80 FR 51963 - Prevailing Rate Systems; Definition of Hancock County, Mississippi, to a Nonappropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Area

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 166 (August 27, 2015)

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule that would define Hancock County, Mississippi, as an area of application county to the Harrison, MS, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area. This change is necessary because there are four NAF FWS employees working in Hancock County, and the county is not currently defined to a NAF wage area.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 166 (Thursday, August 27, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51963-51964]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21193]


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Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

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. 80, No. 166 / Thursday, August 27, 2015 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 51963]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AN20


Prevailing Rate Systems; Definition of Hancock County, 
Mississippi, to a Nonappropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Area

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a 
proposed rule that would define Hancock County, Mississippi, as an area 
of application county to the Harrison, MS, nonappropriated fund (NAF) 
Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area. This change is necessary because 
there are four NAF FWS employees working in Hancock County, and the 
county is not currently defined to a NAF wage area.

DATES: We must receive comments on or before September 28, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by ``RIN 3206-AN20,'' 
using any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Brenda L. Roberts, 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.
    Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madeline Gonzalez, by telephone at 
(202) 606-2858 or by email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OPM is issuing a proposed rule that would 
define Hancock County, MS, as an area of application to the Harrison, 
MS, NAF FWS wage area. The Navy Exchange and Navy Morale, Welfare, and 
Recreation in Hancock County is now operating NAF activities at the 
John C. Stennis Space Center, located in southwestern Mississippi, with 
a combined total of four NAF employees.
    Under section 532.219 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, each 
NAF wage area ``shall consist of one or more survey areas, along with 
nonsurvey areas, if any, having nonappropriated fund employees.'' 
Hancock County does not meet the regulatory criteria under 5 CFR 
532.219 to be established as a separate NAF wage area; however, 
nonsurvey counties may be combined with a survey area to form a wage 
area. Section 532.219 lists the regulatory criteria that OPM considers 
when defining FWS wage area boundaries:
     Proximity of largest facilities activity in each county;
     Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and
     Similarities of the counties in:
    [cir] Overall population,
    [cir] Private employment in major industry categories, and
    [cir] Kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments.
    Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for defining NAF 
wage areas, Hancock County, MS, should be defined as an area of 
application to Harrison, MS, NAF FWS wage area. The proximity criterion 
favors the Harrison, MS, wage area more than the Orleans, LA, wage 
area. The transportation facilities criterion does not favor one wage 
area more than another. The commuting patterns criterion favors the 
Harrison wage area. Although the overall population, employment sizes, 
and kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments criterion does 
not favor one wage area more than another, the industrial distribution 
pattern for Hancock County is more similar to the Harrison survey area 
than to the Orleans survey area. While a standard review of regulatory 
criteria shows mixed results, the proximity and commuting patterns 
criteria solidly favor the Harrison wage area. Based on this analysis, 
we propose that Hancock County be defined to the Harrison NAF wage 
area.
    The proposed expanded Harrison NAF wage area would consist of one 
survey county (Harrison County, MS) and four area of application 
counties (Mobile County, AL, and Forrest, Hancock, and Jackson 
Counties, MS). The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, 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 beginning on or after 30 days following 
publication of the final regulations.

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.
Beth F. Cobert,
Acting Director.

    Accordingly, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management is proposing 
to amend 5 CFR part 532 as follows:

PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS

0
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 D to Subpart B of Part 532--Nonappropriated Fund Wage and 
Survey Areas

0
2. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area listing 
for the Harrison, NAF wage areas to read as follows:

 
                                * * * * *
                               MISSISSIPPI
 
 
                                * * * * *
                                Harrison
 
                               Survey Area
Mississippi:
  Harrison
 
                 Area of Application. Survey area plus:
 
Alabama:
  Mobile
Mississippi:
  Forrest
  Hancock
  Jackson
 
                                * * * * *
 


[[Page 51964]]

[FR Doc. 2015-21193 Filed 8-26-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P