2016-28784. Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of Certain Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

AGENCY:

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of several appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas for pay-setting purposes. Based on reviews of Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) boundaries in a number of wage areas, OPM is redefining the following wage areas: Salinas-Monterey, CA; San Francisco, CA; New London, CT; Central and Western Massachusetts; Cincinnati, OH: Dayton, OH, Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon; and Spokane, WA.

DATES:

Effective date: This regulation is effective on December 1, 2016.

Applicability date: This change applies on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 3, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Madeline Gonzalez, by telephone at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

On June 24, 2016, OPM issued a proposed rule (81 FR 41255) to redefine the following counties:

• San Benito County, CA, from the Salinas-Monterey, CA, area of application to the San Francisco, CA, area of application;
• Windham County, CT, from the New London, CT, area of application to the Central and Western Massachusetts area of application;
• Union County, IN; from the Dayton, OH, area of application to the Cincinnati, OH, area of application;
• Columbia County, WA, from the Spokane area of application to the Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon area of application.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, reviewed and recommended these changes by consensus.

The 30-day comment period ended on July 25, 2016. OPM received one comment in support of the proposal and one comment requesting OPM consider moving another county in the State of California, Mendocino County, CA, from the Rest of U.S. (RUS) General Schedule (GS) locality pay area to the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA GS locality pay area. GS and FWS pay areas are administered under different regulations. The comment is therefore beyond the scope of the proposed rule.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

I 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.

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.

Beth F. Cobert,

Acting Director.

Accordingly, OPM is amending 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; § 532.707 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552.

2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area listings for the Salinas-Monterey, CA; San Francisco, CA; New London, CT; Central and Western Massachusetts; Cincinnati, OH: Dayton, OH, Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon; and Spokane, WA, wage areas to read as follows:

Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532—Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey Areas

*    *    *    *    *

CALIFORNIA

*    *    *    *    *

Salinas-Monterey

Survey Area

California:

Monterey

Area of Application. Survey area.

*    *    *    *    *

San Francisco

California:

Alameda

Contra Costa

Marin

Napa

San Francisco

San Mateo

Santa Clara

Solano

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

California:

Mendocino

San Benito

Santa Cruz

Sonoma

*    *    *    *    *

CONNECTICUT

*    *    *    *    *

New London

Survey Area

Connecticut:

New London

Area of Application. Survey area.

*    *    *    *    *

MASSACHUSETTS

*    *    *    *    *

Central and Western Massachusetts

Survey Area

Massachusetts:

The following cities and towns in:

Hampden County

Agawam

Chicopee

East Longmeadow

Feeding Hills

Hampden

Holyoke

Longmeadow

Ludlow

Monson

Palmer

Southwick

Springfield

Three Rivers

Westfield

West Springfield

Wilbraham

Hampshire County

Easthampton

Granby

Hadley

Northampton

South Hadley

Worcester County

Warren

West Warren

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Connecticut:

Windham

Massachusetts:

Berkshire

Franklin

Worcester (except Blackstone and Millville)

The following cities and towns in:

Hampden County

Blandford

Brimfield

Chester

Granville

Holland

Montgomery

Russell

Tolland

Wales

Hampshire County

Amherst

Belchertown

Chesterfield

Cummington

Goshen

Hatfield

Huntington

Middlefield

Pelham

Plainfield

Southampton

Ware

Westhampton

Williamsburg

Worthington

Middlesex County

Ashby

Shirley

Townsend

New Hampshire:

Belknap

Carroll

Cheshire

Grafton

Hillsborough

Merrimack

Sullivan

Vermont:

Addison

Bennington

Caledonia

Essex

Lamoille

Orange

Orleans

Rutland

Washington

Windham

Windsor

*    *    *    *    *

OHIO

Cincinnati

Survey Area

Indiana:

Dearborn

Kentucky:

Boone

Campbell

Kenton

Ohio:

Clermont

Hamilton

Warren

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Indiana:

Franklin

Ohio

Ripley

Switzerland

Union

Kentucky:

Bracken

Carroll

Gallatin

Grant

Mason

Pendleton

Ohio:

Adams

Brown

Butler

Highland

*    *    *    *    *

Dayton

Ohio:

Champaign

Clark

Greene

Miami

Montgomery

Preble

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Indiana:

Randolph

Wayne

Ohio:

Auglaize

Clinton

Darke

Logan

Shelby

*    *    *    *    *

WASHINGTON

*    *    *    *    *

Southeastern Washington-Eastern Oregon

Survey Area

Oregon:

Umatilla

Washington:

Benton

Franklin

Walla Walla

Yakima

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Oregon:

Baker

Grant

Harney

Malheur

Morrow

Union

Wallowa

Wheeler

Washington:

Columbia

Kittitas (Only includes the Yakima Firing Range portion)

Spokane

Survey Area

Washington:

Spokane

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

Idaho:

Benewah

Bonner

Boundary

Clearwater

Idaho

Kootenai

Latah

Lewis

Nez Perce

Shoshone

Washington:

Adams

Asotin

Chelan (Does not include the North Cascades National Park portion)

Douglas

Ferry

Garfield

Grant

Kittitas (Does not include the Yakima Firing Range portion)

Lincoln

Okanogan

Pend Oreille

Stevens

Whitman

* * * * *