Personnel Management Office 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its annual determination of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for calendar year 2010. This is necessary to comply with a provision of the FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 2010, the following states are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming. For the 2010 calendar year, no new States have been added.

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 intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget a request for clearance to revise information collection Combined Federal Campaign Applications OMB Control No. 3206-0131, which include OPM Forms 1647 A-E. Combined Federal Campaign Eligibility Applications are used to review the eligibility of national, international, and local charitable organizations that wish to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign. The proposed revisions reflect changes in eligibility guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and recommendations from a review conducted by the Government Accountability Office.

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 currently approved information collection. ``Request for Change to Unreduced Annuity'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0245; Form RI 20-120) is designed to collect information OPM needs to comply with the wishes of the retired Federal employee whose marriage has ended. This form provides an organized way for the retiree to give us everything at one time.

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) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for extension of a currently approved information collection. This information collection, ``Reinstatement of Disability Annuity Previously Terminated Because of Restoration to Earning Capacity'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0138; Form RI 30-9), informs former disability annuitants of their right to request restoration under title 5, U.S.C. Section 8337. It also specifies the conditions to be met and the documentation required for a person to request reinstatement.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is extending the effective date of the final rule, titled Time-in-Grade Elimination, published in the Federal Register on November 7, 2008, for an additional 90 days, from May 18, 2009 to August 16, 2009. OPM is

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 clearance of a revised information collection. This information collection, ``Financial Resources Questionnaire'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0167; Forms RI 34-1 and RI 34- 17), collects detailed financial information for use by OPM to determine whether to agree to a waiver, compromise, or adjustment of the collection of erroneous payments from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. ``Notice of Amount Due Because Of Annuity Overpayment'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0167; forms RI 34-3 and RI 34-19), informs the annuitant about the overpayment and collects information from the annuitant about how repayment will be made.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the Fresno and Stockton, CA, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The final rule redefines Mariposa and Merced Counties and the Yosemite National Park portion of Madera and Tuolumne Counties, CA, to the Stockton wage area. These changes are based on recent consensus recommendations of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee to best match the counties proposed for redefinition to a nearby FWS survey area.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of several appropriated fund Federal Wage System wage areas for pay-setting purposes. Based on recent reviews of Metropolitan Statistical Area boundaries in a number of wage areas, OPM is redefining the following wage areas: Birmingham, AL; Denver, CO; Wilmington, DE; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Columbus, GA; Macon, GA; Chicago, IL; Bloomington-Bedford- Washington, IN; Indianapolis, IN; Louisville, KY; Baltimore, MD; Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg, MD; St. Louis, MO; Southern Missouri; Omaha, NE; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Scranton-Wilkes- Barre, PA; Eastern South Dakota; Richmond, VA; and Milwaukee, WI.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule that would define the New Haven-Hartford and New London, CT, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas by county rather than by city and town boundaries. Defining the New England FWS wage areas by primarily considering county boundaries would provide greater consistency in how OPM defines FWS wage areas and would improve the ability to make direct data comparisons with Census Bureau data. The proposed rule would define the New Haven-Hartford wage area to include Hartford and New Haven Counties, CT, as the survey area and Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, and Tolland Counties, CT, as the area of application and the New London wage area to include New London County, CT, as the survey area and Windham County, CT, as the area of application.

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.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is correcting references to a non-existent section number in the recredit of sick leave regulations issued on December 2, 1994 (59 FR 62271).

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule to abolish the Santa Clara, California, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and redefine Santa Clara County, CA, to the Monterey, CA, NAF wage area and Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties, CA, to the Solano, CA, NAF wage area. San Mateo County, CA, will no longer be defined to a wage area. These changes are necessary because the closure of the Moffett Federal Airfield Navy Exchange left the Santa Clara wage area without an activity having the capability to conduct a local wage survey.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Boise, ID, and Utah appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine Franklin County, ID, from the Boise wage area to the Utah wage area. These changes are based on recent consensus recommendations of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee to best match the counties proposed for redefinition to a nearby FWS survey area. No other changes are proposed for the Boise and Utah FWS wage areas.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of an existing information collection. This information collection occurs electronically via the ``USAJOBS Resume Builder (online application)'' or completion and submission via regular mail, e-mail, fax, or in person of OF 612 ``Optional Form Application for Federal Employment'' or a resume. The USAJOBS Resume Builder and the OF 612 both reflect the minimal critical elements collected across the Federal Government to assess an applicant's qualifications. The online application on USAJOBS captures the essential information Federal agencies require to evaluate applicants for Federal jobs under the authority of sections 1104, 1302, 3301, 3304, 3320, 3361 3393, and 3394 of Title 5 United States Code. This notice also announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to cancel the form, ``Optional Form Application for Federal Employment (OF 612). The OF 612 has been used as an optional form to apply for Federal jobs. Applicants for Federal positions may also submit a resume as an alternative. The information contained in the OF 612 is incorporated in the USAJOBS Resume Builder on the USAJOBS Web site. Individual government agencies are responsible for indicating in the job announcement what minimal critical elements would be required in any job seeker's resume. Therefore, the need to maintain the OF 612 as the only alternative means of applying for Federal positions no longer exists. This action is being taken to facilitate a more seamless employment application process for both Federal agencies and job seekers. Comments are particularly invited on whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Office of Personnel Management; and whether it is feasible to discontinue the use of the OF 612 as an alternate means of application; whether this information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of OPM, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimates of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. We estimate over 50,125,000 applications will be completed annually using the electronic Resume Builder in the USAJOBS Web site. The OF 612 and the USAJOBS Resume Builder take approximately 40 minutes to read and/or complete, depending on the amount of information the applicant wishes to include. The annual estimated burden is 33,082,500 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Willie Harrison by phone (202) 606-0106, by E-mail Willie.Harrison@opm.gov or by fax at (202) 606- 1275. Please include a mailing address with your request.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to amend the Federal Employees Health Benefits Acquisition Regulations (FEHBAR). The rule clarifies the rate-setting process for community-rated carriers with respect to Similarly Sized Subscriber Groups (SSSG) and removes the ban on adjustments based on rate reconciliation for the final year of Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contracts.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Fresno and Stockton, CA, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine Mariposa and Merced Counties and the Yosemite National Park portion of Madera and Tuolumne Counties, CA, to the Stockton wage area. These changes are based on recent consensus recommendations of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee to best match the counties proposed for redefinition to a nearby FWS survey area.

The President adjusted the rates of basic pay and locality payments for certain categories of Federal employees effective in January 2009. This notice documents those pay adjustments for the public record.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the Buffalo, NY, and Pittsburgh, PA, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The final rule redefines McKean and Warren Counties, PA, and the Allegheny National Forest portions of Elk and Forest Counties, PA, from the Pittsburgh wage area to the Buffalo wage area. These changes are based on a consensus recommendation of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC) to best match the above counties to a nearby FWS survey area. FPRAC recommended no other changes in the geographic definitions of the Buffalo and Pittsburgh wage areas.

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