Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Fort Wayne-Marion, IN, and Detroit, MI, Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

79 FR 41927Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Fort Wayne-Marion, IN, and Detroit, MI, Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

79 FR 41927U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

79 FR 41927Proposed rule with request for comments.

79 FR 41927The 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.

79 FR 41927We must receive comments on or before August 18, 2014.

79 FR 41927You 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: pay-leave-policy@opm.gov.

79 FR 41927Madeline Gonzalez, by telephone at (202) 606-2838 or by email at pay-leave-policy@opm.gov.

79 FR 41927OPM 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.

79 FR 41927Based 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.

79 FR 41927In 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.

79 FR 41927I 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.

79 FR 41927Administrative 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 is proposing to amend 5 CFR part 532 as follows:

79 FR 419271. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as follows:

79 FR 419275 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; § 532.707 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552.

79 FR 419282. 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 * * * * *