Office of Personnel Management May 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is changing the cost- of-living allowance (COLA) rates received by certain white-collar Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees in Puerto Rico and Hawaii County, HI. The changes are the result of interim adjustments OPM calculated based on relative Consumer Price Index differences between the cost-of-living allowance areas and the Washington, DC, area. OPM is also making an additional one-time adjustment to the Puerto Rico COLA rate based on the impact of the new sales tax in Puerto Rico. This regulation increases the COLA rate for Puerto Rico to 13 percent and the COLA rate for Hawaii County, HI, to 18 percent.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing final regulations to implement a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 permitting prevailing rate (wage) employees to earn compensatory time off for time spent in a travel status away from the official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable.

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) are issuing proposed regulations revising the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), a human resources management system for DoD, as originally authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 and amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. The proposed regulation governs compensation, classification and performance management under NSPS. NSPS aligns DoD's human resources management system with the Department's critical mission requirements and protects the civil service rights of its employees.

OPM is amending its regulations at 5 CFR part 733 to grant Federal employees residing in Fauquier County, Virginia, a partial exemption from the political activity restrictions in the Hatch Act, and to add Fauquier County to its regulatory list of designated localities. The amendment reflects OPM's determination that Fauquier County meets the criteria in the Hatch Act and OPM regulations for a partial exemption to issue.

Chapter 47 of title 5, United States Code, authorizes the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), directly or in agreement with one or more agencies, to conduct demonstration projects that experiment with new and different human resources management concepts to determine whether changes in human resources policy or procedures result in improved Federal human resources management. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and OPM propose to test a results-based, competency-linked pay- for-performance system that is combined with a simplified, pay banding classification and compensation system. Section 4703 of title 5 requires OPM to publish the proposed project plan in the Federal Register. This notice fulfills that requirement.

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) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a NEW information collection. The INV 16A, Specific Medical Release, and INV 16B, Authorization for Access to Financial Records, are used continuously by Federal and contract investigators as a routine part of background investigations. The collection is completed when it is determined that further inquiry into the respondents' medical record is needed pertaining to mental health counseling and/or drug/alcohol treatment OR upon an affirmative answer on the Standard Form (SF) 86 or SF 85PS regarding mental health. The Customer Consent and Authorization for Access to Financial Records (INV 16B) is used by Federal agencies when conducting a credit inquiry on federal and contract employees, as well as military personnel, who are working in support of Federal Government programs and contracts. The INV 16A and INV 16B will replace current forms OFI 16A; OPM Form 329; OPM Form 329-A; OPM Form 329-B; and OPM 329-C. Previous editions of related forms are not usable. Comments Are Particularly Invited On: Whether this information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the OPM and its Federal Investigative Services Division, which administers background investigations; Whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; 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; and Ways in which we can enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected. The INV 16A and INV 16B are completed by both employees of the Federal Government and individuals not employed with the Federal Government, including Federal contractors, and military personnel. Federal employees are defined as those individuals who are employed as civilians or military personnel with the Federal Government. Non- Federal employees include members of the general public and all individuals employed as Federal and military contractors, or individuals otherwise not directly employed by the Federal Government. Approximately 45,500 INV 16A and 210,000 INV 16B forms will be completed annually by non-Federal individuals. Each form requires approximately 5 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden is 3,800 and 17,500 hours for the 16A and 16B respectively. For copies of this proposal, contact Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or via E-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please include a mailing address with your request.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) seeks comments on its intention to request an extension of two currently approved information collections. OPM uses the two collections, a Price Survey and a Background Survey, to gather data it uses to determine cost-of-living allowances the Government provides to certain Federal employees in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. OPM conducts Price Surveys in the Washington, DC, area on an annual basis and once every 3 years in each allowance area on a rotating basis. Prior to these surveys, OPM conducts Background Surveys that are similar to the Price Survey, but much more limited in scope. OPM uses the results of the Background Surveys to prepare for the Price Surveys.