Office of Personnel Management – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Personnel Management is proposing revisions to the criteria for making salary determinations based on salary history to advance pay equity in the General Schedule pay system, Prevailing Rate Systems, Administrative Appeals Judge pay system, and Administrative Law Judge pay system.

Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an expiring information collection request (ICR), without change, Application for Refund of Retirement Deductions Under the Civil Service Retirement System, SF 2802 and Current/Former Spouse's Notification of Application for Refund of Retirement Deductions Under the Civil Service Retirement System, SF 2802A.

Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an existing information collection request (ICR), without change, Reinstatement of Disability Annuity Previously Terminated Because of Restoration to Earning Capacity, RI 30-9.

Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an expiring information collection, without change, RI 25- 41, Initial Certification of Full-Time School Attendance.

Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on an existing information collection request (ICR), without change, CSRS/FERS Documentation in Support of Disability Retirement Application, Standard Form 3112.

Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR) with minor edits, Application for Deferred Retirement (for persons separated on or after October 1, 1956), OPM 1496A. The revisions include (1) Revised instructions for hearing impaired users to utilize the Federal Relay Service by dialing 711 or their local communications provider to reach a Communications Assistant (2) Included instructions to attach Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-4P (version 2022 or later). (3) Updated Retirement Information Office hours of operation.

According to the provisions of section 10 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that a virtual meeting of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023. There will be no in-person gathering for this meeting.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other Federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR) 3206-0082, OPM 1300 (PMF Program Annual Application).

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is providing notice of adjusted present value factors applicable to retirees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) who elect to provide survivor annuity benefits to a spouse based on post-retirement marriage; to retiring employees who elect the alternative form of annuity, owe certain redeposits based on refunds of contributions for service ending before March 1, 1991, or elect to credit certain service with nonappropriated fund instrumentalities; or, for individuals with certain types of retirement coverage errors who can elect to receive credit for service by taking an actuarial reduction under the provisions of the Federal Erroneous Retirement Coverage Correction Act. This notice is necessary to conform the present value factors to changes in the economic and demographic assumptions adopted by the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing an interim final rule with comment period to establish and administer the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program pursuant to the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 (PSRA). Under the statute, OPM must establish a PSHB Program for Postal Service employees, Postal Service annuitants, and their eligible family members, and not later than one year after the date of enactment, the OPM Director must issue regulations to carry out the statute.

The Healthcare & Insurance/Federal Employee Insurance Operations (FEIO) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on the renewal of an expiring information collection request (ICR), without change, OPM 2809, Health Benefits Election Form.

According to the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is hereby given that a virtual meeting of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee will be held on Thursday, April 20, 2023. There will be no in-person gathering for this meeting.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to modify and republish its existing system of records titled ``OPM/Internal-23 Financial Management Records.'' This system of records contains financial records that OPM collects, maintains, and uses to manage its critical financial responsibilities. This modified system of records will be included in OPM's inventory of record systems.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction of 1995, Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is offering the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR), RI 20-7 [Representative Payee Application] and RI 30-3 [Information for a Competency Determination].

The following Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations are scheduled for development or review during the 6-month period following publication. This agenda carries out OPM's responsibilities to publish a semiannual agenda under Executive Order 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' and the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. chapter 6). This publication does not impose a binding obligation on OPM with regard to any specific item on the agenda. Regulatory action in addition to the items listed is not precluded.

Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) offers the general public and other federal agencies the opportunity to comment on a revised information collection request (ICR), Application for Deferred Retirement (for Persons Separated on or after October 1, 1956), OPM 1496A. The revisions include: Revised instructions for hearing impaired users to utilize the Federal Relay Service by dialing 711 or their local communications provider to reach a Communications Assistant; Instructions to attach Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-4P (version 2022 or later); and, Updated Retirement Information Office hours of operation.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing amendments to the Federal Government personnel vetting investigative and adjudicative processes for determining suitability and fitness. The purpose of OPM's work in this area is to establish requirements and standards for agencies to properly vet individuals to assess risk to the integrity and efficiency of the service. Nothing in this proposed rule shall be read in derogation of any individual's rights under Title VII. OPM is also proposing to update and streamline the language of several provisions to include conforming and minor editorial changes throughout.

The President adjusted the rates of basic pay and locality payments for certain Federal civilian employees effective in January 2023. The Executive order authorizes a 4.1 percent across-the-board increase for statutory pay systems and locality pay increases costing approximately 0.5 percent of basic payroll, reflecting an overall average pay increase of 4.6 percent. This notice serves as documentation for the public record.

This notice informs the public of the opportunity to provide input on the proposed service activities, business capabilities, service measures, and standard data elements for Human Capital Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, Employee Performance Management, Compensation and Benefits, and Separation and Retirement (Human Capital Business Reference Model (HCBRM) Functions A2-A6). This input will be used in formulation of business standards for Federal human capital management.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing a rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the following appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas for pay-setting purposes: Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg, MD; Richmond, VA; Roanoke, VA; and Washington, DC. The proposed rule would redefine the Shenandoah National Park portions of Albemarle, Augusta, Greene, Page, and Rockingham Counties, VA, to the Washington, DC, wage area. This change is based on a recent consensus recommendation of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC).

This document corrects the preamble to a final rule published in the Federal Register of December 5, 2022, regarding General Schedule Locality Pay Areas. This correction clarifies the effective date of the rule.

The President's Commission on White House Fellowships (PCWHF) was established by an Executive Order in 1964. The PCWHF is an advisory committee composed of Special Government Employees appointed by the President. Name of Committee: President's Commission on White House Fellowships Mid-Year Meeting. Date: January 20, 2023. Time: 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Place Eisenhower Executive Office Building, 1650 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500. Agenda: The Commission holds a mid-year meeting to talk with current Fellows on how their placements are going and discuss preparation for future events.

On behalf of the President's Pay Agent, the Office of Personnel Management is issuing final regulations to establish Carroll County, IL, as an area of application to the Davenport-Moline, IA-IL locality pay area and Brooks County, TX, as an area of application to the Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX, locality pay area. Those changes in the geographic definitions of those locality pay areas are applicable on the first day of the first pay period beginning on or after January 4, 2023.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final regulations that would allow agencies to make term appointments in certain Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics-related (``STEM-related'') occupations for up to 10 years. OPM is issuing final regulations to provide agencies with greater flexibility to staff foreseeably long-term projects of a STEM-related nature when the need for the work is not permanent. The intended effect of this change is to allow agencies the flexibility and discretion to hire individuals with knowledge, skills, and abilities tailored to a specific project that may not be required on a permanent basis or transferable to other functions of the agency. This longer-term appointment may also assist agencies in recruiting individuals with certain specialized knowledge, who may be interested in acquiring further skills and experience working on a project basis and would be less likely to pursue or accept a career position. This authority is not intended to be a substitute for regular agency hiring but is instead intended to be a supplement to existing hiring authorities that is targeted for longer-term projects that are not permanent in nature. This appointment authority provides no authority for noncompetitive conversion into a permanent competitive service position.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management requests approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew a previously approved information collection, Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Charity Applications, OMB Control No. 3206-0269, OPM Forms 1647- A, -B, and -E. OPM uses these documents to review the eligibility of national, international, and local charitable organizations and Department of Defense morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR)/Family Support and Youth Activities/Programs (FSYA/FSYP) organizations that wish to participate in the CFC. The proposed revisions reflect improvements in the form instructions and the addition of optional fields for charities to detail the kinds of volunteer opportunities Federal employees might consider for personal service hours (outside working hours). On August 11, 2022, OPM published a 60-day notice and request for comments at 87 FR 49619. OPM received no comments. There are, therefore, no recommended revisions to this ICR. We estimate 6,000 responses to this information collection annually. Each form takes approximately two hours to complete. The annual estimated burden is 12,000 hours.