Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of Certain Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the following appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas fo...
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the following appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas for pay-setting purposes: Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg, MD; Richmond, VA; Roanoke, VA; and Washington, DC. The final rule will redefine the Shenandoah National Park portions of Albemarle, Augusta, Greene, Page, and Rockingham Counties, VA, to the Washington, DC, wage area. This change is based on a recent consensus recommendation of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC).
DATES:
Effective date:
This regulation is effective April 24, 2023.
Applicability date:
This change applies on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after April 24, 2023.
On December 30, 2022, OPM issued a proposed rule (87 FR 80472) to redefine the geographic boundaries of the following appropriated fund FWS wage areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg, MD; Richmond, VA; Roanoke, VA; and Washington, DC.
FPRAC, 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 proposed rule had a 30-day comment period, during which OPM received no comments.
Regulatory Impact Analysis
This action is not a “significant regulatory action” under the terms of Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and is therefore not subject to review under E.O. 12866 and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011).
Regulatory Flexibility Act
OPM 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.
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.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This rule does not impose any new reporting or record-keeping requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act.
2. In appendix C to subpart B amend the table by revising the wage area listings for the District of Columbia and the States of Maryland and Virginia to read as follows:
Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532—Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey Areas
* * * * *
Definitions of Wage Areas and Wage Area Survey Areas
* * * * *
District of Columbia
Washington, DC
Survey Area
District of Columbia:
Washington, DC
Maryland:
Charles
Frederick
Montgomery
Prince George's
Virginia (cities):
Alexandria
Fairfax
Falls Church
Manassas
Manassas Park
Virginia (counties):
Arlington
Fairfax
Loudoun
Prince William
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Maryland:
Calvert
St. Mary's
Virginia (city):
Fredericksburg
Virginia (counties):
Albemarle (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Augusta (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Clarke
Culpeper
Fauquier
Greene (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
King George
Madison
Page (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Rappahannock
Rockingham (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
( printed page 17366)
Spotsylvania
Stafford
Warren
West Virginia:
Jefferson
* * * * *
Maryland
Baltimore
Survey Area
Maryland (city):
Baltimore
Maryland (counties):
Anne Arundel
Baltimore
Carroll
Harford
Howard
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Maryland:
Queen Anne's
Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg
Survey Area
Maryland:
Washington
Pennsylvania:
Franklin
West Virginia:
Berkeley
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Maryland:
Allegany
Garrett
Pennsylvania:
Fulton
Virginia (cities):
Harrisonburg
Winchester
Virginia (counties):
Frederick
Page (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Rockingham (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Shenandoah
West Virginia:
Hampshire
Hardy
Mineral
Morgan
* * * * *
Virginia
Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News-Hampton
Survey Area
Virginia (cities):
Chesapeake
Hampton
Newport News
Norfolk
Poquoson
Portsmouth
Suffolk
Virginia Beach
Williamsburg
Virginia (counties):
Gloucester
James City
York
North Carolina:
Currituck
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Virginia (city):
Franklin
Virginia (counties):
Accomack
Isle of Wight
Mathews
Northampton
Southampton
Surry
North Carolina:
Camden
Chowan
Gates
Pasquotank
Perquimans
Maryland:
Assateague Island part of Worcester
Richmond
Survey Area
Virginia (cities):
Colonial Heights
Hopewell
Petersburg
Richmond
Virginia (counties):
Charles City
Chesterfield
Dinwiddie
Goochland
Hanover
Henrico
New Kent
Powhatan
Prince George
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Virginia (cities):
Charlottesville
Emporia
Virginia (counties):
Albemarle (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Amelia
Brunswick
Buckingham
Caroline
Charlotte
Cumberland
Essex
Fluvanna
Greene (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Greensville
King and Queen
King William
Lancaster
Louisa
Lunenberg
Mecklenburg
Middlesex
Nelson
Northumberland
Nottoway
Orange
Prince Edward
Richmond
Sussex
Westmoreland
Roanoke
Survey Area
Virginia (cities):
Radford
Roanoke
Salem
Virginia (counties):
Botetourt
Craig
Montgomery
Roanoke
Area of Application. Survey area plus:
Virginia (cities):
Bedford
Buena Vista
Clifton Forge
Covington
Danville
Galax
Lexington
Lynchburg
Martinsville
South Boston
Staunton
Waynesboro
Virginia (counties):
Alleghany
Amherst
Appomattox
Augusta (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
88 FR 17365
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of Certain Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas,” thefederalregister.org (March 23, 2023), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2023-05816/prevailing-rate-systems-redefinition-of-certain-appropriated-fund-federal-wage-system-wage-areas.