[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 58339-58340]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-23956]


 ========================================================================
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 185 / Friday, September 24, 2010 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 58339]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AM28


Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Shreveport, LA; 
Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and Southwestern Wisconsin 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 Shreveport, 
LA; Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and Southwestern Wisconsin 
appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed 
rule would redefine Upshur County, TX, from the Texarkana wage area to 
the Shreveport wage area and Oconto County, WI, from the Southwestern 
Wisconsin wage area to the Milwaukee 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 
Shreveport, Texarkana, Milwaukee, and Southwestern Wisconsin FWS wage 
areas.

DATES: We must receive comments on or before October 25, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Jerome D. Mikowicz, Deputy 
Associate Director for Pay and Leave, Employee Services, 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 is 
issuing a proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries 
of the Shreveport, LA; Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and Southwestern 
Wisconsin appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. This 
proposed rule would redefine Upshur County, TX, from the Texarkana wage 
area to the Shreveport wage area and Oconto County, WI, from the 
Southwestern Wisconsin wage area to the Milwaukee 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.
    In addition, OPM regulations at 5 CFR 532.211 do not permit 
splitting Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) for the purpose of 
defining a wage area, except in very unusual circumstances (e.g., 
organizational relationships among closely located Federal activities).
    OPM recently completed reviews of the definitions of the Longview, 
TX and Green Bay, WI MSAs and, based on analyses of the regulatory 
criteria for defining wage areas, is proposing the changes described 
below. 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 Shreveport, Texarkana, 
Milwaukee, and Southwestern Wisconsin wage areas.

Longview, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area

    Gregg, Rusk, and Upshur Counties, TX, comprise the Longview, TX 
MSA. The Longview MSA is currently split between the Shreveport, LA, 
and Texarkana, TX, wage areas. Gregg and Rusk Counties are part of the 
area of application of the Shreveport wage area and Upshur County is 
part of the area of application of the Texarkana wage area.
    Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for Gregg County, 
the core county in the Longview MSA, we recommend that the entire 
Longview MSA be defined to the Shreveport area of application. The 
distance criterion for Gregg County favors the Shreveport wage area 
more than the Texarkana wage area. All other criteria are inconclusive. 
However, even though the commuting patterns criterion is inconclusive, 
about 10 times as many people currently commute from Gregg County into 
the Shreveport survey area (0.47 percent of the resident workforce) 
than into the Texarkana survey area (0.05 percent). Based on this 
analysis, we believe Gregg County is appropriately defined to the 
Shreveport wage area. Since there appear to be no unusual circumstances 
that would permit splitting the Longview MSA, OPM proposes to redefine 
Upshur County to the Shreveport wage area so that the entire Longview 
MSA is in one wage area. There are currently no FWS employees working 
in Upshur County.

Green Bay, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area

    Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto Counties, WI, comprise the Green Bay, WI 
MSA. The Green Bay MSA is currently split between the Milwaukee, WI, 
and Southwestern Wisconsin wage areas. Brown and Kewaunee Counties are 
part of the area of application of the Milwaukee wage area and Oconto 
County is part of the area of application of the Southwestern Wisconsin 
wage area.
    Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for Brown County, 
the core county in the Green Bay MSA, we recommend that the entire 
Green Bay MSA be defined to the Milwaukee wage area. The distance 
criterion for Brown County favors the Milwaukee wage area more than the 
Southwestern Wisconsin wage area. All other criteria are inconclusive. 
Based on the mixed nature of our regulatory analysis findings, we 
believe Brown County is appropriately defined to the Milwaukee wage 
area. Since there appear to be no unusual circumstances that would 
permit splitting the Green Bay MSA, OPM proposes to redefine Oconto 
County to the Milwaukee wage area so that the entire Green Bay MSA is 
in one

[[Page 58340]]

wage area. There are currently no FWS employees working in Oconto 
County.

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.

John Berry,
Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
    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. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area 
listings for the Shreveport, LA; Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and 
Southwestern Wisconsin wage areas to read as follows:

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

* * * * *

LOUISIANA

* * * * *

Shreveport

Survey Area

Louisiana: (parishes)
    Bossier
    Caddo
    Webster

Area of Application. Survey Area Plus:

Louisiana: (parishes)
    Bienville
    Claiborne
    De Soto
    East Carroll
    Jackson
    Lincoln
    Morehouse
    Ouachita
    Red River
    Richland
    Union
    West Carroll
Texas:
    Cherokee
    Gregg
    Harrison
    Panola
    Rusk
    Upshur
* * * * *

TEXAS

* * * * *

Texarkana

Survey Area

Texas:
    Bowie
Arkansas:
    Little River
    Miller

Area of Application. Survey Area Plus:

Texas:
    Camp
    Cass
    Franklin
    Marion
    Morris
    Red River
    Titus
Arkansas:
    Columbia
    Hempstead
    Howard
    Lafayette
    Nevada
    Sevier
* * * * *

WISCONSIN

* * * * *

Milwaukee

Survey Area

Wisconsin:
    Milwaukee
    Ozaukee
    Washington
    Waukesha

Area of Application. Survey Area Plus:

Wisconsin:
    Brown
    Calumet
    Door
    Fond du Lac
    Kewaunee
    Manitowoc
    Oconto
    Outagamie
    Racine
    Sheboygan
    Walworth
    Winnebago

Southwestern Wisconsin

Survey Area

Wisconsin:
    Chippewa
    Eau Claire
    La Crosse
    Monroe
    Trempealeau

Area of Application. Survey Area Plus:

Wisconsin:
    Adams
    Barron
    Buffalo
    Clark
    Crawford
    Dunn
    Florence
    Forest
    Jackson
    Juneau
    Langlade
    Lincoln
    Marathon
    Marinette
    Menominee
    Oneida
    Pepin
    Portage
    Price
    Richland
    Rusk
    Shawano
    Taylor
    Vernon
    Vilas
    Waupaca
    Waushara
    Wood
Minnesota:
    Fillmore
    Houston
    Wabasha
    Winona
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2010-23956 Filed 9-23-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P