[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 3, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58901-58902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25288]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 192 / Tuesday, October 3, 2000 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 58901]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 591

RIN 3206-AJ26


Cost-of-Living Allowances (Nonforeign Areas); Hawaii County, 
Kauai County, Guam (Commissary/Exchange), Maui County, Puerto Rico, and 
the U.S. Virgin Islands

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is publishing an interim 
regulation to increase the cost-of-living allowance (COLA) rates paid 
to certain Federal employees in Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands. This regulation increases the COLA rate for Hawaii 
County, HI, from 15 percent to 16.5 percent; Kauai County, HI, from 
22.5 percent to 23.25 percent; Maui County, HI, from 22.5 percent to 
23.75 percent; Guam (Commissary/Exchange) from 20 percent to 22.5 
percent; Puerto Rico from 10 percent to 11.5 percent; and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands from 20 percent to 22.5 percent. All other COLA rates 
remain unchanged. The new rates are the result of the settlement of 
Caraballo et al. v. United States, Civil No. 1997/27 (D.V.I.).

DATES: Effective Date: October 1, 2000. Implementation date: First day 
of the first pay period beginning on or after October 1, 2000. Comment 
date: Submit comments by December 4, 2000.

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; FAX: (202) 606-4264; or email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald L. Paquin, (202) 606-2838; FAX: 
(202) 606-4264; or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is 
increasing the cost-of-living allowance (COLA) rates paid to certain 
Federal employees in Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 
Islands. The table below shows the new allowance rates and the places 
where they apply. The COLA rates in all other allowance areas remain 
the same.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Old      New
                    Allowance area                        COLA     COLA
                                                        rate\1\  rate\1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hawaii County.........................................    15.00    16.50
Kauai County..........................................    22.50    23.25
Maui County...........................................    22.50    23.75
Guam (Commissary/.....................................    20.00    22.50
Exchange).............................................
Puerto Rico...........................................    10.00    11.50
U.S. Virgin Islands...................................    20.00    22.50
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In percent.

    OPM is making these changes pursuant to section 9 and Exhibit C of 
the stipulation for settlement of Caraballo et al. v. United States, 
Civil No. 1997/27 (D.V.I.). The court approved the settlement on August 
17, 2000. The settlement prescribes the new COLA rates and requires 
that they be made effective on the first day of the first applicable 
pay period beginning on or after October 1, 2000. OPM is using an 
interim rule to implement these increases so that agencies can apply 
the new rates in a timely fashion.

Rulemaking waivers

    Under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B) and (d)(3), OPM finds that good cause 
exists to waive the publication of proposed rulemaking and the 30-day 
delay in the effective date of this regulation. Consistent with the 
terms of the court-approved settlement agreement, we believe it is in 
the public interest to implement the interim COLA rate increases 
immediately. In the future, as we have done in the past, we plan to 
announce COLA rate adjustments in a proposed rule for public notice and 
comment.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

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

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Review

    This rule has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget 
in accordance with Executive Order 12866.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 591

    Government employees, Travel and transporation expenses, Wages.

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


    Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management amends 5 CFR part 
591 as follows:

PART 591--ALLOWANCES AND DIFFERENTIALS

Subpart B--Cost-of-living Allowance and Post Differential--
Nonforeign Areas

    1. The authority citation for subpart B of part 591 continues to 
read as follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5941; E.O. 10000, 3 CFR, 1943-1948 Comp., p. 
792; and E.O. 12510, 3 CFR, 1985 Comp., p. 338.

    2. Appendix A of subpart B is amended by revising the table to read 
as follows:

Appendix A of Subpart B--Places and Rates at Which Allowances Shall Be 
Paid

* * * * *

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Authorized
         Geographic coverage/ allowance category          allowance rate
                                                             (percent)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     State of Alaska
City of Anchorage and 80-kilometer (50-mile) radius by
 road:
    All employees.......................................           25.00
City of Fairbanks and 80-kilometer (50-mile) radius by
 road:
    All employees.......................................           25.00
City of Juneau and 80-kilometer (50-mile) radius by
 road:
    All employees.......................................           25.00
Rest of the state:
    All employees.......................................           25.00
                     State of Hawaii
City and County of Honolulu:
    All employees.......................................           25.00
County of Hawaii:
    All employees.......................................           16.50
County of Kauai:

[[Page 58902]]

 
    All employees.......................................           23.25
County of Maui and County of Kalawao:
    All employees.......................................           23.75
   Territory of Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern
                     Mariana Islands
Local Retail............................................           25.00
Commissary/Exchange.....................................           22.50
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
All Employees...........................................           11.50
                   U.S. Virgin Islands
All Employees...........................................           22.50
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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[FR Doc. 00-25288 Filed 10-2-00; 8:45 am]
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