[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 44 (Thursday, March 6, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10666-10667]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5021]


 ========================================================================
 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. 68, No. 44 / Thursday, March 6, 2003 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 10666]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 110

RIN 3206-AJ73


Posting Regulations

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing proposed 
regulations to revise the rules relating to notice of new regulations 
and information collection requirements. The revisions include 
eliminating one subpart and renaming the remaining subpart and plain 
language modifications.

DATES: Submit comments on or before May 5, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver written comments to: Claudio A. Benedi, 
Chief, Publications Services Division, Office of Contracting and 
Administrative Services, Office of Personnel Management, Room 5H35, 
1900 E St NW., Washington, DC 20415-7730, or Fax: (202) 606-0909.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert T. Coco, (202) 606-1822, Fax: 
(202) 606-0909, or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We are revising part 110 to reflect the 
removal of old subpart B--Information Collection Requirements. Old 
subpart B was a requirement arising from an internal OPM housekeeping 
function no longer in effect. Its removal requires us to eliminate the 
old subpart A designation and use the designation part 110 to refer to 
the remaining material. We have also made minor word changes and 
changed the order of material within the section. Except as otherwise 
noted, the purpose of these revisions is not to make substantive 
changes but, rather, to make part 110 more readable.
    Section 110.101: Changes ``special bulletins'' to ``notice'' and 
changes ``new regulations'' to ``new proposed, interim, and final 
regulations.'' Corrects the name of the type of issuance currently 
used, which was changed in 1994 when the bulletin system was abolished, 
and clarifies regulation description to indicate that it includes new 
proposed, interim, and final regulations.
    Section 110.101(b): (Note old paragraphs (a) and (b) have been 
reversed, and redesignated as paragraphs (b) and (a), respectively, so 
that they are now in a more logical sequence). Provides the option for 
viewing documents either in paper format or via Web site, thus 
providing the ability to use electronic as well as paper format of 
documents.
    Section 110.102(b): Adds ``agency Web sites'' as a supplemental 
posting option. This provides the option for an agency to make new OPM 
regulations available on the agency's Web site or through a link to the 
OPM Web site.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    I certify that this proposed regulation will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Review

    The Office of Management and Budget has reviewed this rule in 
accordance with Executive Order 12866.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 110

    Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Office of Personnel Management.
Kay Coles James,
Director.
    Accordingly, OPM proposes to revise part 110 of title 5, Code of 
Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 110--POSTING NOTICES OF NEW OPM REGULATIONS

Sec.
110.101 What are OPM's Notice and Posting System responsibilities?
110.102 What are Agency responsibilities?

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 1103.


Sec.  110.101  What are OPM's Notice and Posting System 
responsibilities?

    OPM will issue a notice that will provide information for Federal 
agencies, employees, managers, and other stakeholders on each of its 
new proposed, interim, and final regulations. Each notice will 
transmit:
    (a) A posting notice that briefly explains the nature of the 
change, and provides a place for Federal agencies to indicate where the 
full text of the Federal Register notice will be available for review.
    (b) A copy of the notice of rulemaking that appears in the Federal 
Register or a link to a Web site where the notice of rulemaking 
appears.


Sec.  110.102  What are Agency responsibilities?

    (a) Agencies will make regulations available for review by 
employees, managers, and other interested parties. Federal agencies 
receiving the notices of rulemaking described in Sec.  110.101(b) will 
make those regulations available for review upon request. Each agency 
will complete the posting notice described in Sec.  110.101(a) 
indicating where and how requests to review these materials should be 
made.
    (b) Agencies will determine posting locations and, if desired, 
develop supplemental announcements. Agencies will display completed 
posting notices in a prominent place where the notices can be easily 
seen and read. Agencies will choose the posting location that best fits 
their physical layout. Agencies may supplement these postings with 
announcements in employee newsletters, agency Web sites, or other 
communication methods. The basic requirement to post the notice 
continues, however, even if supplemental announcement methods are used.
    (c) Agencies will post notices of the new regulations even if the 
Federal Register comment date has passed. The public comment period on 
proposed regulations begins when a notice of proposed rulemaking is 
published in the Federal Register, not with the posting of the notice 
described in Sec.  110.101(a). The purpose of the Sec.  110.101(a) 
notice is solely to inform agency personnel of changes. Agencies are 
required to post the Sec.  110.101(a) notice even if the formal 
deadline for comments shown in the preamble of the Federal Register 
notice of rulemaking has passed. Agencies should make every reasonable 
effort to minimize delays in distributing the notice described in Sec.  
110.101 to their field offices.
    (d) No fixed posting period. There are no minimum or maximum time 
limits

[[Page 10667]]

on displaying the notice described in Sec.  110.101(a). Each office 
receiving a notice for posting should choose the posting period which 
provides the best opportunity to inform managers and employees of 
regulatory changes based upon office layout, geographic dispersion of 
employees, and other local factors.

[FR Doc. 03-5021 Filed 3-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-44-P