[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 185 (Friday, September 24, 2010)] [Proposed Rules] [Pages 58339-58340] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2010-23956] ======================================================================== Proposed Rules Federal Register ________________________________________________________________________ This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules. ======================================================================== Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 185 / Friday, September 24, 2010 / Proposed Rules [[Page 58339]] OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 5 CFR Part 532 RIN 3206-AM28 Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Shreveport, LA; Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and Southwestern Wisconsin Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Shreveport, LA; Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and Southwestern Wisconsin appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. The proposed rule would redefine Upshur County, TX, from the Texarkana wage area to the Shreveport wage area and Oconto County, WI, from the Southwestern Wisconsin wage area to the Milwaukee 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 Shreveport, Texarkana, Milwaukee, and Southwestern Wisconsin FWS wage areas. DATES: We must receive comments on or before October 25, 2010. ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Jerome D. Mikowicz, Deputy Associate Director for Pay and Leave, Employee Services, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H31, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415-8200; e-mail [email protected]; or FAX: (202) 606- 4264. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Madeline Gonzalez, (202) 606-2838; e- mail [email protected]; or FAX: (202) 606-4264. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management is issuing a proposed rule that would redefine the geographic boundaries of the Shreveport, LA; Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and Southwestern Wisconsin appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas. This proposed rule would redefine Upshur County, TX, from the Texarkana wage area to the Shreveport wage area and Oconto County, WI, from the Southwestern Wisconsin wage area to the Milwaukee wage area. OPM considers the following regulatory criteria under 5 CFR 532.211 when defining FWS wage area boundaries: (i) Distance, transportation facilities, and geographic features; (ii) Commuting patterns; and (iii) Similarities in overall population, employment, and the kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments. In addition, OPM regulations at 5 CFR 532.211 do not permit splitting Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) for the purpose of defining a wage area, except in very unusual circumstances (e.g., organizational relationships among closely located Federal activities). OPM recently completed reviews of the definitions of the Longview, TX and Green Bay, WI MSAs and, based on analyses of the regulatory criteria for defining wage areas, is proposing the changes described below. The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC), the national labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, recommended these changes by consensus. These changes would be effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after 30 days following publication of the final regulations. FPRAC recommended no other changes in the geographic definitions of the Shreveport, Texarkana, Milwaukee, and Southwestern Wisconsin wage areas. Longview, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area Gregg, Rusk, and Upshur Counties, TX, comprise the Longview, TX MSA. The Longview MSA is currently split between the Shreveport, LA, and Texarkana, TX, wage areas. Gregg and Rusk Counties are part of the area of application of the Shreveport wage area and Upshur County is part of the area of application of the Texarkana wage area. Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for Gregg County, the core county in the Longview MSA, we recommend that the entire Longview MSA be defined to the Shreveport area of application. The distance criterion for Gregg County favors the Shreveport wage area more than the Texarkana wage area. All other criteria are inconclusive. However, even though the commuting patterns criterion is inconclusive, about 10 times as many people currently commute from Gregg County into the Shreveport survey area (0.47 percent of the resident workforce) than into the Texarkana survey area (0.05 percent). Based on this analysis, we believe Gregg County is appropriately defined to the Shreveport wage area. Since there appear to be no unusual circumstances that would permit splitting the Longview MSA, OPM proposes to redefine Upshur County to the Shreveport wage area so that the entire Longview MSA is in one wage area. There are currently no FWS employees working in Upshur County. Green Bay, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area Brown, Kewaunee and Oconto Counties, WI, comprise the Green Bay, WI MSA. The Green Bay MSA is currently split between the Milwaukee, WI, and Southwestern Wisconsin wage areas. Brown and Kewaunee Counties are part of the area of application of the Milwaukee wage area and Oconto County is part of the area of application of the Southwestern Wisconsin wage area. Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for Brown County, the core county in the Green Bay MSA, we recommend that the entire Green Bay MSA be defined to the Milwaukee wage area. The distance criterion for Brown County favors the Milwaukee wage area more than the Southwestern Wisconsin wage area. All other criteria are inconclusive. Based on the mixed nature of our regulatory analysis findings, we believe Brown County is appropriately defined to the Milwaukee wage area. Since there appear to be no unusual circumstances that would permit splitting the Green Bay MSA, OPM proposes to redefine Oconto County to the Milwaukee wage area so that the entire Green Bay MSA is in one [[Page 58340]] wage area. There are currently no FWS employees working in Oconto County. Regulatory Flexibility Act I certify that these regulations would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they would affect only Federal agencies and employees. List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532 Administrative practice and procedure, Freedom of information, Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Wages. John Berry, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Accordingly, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management is proposing to amend 5 CFR part 532 as follows: PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS 1. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as follows: Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; Sec. 532.707 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552. 2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area listings for the Shreveport, LA; Texarkana, TX; Milwaukee, WI; and Southwestern Wisconsin wage areas to read as follows: Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532--Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey Areas * * * * * LOUISIANA * * * * * Shreveport Survey Area Louisiana: (parishes) Bossier Caddo Webster Area of Application. Survey Area Plus: Louisiana: (parishes) Bienville Claiborne De Soto East Carroll Jackson Lincoln Morehouse Ouachita Red River Richland Union West Carroll Texas: Cherokee Gregg Harrison Panola Rusk Upshur * * * * * TEXAS * * * * * Texarkana Survey Area Texas: Bowie Arkansas: Little River Miller Area of Application. Survey Area Plus: Texas: Camp Cass Franklin Marion Morris Red River Titus Arkansas: Columbia Hempstead Howard Lafayette Nevada Sevier * * * * * WISCONSIN * * * * * Milwaukee Survey Area Wisconsin: Milwaukee Ozaukee Washington Waukesha Area of Application. Survey Area Plus: Wisconsin: Brown Calumet Door Fond du Lac Kewaunee Manitowoc Oconto Outagamie Racine Sheboygan Walworth Winnebago Southwestern Wisconsin Survey Area Wisconsin: Chippewa Eau Claire La Crosse Monroe Trempealeau Area of Application. Survey Area Plus: Wisconsin: Adams Barron Buffalo Clark Crawford Dunn Florence Forest Jackson Juneau Langlade Lincoln Marathon Marinette Menominee Oneida Pepin Portage Price Richland Rusk Shawano Taylor Vernon Vilas Waupaca Waushara Wood Minnesota: Fillmore Houston Wabasha Winona * * * * * [FR Doc. 2010-23956 Filed 9-23-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6325-39-P