Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the Lebanon, PA, Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

AGENCY:

Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule that will abolish the Lebanon, Pennsylvania, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and redefine Lebanon County, PA, to the York, PA, NAF FWS wage area. This change is necessary because the Lebanon wage area's host installation, Fort Indiantown Gap, has downsized its operation. This leaves the Department of Defense without an installation in the survey area capable of hosting annual local wage surveys in the wage area. The rule will also remove Columbia County, PA, as part of an NAF wage area because NAF employees no longer have duty stations in the county.

DATES:

Effective date: This regulation is effective on July 11, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jennifer Hopkins by phone at (202) 606-2848, by FAX at (202) 606-0824, or by email at jdhopkin@opm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On February 29, 2000, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published an interim rule (65 FR 10674) to abolish the Lebanon, Pennsylvania, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area, redefine Lebanon County, PA, and remove Columbia County, PA, as part of an NAF wage area. The Lebanon wage area consists of one survey county, Lebanon County, and one area of application county, Columbia County. Under section 5343 of title 5, United States Code, OPM is responsible for defining FWS wage areas. For this purpose, we follow the regulatory criteria in section 532.219(b) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.

OPM may establish NAF wage areas when a minimum of 26 NAF wage employees work in the survey area, a local activity has the capability to host annual local wage surveys, and a minimum of 1,800 private enterprise employees are within the survey area in establishments within survey specifications. Lebanon County, PA, has approximately 22 NAF FWS employees, and the wage area's host activity, Fort Indiantown Gap, has downsized its operation. This leaves the Department of Defense without an activity in the survey area with the capability to conduct annual local wage surveys in the wage area. Columbia County, PA, is not a part of an NAF wage area because NAF employees no longer have duty stations in the county. Therefore, the York, PA, NAF wage area will consist of one survey county, York County, PA, and one area of application county, Lebanon County, PA.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, has reviewed and concurred by consensus with this change. FWS employees in Lebanon County, PA, transferred to the York, PA, NAF wage area schedule on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after March 2, 2000. The interim rule had a 30-day public comment period, during which OPM did not receive any comments.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

I certify that this regulation will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because it will 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

Accordingly, under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 5343, the interim rule (65 FR 10674) amending 5 CFR part 532 published on February 29, 2000, is adopted as final with no changes.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.