Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Northern Mississippi and Memphis, TN, Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

76 FR 70321Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Northern Mississippi and Memphis, TN, Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

76 FR 70321U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

76 FR 70321The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the Northern Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The final rule redefines 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 Panola County to a nearby FWS survey area. FPRAC did not recommend other changes for the Northern Mississippi and Memphis FWS wage areas at this time.

76 FR 70321This regulation is effective on December 14, 2011.

76 FR 70321Madeline Gonzalez, (202) 606-2838; email pay-leave-policy@opm.gov ; or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

76 FR 70321On June 2, 2011, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a proposed rule (76 FR 31885) to redefine Panola County, MS, from the Northern Mississippi wage area to the Memphis, TN, wage area. The proposed rule had a 30-day comment period during which OPM received no comments. 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. FPRAC recommended no other changes in the geographic definitions of the Northern Mississippi and Memphis wage areas.

76 FR 70321In addition, this final rule corrects the name of the Southern Colorado wage area in Appendix C to subpart B of part 532—Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey Areas, which was incorrectly entered as Southwestern Colorado in a final rule issued on July 22, 2011 (76 FR 43803).

76 FR 70321I 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.

76 FR 70321Administrative practice and procedure, Freedom of information, Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Wages. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Accordingly, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management amends 5 CFR part 532 as follows:

76 FR 703221. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as follows:

76 FR 703225 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; § 532.707 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552.

76 FR 703222. Appendix C to subpart B is amended as follows: a. By removing, under the State of Colorado, “Southwestern Colorado” and adding in its place “Southern Colorado.” b. 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 * * * * *