[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 138 (Friday, July 18, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41927-41928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16972]


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

  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 41927]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AN06


Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Fort Wayne-Marion, 
IN, and Detroit, MI, 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 (OPM) is issuing a 
proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Fort 
Wayne-Marion, IN, and Detroit, MI, appropriated fund Federal Wage 
System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine Fulton 
County, OH, from the Fort Wayne-Marion wage area to the Detroit wage 
area. This change is based on a recent consensus recommendation of the 
Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC) to best match Fulton 
County to a nearby FWS survey area. In addition, this proposed rule 
adds La Crosse County, WI, to the survey area of the Southwestern 
Wisconsin wage area, which OPM inadvertently omitted in a final rule 
published in 2013.

DATES: We must receive comments on or before August 18, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by ``RIN 3206-AN06,'' 
using any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Brenda L. Roberts, Acting 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.
    Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madeline Gonzalez, by telephone at 
(202) 606-2838 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM is issuing a proposed rule that would 
redefine the geographic boundaries of the Fort Wayne-Marion, IN, and 
Detroit, MI, appropriated fund FWS wage areas. The proposed rule would 
redefine Fulton County, OH, from the Fort Wayne-Marion wage area to the 
Detroit 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.
    Fulton, Lucas, Wood Counties, OH, comprise the Toledo, OH 
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Toledo MSA is split between 
the Fort Wayne-Marion and Detroit wage areas. Fulton County is part of 
the area of application of the Fort Wayne-Marion wage area, and Lucas 
and Wood Counties are part of the area of application of the Detroit 
wage area.
    Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for Lucas County, 
the core county in the Toledo MSA, the entire Toledo MSA would be 
defined to the Detroit wage area. When measuring to cities and host 
installations, the distance criterion favors the Detroit wage area more 
than the Fort Wayne-Marion wage area. The commuting patterns criterion 
does not favor one wage area more than another. The difference between 
the resident workforce commuting to work in the Fort Wayne-Marion and 
Detroit survey areas is insignificant; however, marginally more people 
commute into the Detroit survey area (1.04 percent) than into the Fort 
Wayne-Marion survey area (0.04 percent). The overall population and 
employment and the kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments 
criterion favors the Detroit wage area more than the Fort Wayne-Marion 
wage area.
    Based on this analysis, we believe Lucas County is appropriately 
defined to the Detroit wage area. OPM regulations at 5 CFR 532.211 
permit splitting MSAs only in very unusual circumstances. There appear 
to be no unusual circumstances that would permit splitting the Toledo 
MSA. To comply with OPM regulations not to split MSAs, Fulton County 
would be redefined to the Detroit wage area. The remaining county in 
the Toledo MSA, Wood County, is already defined to the Detroit wage 
area. There are currently no FWS employees working in Fulton County.
    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 beginning on or after 
30 days following publication of the final regulations. FPRAC 
recommended no other changes in the geographic definitions of the Fort 
Wayne-Marion and Detroit wage areas.

CFR Correction

    In a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2013 
(78 FR 29611), OPM inadvertently omitted La Crosse County, WI, from the 
survey area of the Southwestern Wisconsin FWS wage area. La Crosse 
County should have been listed immediately following Eau Claire 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.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Katherine Archuleta,
Director.

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

PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS

0
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.

[[Page 41928]]

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

0
2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area 
listings for the Fort Wayne-Marion, IN, Detroit, MI, and Southwestern 
Wisconsin wage areas to read as follows:
* * * * *

 
 
 
                                 INDIANA
 
                                * * * * *
                            Fort Wayne-Marion
 
                               Survey Area
 
Indiana:
  Adams
  Allen
  DeKalb
  Grant
  Huntington
  Wells
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Indiana:
  Blackford
  Case
  Elkhart
  Fulton
  Jay
  Kosciusko
  Lagrange
  Marshall
  Miami
  Noble
  St. Joseph
  Steuben
  Wabash
  White
  Whitley
Ohio:
  Allen
  Defiance
  Henry
  Mercer
  Paulding
  Putnam
  Van Wert
  Williams
 
                                * * * * *
 
                                MICHIGAN
 
                                * * * * *
                                 Detroit
                               Survey Area
Michigan:
  Lapeer
  Livingston
  Macomb
  Oakland
  St. Clair
  Wayne
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Michigan:
  Arenac
  Bay
  Clare
  Clinton
  Eaton
  Genesee
  Gladwin
  Gratiot
  Huron
  Ingham
  Isabella
  Lenawee
  Midland
  Monroe
  Saginaw
  Sanilac
  Shiawassee
  Tuscola
  Washtenaw
Ohio:
  Fulton
  Lucas
  Wood
 
                                * * * * *
 
WISCONSIN
                         Southwestern Wisconsin
                               Survey Area
Wisconsin:
  Chippewa
  Eau Claire
  La Crosse
  Monroe
  Trempealeau
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Minnesota:
  Fillmore
  Houston
  Winona
Wisconsin:
  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
  Wood
 
                                * * * * *
 

[FR Doc. 2014-16972 Filed 7-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P