46384 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 169 / Tuesday, September 2, 1997 / Notices

Dated: August 27, 1997.

Sandra M. Joosten,

Executive Assistant, Office of the Secretary.

[FR Doc. 97–23338 Filed 8–28–97; 12:45 pm]

BILLING CODE 7590–01–M

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND

HEALTH REVIEW COMMISSION

Notice of Request for Comments

ACTION: Notice of request for comments.

SUMMARY: The Government Performance

and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), Pub. L.

103–62, codified in part at 31 U.S.C.

1115–1119, instructs federal agencies to

develop performance goals and

objectives in order that an agency’s

actual performance may be measured

and compared against those goals and

objectives, thus enhancing the

effectiveness and efficiency of an

agency’s work. In developing its goals

and objectives under GPRA, the

Occupational Safety and Health Review

Commission solicits the views of those

who practice before it and those who are

affected by its case dispositions.

DATES: Comments should be received by

September 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

William J. Gainer, Executive Director,

Occupational Safety and Health Review

Commission, 1120 20th Street, N.W.,

9th Floor, Washington, DC 20036–3419,

telephone: 202–606–5380. This is not a

toll-free number.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

William J. Gainer, Executive Director,

Occupational Safety and Health Review

Commission, 1120 20th Street, N.W.,

9th Floor, Washington, DC 20036–3419,

telephone: 202–606–5380. This is not a

toll-free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GPRA

charges federal agencies with

formulating strategic plans, preparing

annual plans setting performance goals,

and reporting annually the actual

agency performance compared to those

goals. In formulating its broad goals, the

Commission has sought to identify

objectives and develop measures that

are concrete and allow the evaluation of

its performance in carrying out its

statutory mission under the

Occupational Safety and Health Act of

1970, (OSH Act), 29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.

The agency views its mission as

providing fair and timely adjudication

of workplace safety and health disputes

between the Department of Labor,

employers, and employees and their

representatives. The Commission

contemplates issuing a plan which

includes both agency mission

performance goals, and internal

operational goals which will help the

Commission perform its mission and

improve performance. The tentative

mission performance goals are:

—Assure the ready availability of fair,

user friendly, and timely adjudication

of all disputes brought before the

Commission and its judges and

achieve a high level of readability and

quality in Commission legal

decisions.

—Significantly enhance the efficiency

and effectiveness of communications

between the Commission and the

public, its customers and other

stakeholders.

Its tentative operational goals are to:

—Capitalize on recent investments in

modern computer hardware and

software to increase organizational

effectiveness, operate more efficiently

and better serve internal and external

customers.

—Build a highly motivated diverse

workforce by developing a first class

human resource management system,

including highly effective affirmative

action, recruitment, training, award

and performance management

processes.

—Maintain a highly effective integrated

planning process to support budget,

mission and operational decision

making.

—Develop and institutionalize a process

for continuous quality improvement.

The Commission wishes to get the views

of those who practice before it and those

who are impacted by its decisions to

help the agency in refining its goals,

setting specific objectives and

formulating agency performance

measures.

In submitting comments, the

Commission requests that commentors

consider the following questions:

(a) Are there quantifiable or

qualitative objectives that the

Commission should pursue to meet its

goals and accomplish its mission.

(b) How should the Commission

measure the effectiveness of its service

to litigants and to the public?

(c) What objectives should the

Commission pursue to better

communicate with its customers and the

public?

(d) How can the quality and

timeliness of Commission and

Administrative Law Judge decisions be

improved and the improvement

measured?

(e) What information should the

Commission routinely make available to

the public and litigants and how should

this information be made available?

The Commission requests that

responses to this solicitation for

comments be submitted by September

15, 1997.

Dated: August 27, 1997.

Stuart E. Weisberg,

Chairman.

[FR Doc. 97–23240 Filed 8–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7600–01–M

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

Federal Employees Health Benefits

Program; Medically Underserved Areas

for 1998

AGENCY: Office of Personal Management.

ACTION: Notice of Medically

Underserved Areas for 1998.

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel

Management (OPM) has completed its

annual calculation of the States that

qualify as Medically Underserved Areas

under the Federal Employees Health

Benefits (FEHB) Program for the

calendar year 1998. This is necessary to

comply with a provision of FEHB law

that mandates special consideration for

enrollees of certain FEHB plans who

receive covered health services in states

with critical shortages of primary care

physicians. Accordingly, for calendar

year 1998, OPM’s calculations show that

the following States are Medically

Underserved Areas under the FEHB

Program: Alabama, Louisiana,

Mississippi, New Mexico, South

Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia,

and Wyoming. North Dakota has been

removed from the list, with no new

additions for 1998.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Janaury 1, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth A. Lease, 202–606–0004.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FEHB law

[5 U.S.C. 8902(m)(2)] mandates special

consideration for enrollees of certain

FEHB plans who receive covered health

services in States with critical shortages

of primary care physicians. Such States

are designated as Medically

Underserved Areas for purposes of the

FEHB Program, and the law requires

payment to all qualified providers in the

States.

FEHB regulations (5 CFR 890.701)

require OPM to make an annual

calculation of the States that qualify as

Medically Underserved Areas for the

next calendar year by comparing the

latest Department of Health and Human

Service State-by-State population counts

on primary medical care manpower

shortage areas with U.S. Census figures

on State resident population.

Office of Personnel Management.

James B. King,

Director.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 169 / Tuesday, September 2, 1997 / Notices 46385

FEHB MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 1998

State HHS total population 1

Commerce

resident population 2

FEHB percentage 3 Note

Alabama ............................................................................................................................. 1,281,728 4,273,000 29.996 MUA

Alaska ................................................................................................................................ 127,683 607,000 21.035

Arizona ............................................................................................................................... 351,410 4,428,000 7.936

Arkansas ............................................................................................................................ 576,317 2,510,000 22.961

California ............................................................................................................................ 3,988,692 31,878,000 12.512

Colorado ............................................................................................................................ 447,034 3,823,000 11.693

Connecticut ........................................................................................................................ 346,839 3,274,000 10.594

Delaware ............................................................................................................................ 67,260 725,000 9.277

Florida ................................................................................................................................ 1,673,828 14,400,000 11.624

Georgia .............................................................................................................................. 1,701,421 7,353,000 23.139

Hawaii ................................................................................................................................ 62,095 1,184,000 5.245

Idaho .................................................................................................................................. 264,791 1,189,000 22.270

Illinois ................................................................................................................................. 1,682,193 11,847,000 14.199

Indiana ............................................................................................................................... 921,251 5,841,000 15.772

Iowa ................................................................................................................................... 369,413 2,852,000 12.953

Kansas ............................................................................................................................... 377,620 2,572,000 14.682

Kentucky ............................................................................................................................ 926,320 3,884,000 23.850

Louisiana ............................................................................................................................ 1,688,346 4,351,000 38.804 MUA

Maine ................................................................................................................................. 176,664 1,243,000 14.213

Maryland ............................................................................................................................ 275,968 5,072,000 5.441

Massachusetts ................................................................................................................... 775,910 6,092,000 12.737

Michigan ............................................................................................................................. 1,947,059 9,594,000 20.295

Minnesota .......................................................................................................................... 319,444 4,658,000 6.858

Mississippi .......................................................................................................................... 1,251,220 2,716,000 46.068 MUA

Missouri .............................................................................................................................. 1,055,770 5,359,000 19.701

Montana ............................................................................................................................. 156,131 879,000 17.762

Nebraska ............................................................................................................................ 258,759 1,652,000 15.663

Nevada ............................................................................................................................... 296,287 1,603,000 18.483

New Hampshire ................................................................................................................. 117,178 1,162,000 10.084

New Jersey ........................................................................................................................ 875,494 7,988,000 10.960

New Mexico ....................................................................................................................... 546,992 1,713,000 31.932 MUA

New York ........................................................................................................................... 3,646,561 18,185,000 20.053

North Carolina .................................................................................................................... 1,729,038 7,323,000 23.611

North Dakota ...................................................................................................................... 155,435 644,000 24.136

Ohio ................................................................................................................................... 1,436,668 11,173,000 12.858

Oklahoma ........................................................................................................................... 679,457 3,301,000 20.583

Oregon ............................................................................................................................... 423,306 3,204,000 13.212

Pennsylvania ...................................................................................................................... 1,121,983 12,056,000 9.306

Rhode Island ...................................................................................................................... 171,220 990,000 17.295

South Carolina ................................................................................................................... 1,019,483 3,699,000 27.561 MUA

South Dakota ..................................................................................................................... 205,160 732,000 28.027 MUA

Tennessee ......................................................................................................................... 1,045,326 5,320,000 19.649

Texas ................................................................................................................................. 3,656,649 19,128,000 19.117

Utah ................................................................................................................................... 371,171 2,000,000 18.559

Vermont ............................................................................................................................. 71,177 589,000 12.084

Virginia ............................................................................................................................... 766,745 6,675,000 11.487

Washington ........................................................................................................................ 944,224 5,533,000 17.065

West Virginia ...................................................................................................................... 530,009 1,226,000 29.026 MUA

Wisconsin ........................................................................................................................... 996,704 5,160,000 19.316

Wyoming ............................................................................................................................ 129,546 481,000 26.933 MUA

1From the ‘‘Total Population’’ column of the Department of Health and Human Services report entitled ‘‘Table 3. Health Professional Shortage

Areas, Designated HPSA Summary Listing, Primary Medical Care HPSAs, As of March 31, 1997.’’

HHS contact for copy of report: Lisa Steinbruckner, 301–594–0816

2From the most recent year column of the Department of Commerce Report entitled ‘‘Table 3. Rankings of State Population Estimates and

Components of Change: July 1, 1995 to July 1, 1996.’’

Commerce contact for report: Karen Jones, 301–457–2435

3 Computation Formula for this column = the HHS number divided by the Commerce number.

Note: FEHB percentage equal to greater than 25%=MUA=medically underserved area.

[FR Doc. 97–23222 Filed 8–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–M

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

The National Partnership Council

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

Time and Date: 2:00 p.m., September 10,

1997.

Place: U.S. Office of Personnel

Management Auditorium, Theodore

Roosevelt Building, 1900 E Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20415–0001.

Status: This meeting will be open to the

public. Seating will be available on a firstcome, first-served basis. Individuals with