[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 11723]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6200]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request for Reinstatement of a 
Revised Information Collection: Nonforeign Area Cost-of-Living 
Allowance; Price and Background Surveys

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) a request for reinstatement of two 
previously-approved information collections for which approval has 
expired. OPM uses the two information collections--a price survey and a 
background survey--to gather data to be used in determining cost-of-
living allowances (COLAs) for certain Federal employees in Alaska, 
Hawaii, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The price surveys will be 
conducted in each COLA area on a rotating basis once every 3 years and 
annually in the Washington, DC, area. The background surveys will be 
conducted in these same areas and according to the same schedule, but 
on a more limited basis.
    The price survey is necessary for collecting living-cost data used 
to determine cost-of-living allowances (COLAs) paid to General 
Schedule, U.S. Postal Service, and certain other Federal employees in 
the allowance areas. COLAs are based on differences in living costs in 
the allowance areas compared with living costs in the Washington, DC, 
area. The background survey is used to improve the COLA methodology and 
to plan the price surveys and determine such things as the 
appropriateness of items, services, and businesses selected for survey.
    OPM will survey selected retail, service, realty, and other 
businesses and local governments in the allowance areas and in the 
Washington, DC, area. Approximately 2,200 establishments will be 
contacted in the price survey, and approximately 30 establishments will 
be contacted in the background survey. Participation in the surveys is 
voluntary.
    OPM estimates that the average price survey interview will take 
approximately 7 minutes, for a total burden of 257 hours. The average 
background survey interview will take approximately 10 minutes, for a 
total burden of 5 hours.
    For copies of this proposal, please contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey 
at (202) 606-8358; fax: (202) 418-3251; or e-mail: [email protected]. 
Please include a mailing address with your request.

DATES: Submit comments on or before April 15, 2002.

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 e-mail: [email protected].

    and
Joseph Lackey, OPM Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building 
NW., Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt M. Springmann, (202) 606-2838.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM published notice of its intention to 
request a reinstatement of the price and background surveys in the 
Federal Register on October 17, 2001 (66 FR 52813). OPM received one 
comment in response to the notice. The commenter noted that a sentence 
in the Summary section of the notice could be interpreted to mean that 
OPM will conduct surveys annually in selected COLA areas. We agree that 
the sentence could be misinterpreted, and wish to clarify that OPM will 
not conduct price surveys annually in any COLA area. As stated in the 
Supplementary Information section of the notice, OPM will conduct the 
price surveys in each COLA area on a rotating basis once every 3 years 
and annually in the Washington, DC, area.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Kay Coles James,
 Director.
[FR Doc. 02-6200 Filed 3-14-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P