[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61793-61794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29685]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 219 / Monday, November 15, 1999 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 61793]]
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5 CFR Part 532
RIN 3206-AI75
Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the King, Washington,
Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule
that would abolish the King, Washington, nonappropriated fund (NAF)
Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area, establish a new Snohomish, WA, NAF
FWS wage area, and remove Whatcom County, WA, as an area of
application. The abolishment of the King wage area and the
establishment of a new Snohomish wage area is necessary because of the
closure of the King wage area's host installation, Naval Station Puget
Sound. This closure has left the Department of Defense without an
installation in the survey area capable of hosting annual local wage
surveys. The removal of Whatcom County is necessary because there are
no longer any NAF FWS employees stationed in the county.
DATES: Comments must be received by December 15, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant
Director for Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and
Performance Service, Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H31, 1900 E
Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-8200, or FAX: (202) 606-4264.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hopkins by phone at (202)
606-2848, by FAX at (202) 606-0824, or by e-mail at jdhopkin@opm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because of the closure of the King,
Washington, nonappropriated fund (NAF) wage area's host activity, Naval
Station Puget Sound (NSPS), the Department of Defense (DOD) no longer
has an activity in the survey area with the capability to conduct
annual local NAF wage surveys. DOD recommended that the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) abolish the King, WA, NAF wage area and
establish a new Snohomish, WA, NAF wage area. DOD also recommended that
Whatcom County be removed from an NAF wage area definition because
Blaine Air Force Station has closed, and there are no longer any NAF
FWS employees stationed in Whatcom County. Under section
5343(a)(1)(B)(i) of title 5, United States Code, NAF wage areas ``shall
not extend beyond the immediate locality in which the particular
prevailing rate employees are employed.'' Therefore, Whatcom County
should not be defined as part of an NAF wage area. The King wage area
is presently composed of one survey county, King County, and four area
of application counties, Island, Snohomish, Whatcom, and Yakima
Counties, WA. The new Snohomish, WA, NAF wage area would be composed of
one survey county, Snohomish County, and three area of application
counties, Island, King, and Yakima Counties, WA.
Under section 532.219(b) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations,
NAF wage areas are established when there are a minimum of 26 NAF wage
employees in the survey area, the local activity has the capability to
host annual local wage surveys, and there are within the survey area a
minimum of 1,800 private enterprise employees in establishments within
survey specifications. NSPS ceased operations in the summer of 1996 and
relocated to Naval Station Everett in Snohomish County, WA. During this
time, a full-scale wage survey was scheduled to begin in the King NAF
wage area in July 1996. Because the host installation relocated, the
local wage survey committee had to conduct the King survey from Naval
Station Everett in Snohomish County. King County does not have another
activity in the King survey area to host annual local wage surveys.
However, Snohomish County meets the regulatory requirements to be
established as a separate NAF survey area. There are approximately 103
NAF FWS employees stationed at Naval Station Everett, and the base has
the capability to host annual local wage surveys. Also, Snohomish
County has more than the required minimum number of private enterprise
employees in establishments within survey specifications.
Section 532.219 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, lists the
following criteria that OPM considers when defining FWS wage area
boundaries:
(i) Proximity of largest activity in each county;
(ii) Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and
(iii) Similarities of the counties in:
(A) Overall population;
(B) Private employment in major industry categories; and
(C) Kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments.
The closest major Federal installation to NSPS is Naval Station
Everett. NSPS is approximately 45 km (28 miles) from Naval Station
Everett. Commuting patterns indicate that 4 percent of the King County
resident workforce commutes to Everett County. Transportation
facilities consist of major interstate and highways and do not favor
one county more than another. Also, a review of the similarities of the
counties does not favor one county more than another. Based on an
analysis of these regulatory criteria, OPM proposes to establish
Snohomish, WA, as a new NAF wage area and define Island, King, and
Yakima Counties, WA, as areas of application.
Full-scale wage surveys would be ordered in the Snohomish, WA, NAF
wage area in July of even fiscal years, with the first full-scale wage
survey for the Snohomish wage area beginning in July 2000. The Federal
Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-management
committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of
FWS employees, has reviewed and concurred by consensus with these
changes.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
I certify that this regulation would not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because it
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.
[[Page 61794]]
Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Director.
Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management proposes 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.
2. Appendix B to subpart B of part 532 is amended for the State of
Washington by removing the entry for ``King'' and by adding
alphabetically a new entry for ``Snohomish'' with a beginning survey
month of ``July'' and a fiscal year of full-scale survey of ``Even'.
3. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area
listing for King, Washington, and by adding alphabetically a new entry
for Snohomish, Washington, to read as follows:
Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532--Nonappropriated Fund Wage and
Survey Areas
* * * * *
WASHINGTON
* * * * *
SNOHOMISH
Survey Area
Washington:
Snohomish
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Washington:
Island
King
Yakima
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 99-29685 Filed 11-12-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-P
