Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the Lubbock, Texas, Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AH88

Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the Lubbock, Texas,

Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is adopting as final an

interim rule to abolish the Lubbock, Texas, nonappropriated fund

Federal Wage System wage area and establish a new Curry County, New

Mexico, wage area. This change is being made because of the closure of

the Lubbock wage area's host installation, Reese Air Force Base. This

closure left the lead agency, the Department of Defense, without an

installation in the survey area capable of hosting annual local wage

surveys.

DATES: This final regulation is effective on July 22, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hopkins, (202) 606-2848, FAX:

(202) 606-0824, or email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 29, 1997, the Office of Personnel

Management (OPM) published an interim rule (62 FR 28978) to abolish the

Lubbock, Texas, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS)

wage area and establish a new Curry County, New Mexico, NAF FWS wage

area. The Lubbock wage area consisted of one survey county, Lubbock,

TX, and two area of application counties, Curry, NM, and Potter, TX.

The closure of the Lubbock wage area's host activity, Reese Air Force

Base, left the Department of Defense (DOD), the lead agency for the

Lubbock wage area, without an installation in the survey area capable

of hosting local annual wage surveys.

Even though the host installation closed, the Lubbock wage area

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continued to have NAF FWS employment. Cannon Air Force Base, located in

Curry County, NM, has more than the minimum required number of NAF FWS

employees and has the capability to host annual local wage surveys.

Also, Curry County has more than the required minimum number of private

enterprise employees in establishments within survey specifications.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-

management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning

the pay of FWS employees, recommended by consensus that we abolish the

Lubbock, TX, NAF wage area and establish a new Curry, NM, NAF wage

area. The new wage area consists of one survey county, Curry County,

NM, and two area of application counties, Lubbock and Potter, TX.

Full-scale wage surveys were ordered in the Curry, NM, NAF wage

area in June of odd-numbered fiscal years. The first full-scale wage

survey began in June 1997. The interim rule provided a 30-day public

comment period, during which OPM did not receive any comments. The

interim rule is being adopted as final with no changes.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

I certify that these regulations will not have a significant

economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they

will 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.

Accordingly, under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 5343, the interim rule

amending 5 CFR part 532 published on May 29, 1997 (62 FR 28978), is

adopted as final with no changes.

Office of Personnel Management.

Janice R. Lachance,

Director.

[FR Doc. 99-15804 Filed 6-21-99; 8:45 am]

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