Office of Personnel Management 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice identifies Schedule A, B, and C appointing authorities applicable to a single agency that were established or revoked from October 1, 2014, to October 31, 2014.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing an interim rule to implement statutory changes pertaining to veterans' preference. We are making this change in response to the Hubbard Act, which broadened the category of individuals eligible for veterans' preference; and to implement the VOW (Veterans Opportunity to Work) to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which requires Federal agencies to treat certain active duty service members as preference eligibles for purposes of an appointment to the competitive service, even though the service members have not been discharged or released from active duty and do not have a Department of Defense (DD) Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. In addition, OPM is updating its regulations to reference existing requirements for the order of consideration for traditional rating and ranking of candidates, as well as the alternative ranking and selection procedure called ``category rating;'' to more clearly state the existing requirements for order of consideration in excepted service hiring; and to add a reference to the end date of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which affected veteran status and preference eligibility. This action will align OPM's regulations with the existing statute.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a direct final rule to discontinue the annual determination of the Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) for the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

This notice announces that OPM is soliciting applications for membership for individuals to serve on the Multi-State Plan Program Advisory Board.

This provides the consolidated notice of all agency specific excepted authorities, approved by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), under Schedule A, B, and C, as of June 30, 2014, as required by Civil Service Rule VI, Exceptions from the Competitive Service.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule that would abolish the Portland, ME, appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and redefine Androscoggin, Cumberland, and Sagadahoc Counties, ME, to the Portsmouth, NH survey area and Franklin and Oxford Counties, ME, and Coos County, NH, to the Portsmouth area of application. These changes are necessary because the closure of the Naval Air Station (NAS) Brunswick left the Portland wage area without an activity having the capability to conduct a local wage survey.

According to the provisions of section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), notice is hereby given that meetings of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee will be held on

The Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an extension, without change, of a currently approved information collection (ICR) 3206-0172, Application for Death Benefits Under the Federal Employees Retirement System and Documentation and Elections in Support of Application for Death Benefits When Deceased Was an Employee at the Time of Death. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection.

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to amend the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program regulations to add an additional enrollment type called ``self plus one'' for premium rating and family member eligibility purposes.

In accordance with Section 743 of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management is publishing this notice to advise the public of the availability of the FY 2013 Service Contract Inventory. This inventory provides information on FY 2013 service contract actions over $25,000. The information is organized by function to show how contracted resources are distributed throughout the agency. The inventory has been developed in accordance with guidance issued on November 5, 2010, by the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). OFPP's guidance is available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/procurement /memo/ service-contract-inventories-guidance-11052010.pdf. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has posted its inventory and a summary of the inventory on the Office of Personnel Management's homepage at the following link: https://www.opm.gov/about-us/doing-business-with-opm/ contracting-opportunities/#url=Business-Opportunities.

This notice identifies Schedule A, B, and C appointing authorities applicable to a single agency that were established or revoked from August 1, 2014, to August 31, 2014.

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing to amend the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP) regulation to expand eligibility to apply for coverage under the Program. Under the proposed regulation, the definition of ``qualified relative'' is expanded to cover all individuals who are domestic partners (both same-sex and opposite-sex) of Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees, annuitants, members of the uniformed services, and retired members of the uniformed services. In addition, the proposed regulation provides that adult children of domestic partners will be considered one of the types of individuals comprising the statutory term ``qualified relative'' who may apply for FLTCIP coverage.

The Office of Combined Federal Campaign, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an information collection request (ICR) 3206-0193, OPM 1417, the Combined Federal Campaign Results Report. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104- 106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on July, 16, 2014 at 79 FR 41600 allowing for a 60-day public comment period. No comments were received for this information collection. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) hereby withdraws a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the criteria governing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) broadbanding systems, published in the Federal Register April 17, 2007. OPM has determined withdrawal of the NPRM is appropriate as it would be impractical to issue this rule at this time.

The National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations plans to meet on Wednesday, November 19, 2014. The meeting will start at 10:00 a.m. EST and will be held in the Main Conference Room (3102), U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 810 Seventh Street NW., Washington, DC 20531. Visitors can enter on either the 7th Street or 9th Street side of the building. Interested parties should consult the Council Web site at www.lmrcouncil.gov for the latest information on Council activities, including changes in meeting dates. The Council is an advisory body composed of representatives of Federal employee organizations, Federal management organizations, and senior Government officials. The Council was established by Executive Order 13522, entitled, ``Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services,'' which was signed by the President on December 9, 2009. Along with its other responsibilities, the Council assists in the implementation of Labor Management Forums throughout the Government and makes recommendations to the President on innovative ways to improve delivery of services and products to the public while cutting costs and advancing employee interests. The Council is co- chaired by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget. At its meetings, the Council will continue its work in promoting cooperative and productive relationships between labor and management in the executive branch, by carrying out the responsibilities and functions listed in Section 1(b) of the Executive Order. The meetings are open to the public. Please contact the Office of Personnel Management at the address shown below if you wish to present material to the Council at the meeting. The manner and time prescribed for presentations may be limited, depending upon the number of parties that express interest in presenting information.

The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a proposed rule to amend the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) regulations to allow children of same-sex domestic partners living in states that do not allow same-sex couples to marry to be covered as family members under an eligible individual's FEGLI Option C enrollment. This rule expands the circumstances under which an employee experiencing a change in family circumstances may include eligible children of a same-sex domestic partner.

On August 2, 2013, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published notice in the Federal Register informing annuitants that they had an extended opportunity (until June 26, 2015), to elect survivor annuity benefits for their same-sex spouses if they had been married prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor, 133 S.Ct. 2675 (2013), on June 26, 2013, and were prevented by the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), 1 U.S.C. 7(3)(1996), from making a timely election. See 78 FR 47018 (Aug. 2, 2013). Similarly, because annuitants, employees, or former employees in same-sex marriages may have died prior to the Windsor decision (i.e. prior to June 26, 2013), and because the same-sex spouses of those deceased annuitants, employees, and former employees may not have applied for death benefits because of DOMA, or may have applied for death benefits but were denied benefits because of DOMA, OPM is publishing this notice to inform those surviving same-sex spouses that they may apply (or re-apply) for death benefits so that OPM can evaluate whether or not those same-sex spouses may now be entitled to survivor annuity or lump-sum death benefits.

The Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an extension, without change, of a currently approved information collection request (ICR) 3206-0167, Financial Resources Questionnaire and Notice of Debt Due Because of Annuity Overpayment. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104- 106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection.

The Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an extension, without change, of a currently approved information collection request (ICR) 3206-0206, Evidence to Prove Dependency of a Child. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger- Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection. The information collection was previously published in the Federal Register on February 24, 2014 at Volume FR 10203 allowing for a 60-day public comment period. No comments were received for this information collection. The purpose of this notice is to allow an additional 30 days for public comments.

The Office of Chief Information Officer, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an information collection request (ICR) 3206-0257, ``Generic Clearance for the Collection of Qualitative Feedback on Agency Service Delivery.'' As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. chapter 35) as amended by the Clinger-Cohen Act (Pub. L. 104-106), OPM is soliciting comments for this collection.

The Federal Salary Council will meet on October 17, 2014, at the time and location shown below. The Council is an advisory body composed of representatives of Federal employee organizations and experts in the fields of labor relations and pay policy. The Council makes recommendations to the President's Pay Agent (the Secretary of Labor and the Directors of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management) about the locality pay program for General Schedule employees under section 5304 of title 5, United States Code. The Council's recommendations cover the establishment or modification of locality pay areas, the coverage of salary surveys, the process of comparing Federal and non-Federal rates of pay, and the level of comparability payments that should be paid. The Council will hear public testimony about the locality pay program, review the results of pay comparisons, and formulate its recommendations to the President's Pay Agent on pay comparison methods, locality pay rates, and locality pay areas and boundaries for 2016. The meeting is open to the public. Please contact the Office of Personnel Management at the address shown below if you wish to submit testimony or present material to the Council at the meeting.

The Hispanic Council on Federal Employment (Council) is cancelling the October 16, 2014 Council meeting and will hold the next Council meetings at the location shown below on the following dates and times: September 30 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. October 28 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The Council is an advisory committee composed of representatives from Hispanic organizations and senior government officials. Along with its other responsibilities, the Council shall advise the Director of the Office of Personnel Management on matters involving the recruitment, hiring, and advancement of Hispanics in the Federal workforce. The Council is co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA). The meeting is open to the public. Please contact the Office of Personnel Management at the address shown below if you wish to present material to the Council at any of the meetings. The manner and time prescribed for presentations may be limited, depending upon the number of parties that express interest in presenting information. Location: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E St. NW., Washington, DC 20415.

Federal Investigative Services (FIS), U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an expiring information collection request (ICR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 3206- 0182, for the Declaration for Federal Employment, Optional Form (OF) 306. OPM is soliciting comments for this collection under 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is particularly interested in comments that: 1. Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; 2. Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 3. Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

The Hispanic Council on Federal Employment (Council) is cancelling the August 21, 2014 Council meeting. The Council is an advisory committee composed of representatives from Hispanic organizations and senior government officials. Along with its other responsibilities, the Council shall advise the Director of the Office of Personnel Management on matters involving the recruitment, hiring, and advancement of Hispanics in the Federal workforce. The Council is co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA). The meeting is open to the public. Please contact the Office of Personnel Management at the address shown below if you wish to present material to the Council at any of the meetings. The manner and time prescribed for presentations may be limited, depending upon the number of parties that express interest in presenting information. Location: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E St. NW., Washington, DC 20415.