Personnel Management Office April 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a revised information collection. RI 20-63, Survivor Annuity Election for a Spouse, is used by annuitants to elect a reduced annuity with a survivor annuity for their spouse. RI 20-116 is a cover letter for RI 20-63 giving information about the cost to elect less than the maximum survivor annuity. This letter may be used to decline to elect. RI 20-117 is a cover letter for RI 20-63 giving information about the cost to elect the maximum survivor annuity. This letter may be used to ask for more information or to decline to elect. RI 20-117 is accompanied by RI 20-63A, Information on Electing a Survivor Annuity for Your Spouse, or RI 20-63B, Information on Electing a Survivor Annuity for Your Spouse When You Are Providing a Former Spouse Annuity. Both booklets explain the election. RI 20-63A is for annuitants who do not have a former spouse who is entitled to a survivor annuity benefit. RI 20-63B is for those who do have a former spouse who is entitled to a benefit. These booklets do not require OMB clearance. They have been included because they provide the annuitant additional information. Approximately 2,400 RI 20-63 forms are returned each year electing survivor annuities and 200 annuitants return the cover letter to ask for information about the cost to elect less than the maximum survivor annuity or to refuse to provide any survivor benefit. It is estimated to take approximately 45 minutes to complete the form with a burden of 1,800 hours and 10 minutes to complete the letter, which gives a burden of 34 hours. The total burden for RI 20-63 is 1,834 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or via e-mail to MaryBeth.Smith- Toomey@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for reclearance of a revised information collection. RI 38-128, It's Time to Sign Up for Direct Deposit, is primarily used by OPM to give recent retirees the opportunity to waive Direct Deposit of their annuity payments. The form is sent only if the separating agency did not give the retiring employee this election opportunity. This form may also be used to enroll in Direct Deposit, which was its primary use before Public Law 104-134 was passed. This law requires OPM to make all annuity payments by Direct Deposit unless the payee has waived the service in writing. Approximately 20,000 forms are completed annually. The form takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden is 10,000 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, Fax (202) 418-3251 or via e-mail to MaryBeth.Smith- Toomey@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.

This gives notice of OPM decisions granting authority to make appointments under Schedules A, B, and C in the excepted service as required by 5 CFR 6.6 and 213.103.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for extension without change, of a currently approved collection. SF 3104, Application for Death Benefits-Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), is used by persons applying for death benefits which may be payable under FERS because of the death of an employee, former employee, or retiree who was covered by FERS at the time of his/her death or separation from Federal Service. SF 3104A, Survivor Supplement (FERS) [attached to the SF 3104] requests information from the survivor which is used by OPM to determine entitlement to a survivor annuity supplement (supplementary annuity). SF 3104B, Documentation and Elections in Support of Application for Death Benefits when Deceased was an Employee at the Time of Death, is used by applicants for death benefits under FERS if the deceased was a Federal employee at the time of death. It is estimated that approximately 9,607 SF 3104s will be processed annually. This form requires approximately 60 minutes to complete. An annual burden of 9,607 hours is estimated. Approximately 3,759 SF 3104Bs are expected to be processed annually. It is estimated that the form requires approximately 60 minutes to complete. An annual burden of 3,759 hours is estimated. The total annual burden is 13,366. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, Fax (202) 418-3251 or via E-mail to MaryBeth.Smith- Toomey@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.

Under current Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program regulations, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may waive the eligibility requirements for health benefits coverage as an annuitant for an individual when, in its sole discretion, it determines that it would be against equity and good conscience not to allow a person to be enrolled in the FEHB Program as an annuitant. The regulations state that an individual's failure to satisfy eligibility requirements must be due to exceptional circumstances. They also list specific situations where a waiver will not be granted by OPM such as when an individual's retirement is based on a disability or an involuntary separation, or when an individual was misadvised by his/her employing office. This final regulation eliminates these specific situations from the regulation. This final regulation provides OPM with more flexibility when granting waivers.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing proposed regulations to revise the criteria for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) broadbanding systems. The proposed regulations would provide the Department of the Treasury with the flexibility, in coordination with OPM, to establish broader bands for covered IRS employees. The proposed regulations also would establish a more direct relationship between pay and performance. Finally, the proposed regulations would revise the criteria consistent with the changes in the General Schedule pay administration rules made by the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004 and OPM implementing regulations.