Personnel Management Office November 18, 2010 – 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 comments on a revised information collection. This information collection, ``Report of Medical Examination of Person Electing Survivor Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement System'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0162; OPM Form 1530), is used to collect information regarding an annuitant's health so that OPM can determine whether the insurable interest survivor benefit election can be allowed. Approximately 500 OPM Form 1530 will be completed annually. We estimate it takes approximately 90 minutes to complete the form. The annual burden is 750 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Cyrus S. Benson on (202) 606- 4808, FAX (202) 606-0910 or via E-mail to Cyrus.Benson@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) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a revised information collection. This information collection, ``Letter Reply to Request for Information'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0235; Form RI 20-64), is used by the Civil Service Retirement System to provide information about the amount of annuity payable after a survivor reduction, to explain the annuity reductions required to pay for the survivor benefit, and to give the beginning rate of survivor annuity. ``Former Spouse Survivor Annuity Election'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0235; Form RI 20-64A), is used by the Civil Service Retirement System to obtain a survivor benefits election from annuitants who are eligible to elect to provide survivor benefits for a former spouse. ``Information on Electing a Survivor Annuity for Your Former Spouse'' (OMB Control No. 3206-0235; RI 20-64B), is a pamphlet that provides important information to retirees under the Civil Service Retirement System who want to provide a survivor annuity for a former spouse. Comments are particularly invited on: whether this information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of OPM, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate 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 others forms of information technology. We estimate that 30 survivor elections on RI 20-64A will be processed per year and that of these eight will use RI 20-64 to ask for information about electing a smaller survivor benefit. Form RI 20-64A requires 45 minutes to complete for a burden of 23 hours. Form RI 20-64 requires eight minutes to complete for a burden of one hour. The total burden is 24 hours. For copies of this proposal, contact Cyrus S. Benson on (202) 606- 4808, FAX (202) 606-0910 or via e-mail to Cyrus.Benson@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Madison, Wisconsin, and Southwestern Wisconsin appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine Adams and Waushara Counties, WI, from the Southwestern Wisconsin wage area to the Madison 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 Madison and Southwestern Wisconsin FWS wage areas.