[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61793-61794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29685]


 ========================================================================
 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. 64, No. 219 / Monday, November 15, 1999 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 61793]]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AI75


Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the King, Washington, 
Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule 
that would abolish the King, Washington, nonappropriated fund (NAF) 
Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area, establish a new Snohomish, WA, NAF 
FWS wage area, and remove Whatcom County, WA, as an area of 
application. The abolishment of the King wage area and the 
establishment of a new Snohomish wage area is necessary because of the 
closure of the King wage area's host installation, Naval Station Puget 
Sound. This closure has left the Department of Defense without an 
installation in the survey area capable of hosting annual local wage 
surveys. The removal of Whatcom County is necessary because there are 
no longer any NAF FWS employees stationed in the county.

DATES: Comments must be received by December 15, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant 
Director for Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and 
Performance Service, Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H31, 1900 E 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-8200, or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hopkins by phone at (202) 
606-2848, by FAX at (202) 606-0824, or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because of the closure of the King, 
Washington, nonappropriated fund (NAF) wage area's host activity, Naval 
Station Puget Sound (NSPS), the Department of Defense (DOD) no longer 
has an activity in the survey area with the capability to conduct 
annual local NAF wage surveys. DOD recommended that the Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM) abolish the King, WA, NAF wage area and 
establish a new Snohomish, WA, NAF wage area. DOD also recommended that 
Whatcom County be removed from an NAF wage area definition because 
Blaine Air Force Station has closed, and there are no longer any NAF 
FWS employees stationed in Whatcom County. Under section 
5343(a)(1)(B)(i) of title 5, United States Code, NAF wage areas ``shall 
not extend beyond the immediate locality in which the particular 
prevailing rate employees are employed.'' Therefore, Whatcom County 
should not be defined as part of an NAF wage area. The King wage area 
is presently composed of one survey county, King County, and four area 
of application counties, Island, Snohomish, Whatcom, and Yakima 
Counties, WA. The new Snohomish, WA, NAF wage area would be composed of 
one survey county, Snohomish County, and three area of application 
counties, Island, King, and Yakima Counties, WA.
    Under section 532.219(b) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, 
NAF wage areas are established when there are a minimum of 26 NAF wage 
employees in the survey area, the local activity has the capability to 
host annual local wage surveys, and there are within the survey area a 
minimum of 1,800 private enterprise employees in establishments within 
survey specifications. NSPS ceased operations in the summer of 1996 and 
relocated to Naval Station Everett in Snohomish County, WA. During this 
time, a full-scale wage survey was scheduled to begin in the King NAF 
wage area in July 1996. Because the host installation relocated, the 
local wage survey committee had to conduct the King survey from Naval 
Station Everett in Snohomish County. King County does not have another 
activity in the King survey area to host annual local wage surveys. 
However, Snohomish County meets the regulatory requirements to be 
established as a separate NAF survey area. There are approximately 103 
NAF FWS employees stationed at Naval Station Everett, and the base has 
the capability to host annual local wage surveys. Also, Snohomish 
County has more than the required minimum number of private enterprise 
employees in establishments within survey specifications.
    Section 532.219 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, lists the 
following criteria that OPM considers when defining FWS wage area 
boundaries:
    (i) Proximity of largest activity in each county;
    (ii) Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and
    (iii) Similarities of the counties in:
    (A) Overall population;
    (B) Private employment in major industry categories; and
    (C) Kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments.
    The closest major Federal installation to NSPS is Naval Station 
Everett. NSPS is approximately 45 km (28 miles) from Naval Station 
Everett. Commuting patterns indicate that 4 percent of the King County 
resident workforce commutes to Everett County. Transportation 
facilities consist of major interstate and highways and do not favor 
one county more than another. Also, a review of the similarities of the 
counties does not favor one county more than another. Based on an 
analysis of these regulatory criteria, OPM proposes to establish 
Snohomish, WA, as a new NAF wage area and define Island, King, and 
Yakima Counties, WA, as areas of application.
    Full-scale wage surveys would be ordered in the Snohomish, WA, NAF 
wage area in July of even fiscal years, with the first full-scale wage 
survey for the Snohomish wage area beginning in July 2000. The Federal 
Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-management 
committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of 
FWS employees, has reviewed and concurred by consensus with these 
changes.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    I certify that this regulation would not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because it 
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.


[[Page 61794]]


Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
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 B to subpart B of part 532 is amended for the State of 
Washington by removing the entry for ``King'' and by adding 
alphabetically a new entry for ``Snohomish'' with a beginning survey 
month of ``July'' and a fiscal year of full-scale survey of ``Even'.
    3. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area 
listing for King, Washington, and by adding alphabetically a new entry 
for Snohomish, Washington, to read as follows:

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532--Nonappropriated Fund Wage and 
Survey Areas

* * * * *

WASHINGTON

* * * * *

SNOHOMISH

Survey Area

Washington:
    Snohomish

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Washington:
    Island
    King
    Yakima
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 99-29685 Filed 11-12-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-P