# 5 CFR § 591.201: Definitions > Federal · Regulations · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.201 ## Section - **Citation:** 5 CFR § 591.201 - **Heading:** Definitions - **Jurisdiction:** Federal - **Kind:** Regulations - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** September 22, 2026 - **Source:** Publisher's official text - **Location:** Title 5—Administrative Personnel > CHAPTER I—OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT > SUBCHAPTER B—CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS > PART 591—ALLOWANCES AND DIFFERENTIALS > Subpart B—Cost-of-Living Allowance and Post Differential—Nonforeign Areas ## Text In this subpart— Agency means an Executive agency as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, but does not include Government-controlled corporations. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) means the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) means the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is part of the Guam/CNMI COLA area. Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) means the BLS survey of consumers and their expenditures. Consumer Price Index (CPI) means the BLS survey of the change of consumer prices over time. Cost-of-living allowance (COLA) means an allowance that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) establishes under 5 U.S.C. 5941 at a location in a nonforeign area where living costs are substantially higher than in the Washington, DC, area. Cost-of-living allowance area means a geographic area for which OPM has authorized a COLA. COLA areas are listed in § 591.207. Detailed Expenditure Category (DEC) means the lowest level of expenditure shown in tabulated nationwide CES data. Major Expenditure Group (MEG) means one of the nine major groups into which OPM categorizes expenditures. These categories are food, shelter and utilities, clothing, transportation, household furnishings and supplies, medical, education and communication, recreation, and miscellaneous. Nonforeign area means one of the areas listed in § 591.205. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) means the Office of Personnel Management. Official worksite means the official location of an employee's position of record as determined under 5 CFR 531.605. Position of record means an employee's official position (defined by grade, occupational series, employing agency, law enforcement officer status, and any other condition that determines coverage under a pay schedule (other than official worksite)), as documented on the employee's most recent Notification of Personnel Action (Standard Form 50 or equivalent) and the current position description, excluding any position to which the employee is temporarily detailed. For an employee whose change in official position is followed within 3 workdays by a reduction in force resulting in the employee's separation before he or she is required to report for duty in the new position, the position of record in effect immediately before the position change is deemed to remain the position of record through the date of separation. Post differential means an allowance OPM establishes under 5 U.S.C. 5941 at a location in a nonforeign area where conditions of environment differ substantially from conditions of environment in the contiguous United States and warrant its payment as a recruitment incentive. Post differential area means a geographic area for which OPM authorizes a post differential. Post differential areas are listed in § 591.231. Primary Expenditure Group (PEG) means one of approximately 40 expenditure groups into which OPM categorizes expenditures. A PEG is the first level of categorization under the MEG. Rate of basic pay means the rate of pay fixed by statute for the position held by an individual, including any supplement included as part of basic pay under this subpart by law or regulation (e.g., a special rate supplement under 5 CFR part 530, subpart C), before any deductions and exclusive of additional pay of any other kind, such as overtime pay, night differential, extra pay for work on holidays, or other allowances and differentials. For firefighters covered by 5 U.S.C. 5545b, straight-time pay for regular overtime hours is basic pay, as provided in § 550.1305(b) of this chapter. Washington, DC, area or DC area means the District of Columbia; Montgomery County, MD; Prince Georges County, MD; Arlington County, VA; Fairfax County, VA; Prince William County, VA; and the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, Virginia; and in the context of certain survey items, includes additional geographic locations beyond these jurisdictions. [67 FR 22340, May 3, 2002, as amended at 69 FR 59762, Oct. 6, 2004; 70 FR 31314, May 31, 2005] ## Nearby sections - [5 CFR § 591.101 § 591.101 Purpose.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.101.md) - [5 CFR § 591.102 § 591.102 Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.102.md) - [5 CFR § 591.103 § 591.103 Maximum uniform allowance rate.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.103.md) - [5 CFR § 591.104 § 591.104 Higher initial maximum uniform allowance rate.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.104.md) - [5 CFR § 591.105 § 591.105 Program administration.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.105.md) - [5 CFR § 591.201 § 591.201 Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.201.md) - [5 CFR § 591.301 § 591.301 Purpose.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.301.md) - [5 CFR § 591.302 § 591.302 Coverage.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.302.md) - [5 CFR § 591.303 § 591.303 Responsibilities of agencies and the Office of Personnel Management.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.303.md) - [5 CFR § 591.304 § 591.304 Criteria for determining remoteness.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.304.md) - [5 CFR § 591.305 § 591.305 Allowance rates.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.305.md) - [5 CFR § 591.306 § 591.306 Employee eligibility for an allowance.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.306.md) - [5 CFR § 591.307 § 591.307 Payment of allowance rate.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.307.md) - [5 CFR § 591.308 § 591.308 Relationship to additional pay payable under other statutes.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.308.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-5-591.201. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.