Retirement: Federal Employees Retirement System— Death benefits and employee refunds,

[Federal Register: August 22, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 161)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 48839]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr22au05-1]

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

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[[Page 48839]]

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Parts 841, 842, and 843

RIN 3206-AK57

Federal Employees' Retirement System; Death Benefits and Employee Refunds

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing Final rules that revise the table of reduction factors for early commencing dates of survivor annuities for spouses of separated employees who die before the date on which they would be eligible for unreduced deferred annuities, and to revise the annuity factor for spouses of deceased employees who die in service when those spouses elect to receive the basic employee death benefit in 36 installments under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) Act of 1986. These rules are necessary to conform the tables to the previously published economic assumptions adopted by the Board of Actuaries.

DATES: This final rule is effective October 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karla Yeakle, (202) 606-0299.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 1, 2004, we published (at 69 FR 69805) interim regulations to revise the normal cost percentage under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) Act of 1986, Public Law 99-335, 100 Stat. 514, based on changed economic assumptions and demographic factors adopted by the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System. Those changed economic assumptions (principally the change in expected investment return from 6.75 percent to 6.25 percent) require corresponding changes in factors used to produce actuarially equivalent benefits when required by the FERS Act. The revised factors were effective on October 1, 2004. To implement these changes in factors, we issued interim regulations on December 1, 2004. At that time we also requested comments on the interim regulations. We received no comments. Accordingly we are now adopting the interim regulation as final without change.

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Review

This rule has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget in accordance with Executive Order 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

I certify that this regulation will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because the regulation will only affect retirement payments to retired employees, spouses, and former spouses.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Parts 841, 842 and 843

Administrative practice and procedure, Air traffic controllers, Alimony, Claims, Disability benefits, Firefighters, Government employees, Income taxes, Intergovernmental relations, Law enforcement officers, Pensions, Retirement.

Office of Personnel Management. Linda M. Springer, Director.

0 Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management adopts its interim regulations amending 5 CFR parts 841, 842, and 843 published at 69 FR 69805 on December 1, 2004, as final rule without change.

[FR Doc. 05-16592 Filed 8-19-05; 8:45 am]

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