[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 44 (Monday, March 9, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9968-9969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4921]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AL82


Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Boise, ID, and Utah 
Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed 
rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Boise, ID, 
and Utah appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The 
proposed rule would redefine Franklin County, ID, from the Boise wage 
area to the Utah wage area. These changes are based on recent consensus 
recommendations of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee to 
best match the counties proposed for redefinition to a nearby FWS 
survey area. No other changes are proposed for the Boise and Utah FWS 
wage areas.

DATES: We must receive comments on or before April 8, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Charles D. Grimes III, Deputy 
Associate Director for Performance and Pay Systems, Strategic Human 
Resources Policy Division, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Room 
7H31, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415-8200; e-mail [email protected]; or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madeline Gonzalez, (202) 606-2838; e-
mail [email protected]; or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management 
(OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to redefine the Boise, ID, and Utah 
appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. This proposed 
rule would redefine Franklin County, ID, from the Boise wage area to 
the Utah wage area.
    OPM considers the following regulatory criteria under 5 CFR 532.211 
when defining FWS wage area boundaries:
    i. Distance, transportation facilities, and geographic features;
    ii. Commuting patterns; and
    iii. Similarities in overall population, employment, and the kinds 
and sizes of private industrial establishments.
    Franklin County, ID and Cache County, UT, comprise the Logan, UT-ID 
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Logan MSA is split between the 
Boise, ID, wage area and the Utah wage area. Franklin County is part of 
the area of application of the Boise wage area and Cache County is part 
of the area of application of the Utah wage area.
    Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for Cache County, 
the location of the main population center in the Logan MSA, we 
recommend that the entire Logan MSA be defined to the Utah wage area. 
The distance criterion for Cache County favors the Utah wage area more 
than the Boise wage area. The commuting patterns criterion favors the 
Utah wage area. All other criteria are inconclusive. We believe our 
regulatory analysis findings indicate that Cache County is 
appropriately defined to the Utah wage area. OPM regulations at 5 CFR 
532.211 permit splitting MSAs only in very unusual circumstances (e.g., 
organizational relationships among closely located Federal activities). 
There appear to be no unusual circumstances that would permit splitting 
the Logan MSA. To comply with OPM regulations not to split MSAs, 
Franklin County would be redefined to the Utah wage area.
    The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC), the 
national labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on 
matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, recommended these changes 
by consensus. These changes would be effective on the first day of the 
first applicable pay period beginning on or after 30 days following 
publication of the final regulations. FPRAC recommended no other 
changes in the geographic definitions of the Boise and Utah wage areas.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    I certify that these regulations would not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they 
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.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Kathie Ann Whipple,
Acting Director.

    Accordingly, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management is proposing 
to amend 5 CFR part 532 as follows:

[[Page 9969]]

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 C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area 
listings for the Boise, ID, and Utah wage areas to read as follows:

Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532--Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey 
Areas

* * * * *

                                  Idaho
 
                                  Boise
 
                               Survey Area
 
Idaho:
  Ada
  Boise
  Canyon
  Elmore
  Gem
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Idaho:
  Adams
  Bannock
  Bear Lake
  Bingham
  Blaine
  Bonneville
  Butte
  Camas
  Caribou
  Cassia
  Clark
  Custer
  Fremont
  Gooding
  Jefferson
  Jerome
  Lemhi
  Lincoln
  Madison
  Minidoka
  Oneida
  Owyhee
  Payette
  Power
  Teton
  Twin Falls
  Valley
  Washington
 
                                * * * * *
                                  Utah
 
                               Survey Area
 
Utah:
  Box Elder
  Davis
  Salt Lake
  Tooele
  Utah
  Weber
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Utah:
  Beaver
  Cache
  Carbon
  Daggett
  Duchesne
  Emery
  Garfield
  Grand
  Iron
  Juab
  Millard
  Morgan
  Piute
  Rich
  San Juan (Only includes the Canyonlands National Park portion.)
  Sanpete
  Sevier
  Summit
  Uintah
  Wasatch
  Washington
  Wayne
 
Colorado:
  Mesa
  Moffat
 
Idaho:
  Franklin
 
                                * * * * *
 

 [FR Doc. E9-4921 Filed 3-6-09; 8:45 am]
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