[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 106 (Thursday, June 2, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31885-31886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13698]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AM37


Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Northern Mississippi 
and Memphis, TN, 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 Northern 
Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, appropriated fund Federal Wage 
System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine Panola 
County, MS, from the Northern Mississippi wage area to the Memphis wage 
area. This change is based on a consensus recommendation of the Federal 
Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC) to best match the county 
proposed for redefinition to a nearby FWS survey area. FPRAC did not 
recommend other changes for the Northern Mississippi and Memphis FWS 
wage areas at this time.

DATES: We must receive comments on or before July 5, 2011.

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 
(OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to redefine the Northern Mississippi 
and Memphis, TN, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage 
areas. This proposed rule would redefine Panola County, MS, from the 
Northern Mississippi wage area to the Memphis 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.
    Panola County is currently defined to the Northern Mississippi area 
of application in appendix C to subpart B of part 532. Based on our 
analysis of the regulatory criteria for defining appropriated fund FWS 
wage areas, we find that Panola County would now be more appropriately 
defined as part of the Memphis area of application. Distance and 
commuting patterns criteria for Panola County clearly favor the Memphis 
wage area. Transportation

[[Page 31886]]

facilities and geographic features criteria favor the Memphis wage area 
because Interstate Highway 55 provides direct access from Panola County 
to the Memphis survey area while access to the major cities in the 
Northern Mississippi survey area (Columbus, Greenwood, and Tupelo) is 
mainly by secondary and multilane divided highways. Similarities in 
overall population, total private sector employment, and kinds and 
sizes of private industrial establishments favor the Northern 
Mississippi wage area. Based on this analysis, we recommend that Panola 
County be redefined to the Memphis 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 this change by 
consensus. This change would be effective on the first day of the first 
applicable pay period for FWS employees in Panola County beginning on 
or after 30 days following publication of final regulations. FPRAC did 
not recommend other changes in the geographic definitions of the 
Northern Mississippi and Memphis wage areas at this time.

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.
John Berry,
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.

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

    2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area 
listings for the Northern Mississippi and Memphis, TN, wage areas to 
read as follows:
* * * * *

MISSISSIPPI

* * * * *

Northern Mississippi

Survey Area

Mississippi:
    Clay
    Grenada
    Lee
    Leflore
    Lowndes
    Monroe
    Oktibbeha

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Mississippi:
    Alcorn
    Bolivar
    Calhoun
    Carroll
    Chickasaw
    Choctaw
    Coahoma
    Itawamba
    Lafayette (Does not include the Holly Springs National Forest 
portion)
    Montgomery
    Noxubee
    Pontotoc (Does not include the Holly Springs National Forest 
portion)
    Prentiss
    Quitman
    Sunflower
    Tallahatchie
    Tishomingo
    Union (Does not include the Holly Springs National Forest 
portion)
    Washington
    Webster
    Winston
    Yalobusha
* * * * *

TENNESSEE

* * * * *

Memphis

Survey Area

Arkansas:
    Crittenden
    Mississippi
Mississippi:
    De Soto
Tennessee:
    Shelby
    Tipton

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Arkansas:
    Craighead
    Cross
    Lee
    Poinsett
    St. Francis
Mississippi:
    Benton
    Lafayette (Holly Springs National Forest portion only)
    Marshall
    Panola
    Pontotoc (Holly Springs National Forest portion only)
    Tate
    Tippah
    Tunica
    Union (Holly Springs National Forest portion only)
Missouri:
    Dunklin
    Pemiscot
Tennessee:
    Carroll
    Chester
    Crockett
    Dyer
    Fayette
    Gibson
    Hardeman
    Hardin
    Haywood
    Lake
    Lauderdale
    Madison
    McNairy
    Obion
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2011-13698 Filed 6-1-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P