2021-13774. Federal Employees' Retirement System; Present Value Conversion Factors for Spouses of Deceased Separated Employees  

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    AGENCY:

    Office of Personnel Management.

    ACTION:

    Proposed rule.

    SUMMARY:

    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to 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 ensure that the tables conform to the economic and demographic assumptions adopted by the Board of Actuaries and published in the Federal Register on March 29, 2021, as required by law.

    DATES:

    Send comments on or before August 30, 2021.

    ADDRESSES:

    You may submit comments identified by docket number and/or Regulatory Information Number (RIN) and title, by the following method:

    All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number or RIN for this document. The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

    Start Further Info

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Karla Yeakle, (202) 606-0299.

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    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    On March 29, 2021, OPM published a notice at 86 FR 16401 in the Federal Register to revise the normal cost percentages under the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) Act of 1986, Public Law 99-335, 100 Stat. 514, as amended, based on economic assumptions and demographic factors adopted by the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System. By statute under 5 U.S.C. 8461(i), the revisions to the actuarial assumptions require corresponding changes in factors used to produce actuarially equivalent benefits when required by the FERS Act.

    Section 843.309 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, regulates the payment of the basic employee death benefit. Under 5 U.S.C. 8442(b), the basic employee death benefit may be paid to a surviving spouse as a lump sum or as an equivalent benefit in 36 installments. These rules amend 5 CFR 843.309(b)(2) to conform the factor used to convert the lump sum to 36-installment payments with the revised economic assumptions.

    Section 843.311 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, regulates the benefits for the survivors of separated employees under 5 U.S.C. 8442(c). This section provides a choice of benefits for eligible current and former spouses. If the current or former spouse is the person entitled to the unexpended balance under the order of precedence under 5 U.S.C. 8424, he or she may elect to receive the unexpended balance instead of an annuity. If the separated employee died before having attained the minimum retirement age, the annuity commences on the day the deceased separated employee would have been eligible for an unreduced annuity as specified under this section. If the current or former spouse instead elects to receive an adjusted annuity beginning on the day after the death of the separated employee, the annuity is reduced using the factors in appendix A to subpart C of part 843 to make the annuity actuarially equivalent to the present value of the annuity that the spouse or former spouse otherwise would have received. These rules amend appendix A to subpart C of part 843 to conform the factors to the revised actuarial assumptions.

    Regulatory Impact Analysis

    OPM has examined the impact of this rule as required by Executive Order 12866 and Executive Order 13563, which directs agencies to assess all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public, health, and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). A regulatory impact analysis must be prepared for major rules with economically significant effects of $100 million or more in any one year. This rule was not designated as a “significant regulatory action,” under Executive Order 12866.

    Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Office of Personnel Management certifies that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.

    Federalism

    We have examined this rule in accordance with Executive Order 13132, Federalism, and have determined that this rule will not have any negative impact on the rights, roles and responsibilities of State, local, or tribal governments.

    Civil Justice Reform

    This regulation meets the applicable standard set forth in Executive Order 12988.

    Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    This rule will not result in the expenditure by state, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more in any year and it will not significantly or uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no actions were deemed necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.

    Congressional Review Act

    The Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) requires rules (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 804) to be submitted to Congress before taking effect. OPM will submit to Congress and the Comptroller General of the United Start Printed Page 34638States a report regarding the issuance of this action before its effective date, as required by 5 U.S.C. 801. OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has determined that this is not a “major rule” as defined by the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 804(2)).

    Paperwork Reduction Act

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (PRA), unless that collection of information displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number.

    This rule involves an OMB approved collection of information subject to the PRA Application for Death Benefits (FERS)/Documentation and Elections in Support of Application for Death Benefits when Deceased was an Employee at the Time of Death (FERS), 3206-0172. The public reporting burden for this collection is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The total burden hour estimate for this form is 16,751 hours. The systems of record notice for this collection is: OPM SORN CENTRAL-1-Civil Service Retirement and Insurance Records.

    Start List of Subjects

    List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 843

    • Air traffic controllers
    • Disability benefits
    • Firefighters
    • Government employees
    • Law enforcement officers
    • Pensions
    • Retirement
    End List of Subjects Start Signature

    Office of Personnel Management.

    Alexys Stanley,

    Regulatory Affairs Analyst.

    End Signature

    For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Office of Personnel Management proposes to amend 5 CFR part 843 as follows:

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    PART 843—FEDERAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM—DEATH BENEFITS AND EMPLOYEE REFUNDS

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    1. The authority citation for part 843 continues to read as follows:

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    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8461; 843.205, 843.208, and 843.209 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8424; 843.309 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8442; 843.406 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 8441.

    End Authority

    Subpart C—Current and Former Spouse Benefits

    Start Amendment Part

    2. In § 843.309, revise paragraph (b)(2) to read as follows:

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    Basic employee death benefit.
    * * * * *

    (b) * * *

    (2) For deaths occurring on or after October 1, 2021, 36 equal monthly installments of 2.94259 percent of the amount of the basic employee death benefit.

    * * * * *
    Start Amendment Part

    3. Revise appendix A to subpart C of part 843 to read as follows:

    End Amendment Part

    Appendix A to Subpart C of Part 843—Present Value Conversion Factors for Earlier Commencing Date of Annuities of Current and Former Spouses of Deceased Separated Employees

    With at least 10 but less than 20 years of creditable service—

    Age of separated employee at birthday before deathMultiplier
    26.1096
    27.1162
    28.1232
    29.1305
    30.1382
    31.1464
    32.1550
    33.1643
    34.1742
    35.1845
    36.1958
    37.2074
    38.2198
    39.2327
    40.2459
    41.2609
    42.2770
    43.2936
    44.3119
    45.3308
    46.3518
    47.3735
    48.3969
    49.4220
    50.4490
    51.4781
    52.5094
    53.5430
    54.5792
    55.6178
    56.6601
    57.7059
    58.7555
    59.8092
    60.8674
    61.9308

    With at least 20, but less than 30 years of creditable service—

    Age of separated employee at birthday before deathMultiplier
    36.2254
    37.2389
    38.2532
    39.2682
    40.2836
    41.3010
    42.3195
    43.3388
    44.3599
    45.3818
    46.4059
    47.4311
    48.4581
    49.4871
    50.5182
    51.5518
    52.5878
    53.6265
    54.6682
    55.7128
    56.7615
    57.8142
    58.8712
    59.9329

    With at least 30 years of creditable service—

    Age of separated employee at birthday before deathMultiplier by separated employee's year of birth
    After 1966From 1950 through 1966
    46.4988.5332
    47.5298.5664
    48.5631.6019
    49.5987.6401
    50.6370.6810
    51.6781.7249
    52.7224.7722
    53.7698.8229
    54.8209.8775
    55.8759.9363
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    56.93551.0000
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    [FR Doc. 2021-13774 Filed 6-29-21; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 6325-38-P

Document Information

Published:
06/30/2021
Department:
Personnel Management Office
Entry Type:
Proposed Rule
Action:
Proposed rule.
Document Number:
2021-13774
Dates:
Send comments on or before August 30, 2021.
Pages:
34637-34639 (3 pages)
RINs:
3206-AO13: Federal Employees' Retirement System; Present Value Conversion Factors for Spouses of Deceased Separated Employees
RIN Links:
https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/3206-AO13/federal-employees-retirement-system-present-value-conversion-factors-for-spouses-of-deceased-separat
Topics:
Air traffic controllers, Disability benefits, Firefighters, Government employees, Law enforcement officers, Pensions, Retirement
PDF File:
2021-13774.pdf
Supporting Documents:
» Federal Employees' Retirement System: Present Value Conversion Factors for Spouses of Deceased Separated Employees
CFR: (1)
5 CFR 843.309