Prevailing Rate Systems:
Federal Register Volume 76, Number 106 (Thursday, June 2, 2011)
Proposed Rules
Pages 31885-31886
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FR Doc No: 2011-13698
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 5 CFR Part 532
RIN 3206-AM37
Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Northern Mississippi and Memphis, TN, 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 is issuing a proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Northern
Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee, appropriated fund Federal Wage
System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine 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 the county proposed for redefinition to a nearby FWS survey area. FPRAC did not recommend other changes for the Northern Mississippi and Memphis FWS wage areas at this time.
DATES: We must receive comments on or before July 5, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Jerome D. Mikowicz, 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; e-mail pay-leave-policy@opm.gov; or FAX: (202) 606-4264.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madeline Gonzalez, (202) 606-2838; e- mail pay-leave-policy@opm.gov; or FAX: (202) 606-4264.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to redefine the Northern Mississippi and Memphis, TN, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. This proposed rule would redefine Panola County, MS, from the
Northern Mississippi wage area to the Memphis 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.
Panola County is currently defined to the Northern Mississippi area of application in appendix C to subpart B of part 532. Based on our analysis of the regulatory criteria for defining appropriated fund FWS wage areas, we find that Panola County would now be more appropriately defined as part of the Memphis area of application. Distance and commuting patterns criteria for Panola County clearly favor the Memphis wage area. Transportation
Page 31886
facilities and geographic features criteria favor the Memphis wage area because Interstate Highway 55 provides direct access from Panola County to the Memphis survey area while access to the major cities in the
Northern Mississippi survey area (Columbus, Greenwood, and Tupelo) is mainly by secondary and multilane divided highways. Similarities in overall population, total private sector employment, and kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments favor the Northern
Mississippi wage area. Based on this analysis, we recommend that Panola
County be redefined to the Memphis wage area.
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. This change would be effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period for FWS employees in Panola County beginning on or after 30 days following publication of final regulations. FPRAC did not recommend other changes in the geographic definitions of the
Northern Mississippi and Memphis wage areas at this time.
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.
John Berry,
Director.
Accordingly, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management is proposing to amend 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; Sec. 532.707 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552.
Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532--Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey
Areas 2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended 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
* * * * *
FR Doc. 2011-13698 Filed 6-1-11; 8:45 am
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P
