Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of Certain Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

AGENCY:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of several appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas for pay-setting purposes. Based on reviews of Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) boundaries in a number of wage areas, OPM is redefining the following wage areas: Salinas-Monterey, CA; San Francisco, CA; New London, CT; Central and Western Massachusetts; Cincinnati, OH: Dayton, OH, Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon; and Spokane, WA.

DATES:

Effective date: This regulation is effective on December 1, 2016.

Applicability date: This change applies on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 3, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Madeline Gonzalez, by telephone at (202) 606-2858 or by email at pay-leave-policy@opm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On June 24, 2016, OPM issued a proposed rule (81 FR 41255) to redefine the following counties:

• San Benito County, CA, from the Salinas-Monterey, CA, area of application to the San Francisco, CA, area of application;
• Windham County, CT, from the New London, CT, area of application to the Central and Western Massachusetts area of application;
• Union County, IN; from the Dayton, OH, area of application to the Cincinnati, OH, area of application;
• Columbia County, WA, from the Spokane area of application to the Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon area of application.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, reviewed and recommended these changes by consensus.

The 30-day comment period ended on July 25, 2016. OPM received one comment in support of the proposal and one comment requesting OPM consider moving another county in the State of California, Mendocino County, CA, from the Rest of U.S. (RUS) General Schedule (GS) locality pay area to the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA GS locality pay area. GS and FWS pay areas are administered under different regulations. The comment is therefore beyond the scope of the proposed rule.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

I certify that these regulations will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they 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, OPM is amending 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; § 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 Salinas-Monterey, CA; San Francisco, CA; New London, CT; Central and Western Massachusetts; Cincinnati, OH: Dayton, OH, Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon; and Spokane, WA, wage areas to read as follows:

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