[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 44 (Monday, March 9, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9967-9968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4923]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 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. 74, No. 44 / Monday, March 9, 2009 / Proposed 
Rules  

[[Page 9967]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AL81


Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Lake Charles-
Alexandria and New Orleans, LA, Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System 
Wage Areas

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed 
rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Lake Charles-
Alexandria and New Orleans, LA, appropriated fund Federal Wage System 
(FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine Iberia and St. 
Martin Parishes, LA, from the New Orleans wage area to the Lake 
Charles-Alexandria 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 Lake 
Charles-Alexandria and New Orleans 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; email [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 Lake Charles-
Alexandria and New Orleans, LA, appropriated fund Federal Wage System 
(FWS) wage areas. This proposed rule would redefine Iberia and St. 
Martin Parishes, LA, from the New Orleans wage area to the Lake 
Charles-Alexandria 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.
    Lafayette and St. Martin Parishes, LA, comprise the Lafayette, LA 
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Lafayette MSA is split between 
the Lake Charles-Alexandria, LA, wage area and the New Orleans, LA, 
wage area. Lafayette Parish is part of the area of application of the 
Lake Charles-Alexandria wage area and St. Martin Parish is part of the 
area of application of the New Orleans wage area. St. Martin Parish is 
comprised of two noncontiguous parts.
    Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for Lafayette 
Parish, the location of the main population center in the Lafayette 
MSA, we recommend that the entire Lafayette MSA be defined to the Lake 
Charles-Alexandria wage area. The distance criterion for Lafayette 
Parish favors the Lake Charles-Alexandria wage area more than the New 
Orleans wage area. All other criteria are inconclusive. We believe our 
regulatory analysis findings indicate that Lafayette Parish is 
appropriately defined to the Lake Charles-Alexandria 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 Lafayette MSA. To comply with OPM 
regulations not to split MSAs, St. Martin Parish would be redefined to 
the Lake Charles-Alexandria wage area.
    Because Iberia Parish splits St. Martin Parish into two 
noncontiguous parts, we recommend that Iberia Parish be redefined to 
the Lake Charles-Alexandria wage area. The distance criterion for 
Iberia Parish favors the Lake Charles-Alexandria wage area more than 
the New Orleans wage area. All other criteria are inconclusive. 
Although a standard review of regulatory criteria shows that most 
factors are inconclusive, distance does favor Lake Charles-Alexandria. 
Based on this analysis, we recommend that Iberia Parish be redefined to 
the Lake Charles-Alexandria 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 Lake Charles-Alexandria 
and New Orleans 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:

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. In appendix C to subpart B, the wage area listing for the State 
of Louisiana is amended by revising the listings for Lake Charles-
Alexandria and New Orleans, to read as follows:

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

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[[Page 9968]]



                                Louisiana
 
                         Lake Charles-Alexandria
 
                               Survey Area
 
Louisiana:
  Allen
  Beauregard
  Calcasieu
  Grant
  Rapides
  Sabine
  Vernon
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Louisiana:
  Acadia
  Avoyelles
  Caldwell
  Cameron
  Catahoula
  Concordia
  Evangeline
  Franklin
  Iberia
  Jefferson Davis
  Lafayette
  La Salle
  Madison
  Natchitoches
  St. Landry
  St. Martin
  Tensas
  Vermilion
  Winn
 
                               New Orleans
 
                               Survey Area
 
Louisiana:
  Jefferson
  Orleans
  Plaquemines
  St. Bernard
  St. Charles
  St. John the Baptist
  St. Tammany
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Louisiana:
  Ascension
  Assumption
  East Baton Rouge
  East Feliciana
  Iberville
  Lafourche
  Livingston
  Pointe Coupee
  St. Helena
  St. James
  St. Mary
  Tangipahoa
  Terrebonne
  Washington
  West Baton Rouge
  West Feliciana
 
                                * * * * *
 

 [FR Doc. E9-4923 Filed 3-6-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P