hours or more to be placed in an employee's Official Personnel 
File.
    Since publication of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Guide 
to Personnel Recordkeeping, March 15, 1996 (available from the 
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, or from 
the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's website at http://
www.opm.gov/feddata/html/opf.htm), training documents are no longer 
maintained as permanent records in an employee's Official Personnel 
Folder. The parenthetical sentence in 5 CFR 293.403(b)(3) (47 FR 3080) 
referred to above is no longer accurate and needs to be deleted.
    (2) Training Outside the United States. The proposed rules add a 
section on training outside the continental United States.
    A section on training outside the United States was omitted from 
the final training regulations published December 17, 1996 (61 FR 
66189). Previous regulations (47 FR 935 January 8, 1982) included 
guidance on this subject. Since publication of the revised training 
rules, agency personnel have often called the U.S. Office of Personnel 
Management asking questions about approval procedures for training that 
takes place outside the United States. The proposed new section 
clarifies agency authority in this area. The new section would be 
designated as 5 CFR 410.302(f) and would read as follows:

    The head of each agency shall prescribe procedures, as 
authorized by section 402 of Executive Order No. 11348, for 
obtaining U.S. Department of State advice before assigning an 
employee who is stationed within the continental limits of the 
United States to training outside the continental United States that 
is provided by a foreign government, international organization, or 
instrumentality of either.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

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

List of Subjects

5 CFR Part 293

    Archives and records, Freedom of information, Government employees, 
Health records, and Privacy.

5 CFR Part 410

    Education, Government employees.

Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Director.

    Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management is proposing to 
amend 5 CFR part 293 and 5 CFR part 410 as follows:

PART 293--PERSONNEL RECORDS

Subpart D--Employee Performance File System Records

    1. The authority citation for subpart D of 5 CFR part 293 continues 
to read as follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552a and 5 U.S.C. 4305 and 4315; E.O. 12107 
(December 28, 1978); 5 U.S.C. 1103, 1104, and 1302; 3 CFR 1954-1958 
Compilation; 5 CFR 7.2; E.O. 9830, 3 CFR 1943-1948 Compilation.


Sec. 293.403  [Amended]

    2. Section 293.403 paragraph (b)(3) is amended by removing the 
parenthetical sentence.

PART 410--TRAINING

    3. The authority citation for part 410 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 4101, et. seq.; E.O. 11348, 3 CFR, 1967 
Comp., p. 275.

    4. Section 410.302 is amended by adding a new paragraph (f) to read 
as follows:


Sec. 410.302  Responsibilities of the head of an agency.

* * * * *
    (f) The head of each agency shall prescribe procedures, as 
authorized by section 402 of Executive Order No. 11348, for obtaining 
U.S. Department of State advice before assigning an employee who is 
stationed within the continental limits of the United States to 
training outside the continental United States that is provided by a 
foreign government, international organization, or instrumentality of 
either.

[FR Doc. 98-8515 Filed 3-31-98; 8:45 am]
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