Prevailing Rate Systems; Change in Nonappropriated Fund Federal Wage System Survey Schedule From Fiscal Year to Calendar Year, 30526-30528 [E8-11838]

Agencies

• Office of Personnel Management
• Personnel Management Office

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 103 (Wednesday, May 28, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30526-30528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-11838]


========================================================================
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.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 103 / Wednesday, May 28, 2008 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 30526]]



OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AL63


Prevailing Rate Systems; Change in Nonappropriated Fund Federal 
Wage System Survey Schedule From Fiscal Year to Calendar Year

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed 
rule to change the annual schedule of nonappropriated fund (NAF) 
Federal Wage System wage surveys from a fiscal year cycle to a calendar 
year cycle. The purpose of this change is to move certain wage surveys 
to a different time of year and thus optimize the data collection 
process for those areas. In addition, this change would more evenly 
distribute the workload for the agency responsible for conducting NAF 
surveys.

DATES: We must receive comments on or before June 27, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Charles D. Grimes III, Deputy 
Associate Director for Performance and Pay Systems, Strategic Human 
Resources Policy Division, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Room 
7H31, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415-8200; e-mail pay-
performance-policy@opm.gov; or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madeline Gonzalez, (202) 606-2838; e-
mail pay-performance-policy@opm.gov; or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by law, Federal Wage System 
(FWS) wage surveys must be conducted on a 2-year cycle at annual 
intervals in each appropriated and nonappropriated fund (NAF) FWS wage 
area. A full-scale wage survey is conducted in the first year of the 2-
year cycle and an interim (wage-change) survey is conducted between 
each two consecutive full-scale wage surveys. The U.S. Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM) is responsible for prescribing the beginning 
month of appropriated and NAF wage surveys and the fiscal year during 
which full-scale wage surveys are conducted.
    This proposed rule would change the nationwide schedule of NAF 
regular wage surveys at appendix B to subpart B of part 532 of title 5, 
Code of Federal Regulations, from a fiscal year cycle to a calendar 
year cycle. Since a Federal fiscal year straddles two calendar years 
(i.e., October to September) and only some NAF wage surveys are 
conducted in the first part of the fiscal year, not all NAF wage areas 
would be affected by this change. In addition, the lead agency does not 
need to change the timing of all NAF surveys because many are already 
conducted at the optimum time, considering agency resources and timing 
of private sector pay adjustments. Therefore, about one-third of the 
NAF wage areas would experience no change in the timing of their wage 
surveys. In the remaining NAF wage areas, the changes in survey 
schedule would vary from wage area to wage area. In some of the 
remaining NAF wage areas the wage surveys would be conducted earlier in 
the year and in others the wage surveys would be conducted later in the 
year. We note that the adjustment period for this change would be 
lengthy and some wage areas would require multiple surveys to comply 
with the 2-year cycle law. However, changing to a calendar year cycle 
would significantly simplify the scheduling of NAF surveys.
    The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-
management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning 
the pay of FWS employees, recommended by consensus that we adopt this 
change. This change would be effective in January 2009.

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.
Linda M. Springer,
Director.

    Accordingly, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management is proposing 
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. In appendix B to subpart B, revise paragraph (3) and the table 
to read as follows:

Appendix B to Subpart B of Part 532--Nationwide Schedule of 
Nonappropriated Fund Regular Wage Surveys

* * * * *
    (3) Whether full-scale surveys will be conducted in odd or even 
numbered calendar years.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                               Beginning  month of   Calendar year of full-scale
               State                        Wage area                survey               survey odd or even
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama............................  Calhoun...............  April.................  Even.
                                     Madison...............  April.................  Even.
                                     Montgomery............  April.................  Odd.
Alaska.............................  Anchorage.............  June..................  Even.
Arizona............................  Maricopa..............  October...............  Even.
                                     Pima..................  October...............  Even.

[[Page 30527]]

 
                                     Yuma..................  October...............  Even.
Arkansas...........................  Pulaski...............  April.................  Odd.
California.........................  Kern..................  September.............  Odd.
                                     Los Angeles...........  September.............  Even.
                                     Monterey..............  September.............  Odd.
                                     Orange................  September.............  Even.
                                     Riverside.............  September.............  Even.
                                     Sacramento............  February..............  Odd.
                                     San Bernardino........  September.............  Even.
                                     San Diego.............  September.............  Odd.
                                     San Joaquin...........  February..............  Odd.
                                     Santa Barbara.........  September.............  Even.
                                     Santa Clara...........  September.............  Odd.
                                     Solano................  September.............  Odd.
                                     Ventura...............  September.............  Even.
Colorado...........................  Arapahoe-Denver.......  July..................  Even.
                                     El Paso...............  July..................  Even.
Connecticut........................  New London............  July..................  Even.
Delaware...........................  Kent..................  August................  Odd.
District of Columbia...............  Washington, DC........  August................  Even.
Florida............................  Bay...................  January...............  Even.
                                     Brevard...............  January...............  Odd.
                                     Miami-Dade............  January...............  Odd.
                                     Duval.................  January...............  Odd.
                                     Escambia..............  January...............  Even.
                                     Hillsborough..........  January...............  Odd.
                                     Monroe................  January...............  Odd.
                                     Okaloosa..............  January...............  Even.
                                     Orange................  January...............  Even.
Georgia............................  Chatham...............  March.................  Odd.
                                     Clayton-Cobb-Fulton...  June..................  Odd.
                                     Columbus..............  June..................  Odd.
                                     Dougherty.............  March.................  Odd.
                                     Houston...............  April.................  Odd.
                                     Lowndes...............  March.................  Odd.
                                     Richmond..............  April.................  Odd.
Guam...............................  Guam..................  September.............  Even.
Hawaii.............................  Honolulu..............  May...................  Even.
Idaho..............................  Ada-Elmore............  July..................  Odd.
Illinois...........................  Lake..................  April.................  Even.
                                     St. Clair.............  April.................  Even.
Kansas.............................  Leavenworth-Jackson-    April.................  Even.
                                      Johnson.
                                     Sedgwick..............  April.................  Odd.
Kentucky...........................  Christian-Montgomery..  February..............  Even.
                                     Hardin-Jefferson......  March.................  Even.
Louisiana..........................  Bossier-Caddo.........  March.................  Odd.
                                     Orleans...............  June..................  Odd.
                                     Rapides...............  March.................  Odd.
Maine..............................  Cumberland............  October...............  Odd.
                                     York..................  October...............  Odd.
Maryland...........................  Anne Arundel..........  August................  Even.
                                     Charles-St. Mary's....  August................  Even.
                                     Frederick.............  August................  Even.
                                     Harford...............  May...................  Even.
                                     Montgomery-Prince       August................  Even.
                                      George's.
Massachusetts......................  Hampden...............  October...............  Odd.
                                     Middlesex.............  October...............  Odd.
Michigan...........................  Macomb................  May...................  Odd.
Minnesota..........................  Hennepin..............  July..................  Odd.
Mississippi........................  Harrison..............  March.................  Even.
                                     Lauderdale............  March.................  Odd.
                                     Lowndes...............  March.................  Odd.
Montana............................  Cascade...............  July..................  Odd.
Nebraska...........................  Douglas-Sarpy.........  April.................  Even.
Nevada.............................  Churchill-Washoe......  January...............  Even.
                                     Clark.................  January...............  Even.
New Jersey.........................  Burlington............  August................  Odd.
                                     Monmouth..............  August................  Odd.
                                     Morris................  August................  Odd.
New Mexico.........................  Bernalillo............  February..............  Odd.
                                     Curry.................  June..................  Odd.
                                     Dona Ana..............  February..............  Odd.

[[Page 30528]]

 
New York...........................  Jefferson.............  May...................  Odd.
                                     Kings-Queens..........  October...............  Even.
                                     Niagara...............  May...................  Odd.
                                     Orange................  May...................  Odd.
North Carolina.....................  Craven................  March.................  Even.
                                     Cumberland............  March.................  Even.
                                     Onslow................  February..............  Even.
                                     Wayne.................  March.................  Even.
North Dakota.......................  Grand Forks...........  July..................  Odd.
                                     Ward..................  July..................  Odd.
Ohio...............................  Greene-Montgomery.....  April.................  Odd.
Oklahoma...........................  Comanche..............  March.................  Even.
                                     Oklahoma..............  March.................  Even.
Pennsylvania.......................  Allegheny.............  May...................  Odd.
                                     Cumberland............  May...................  Even.
                                     Montgomery............  August................  Odd.
                                     York..................  May...................  Even.
Puerto Rico........................  Guaynabo-San Juan.....  February..............  Even.
Rhode Island.......................  Newport...............  July..................  Even.
South Carolina.....................  Charleston............  February..............  Even.
                                     Richland..............  March.................  Even.
South Dakota.......................  Pennington............  June..................  Even.
Tennessee..........................  Shelby................  February..............  Even.
Texas..............................  Bell..................  June..................  Odd.
                                     Bexar.................  June..................  Even.
                                     Dallas................  June..................  Even.
                                     El Paso...............  February..............  Odd.
                                     McLennan..............  May...................  Odd.
                                     Nueces................  June..................  Even.
                                     Tarrant...............  June..................  Even.
                                     Taylor................  June..................  Odd.
                                     Tom Green.............  June..................  Odd.
                                     Wichita...............  March.................  Even.
Utah...............................  Davis-Salt Lake-Weber.  July..................  Odd.
Virginia...........................  Alexandria-Arlington-   August................  Even.
                                      Fairfax.
                                     Chesterfield-Richmond.  August................  Odd.
                                     Hampton-Newport News..  May...................  Even.
                                     Norfolk-Portsmouth-     May...................  Even.
                                      Virginia Beach.
                                     Prince William........  August................  Even.
Washington.........................  Kitsap................  June..................  Even.
                                     Pierce................  July..................  Even.
                                     Snohomish.............  July..................  Even.
                                     Spokane...............  July..................  Odd.
Wyoming............................  Laramie...............  July..................  Even.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* * * * *
 [FR Doc. E8-11838 Filed 5-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-39-P