Civil Service 

Retirement 

System 

Federal Employees’ 

Group Life 

Insurance Program 

Federal Employees 

Health Benefits 

Program 

Federal Employees 

Retirement 

System 

Long Term 

Care Insurance 

Program 

United States 

Office of 

Personnel Management 

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Retirement and Insurance Service 

Benefits Administration Letter 

Number: 01-316 Date: April 13, 2001 

Subject: New Interfaces with RITS

This is the first in a series of Payroll and Financial Management Guidance Letters about an 

important matter involving the Retirement and Insurance Transfer System (RITS). As you are 

probably aware, the Financial Management Service (FMS), with assistance from the Federal 

Reserve Bank of Richmond (Richmond), is developing a new system for transactions between 

agencies called the “Intra-governmental Payment And Collection System” (IPAC). The 

development of IPAC will affect agency payroll offices (APO) directly because it will require 

new interfaces with RITS. The tentative implementation date of what we are calling “RITS-2” is 

September 1, 2001, and we are working with FMS to help ensure that the transition to it will be 

as seamless as possible. 

There will be two general methods of transmitting RITS-2 data: 

“BULK TRANSFER”. APOs will transmit their RITS-2 file to FMS via the Internet either 

by a “host-to-host” or “PC-to-Host” connection. The RITS-2 bulk transfer file structure is 

being developed so as to minimize differences from the current “host-to-host” file 

structure. Thus, APOs using the current “host-to-host” method can expect to find the 

RITS-2 bulk transfer file structure to be essentially the same, with one exception: a header 

record will need to be appended. We will provide APOs the RITS-2 bulk data file format, 

including the new header record, as soon as FMS makes it available to us, which we 

expect will be in the very near future. 

“ONLINE”. APOs will access a web-site and enter RITS-2 data into an internet-based input 

screen. Although it will look different than the current “online” RITS data input screen, it 

will contain the same fields and will, like the current facility, edit data as it is entered. The 

RITS-2 on-line method will have the capability, however, to store data, so that all RITS 

information will not need to be entered in one session. 
-2- 

Although APOs will eventually be able to use it, FMS has been experiencing problems using the 

Internet Explorer (IE) web browser with IPAC. They have asked us to inform APOs not to use it 

initially with RITS-2. APOs should, therefore, plan to use Netscape 4.0 or higher for RITS-2, 

until FMS can find a solution to this problem. 

We have scheduled a meeting about RITS-2, where FMS and Richmond officials will discuss 

RITS-2 in its entirety, including technical requirements and the plans for testing and user training. 

We believe it is important that APO officials, who have responsibility for the reporting of employee 

benefit withholdings and contributions to us, attend this meeting and that it may be advisable that 

they ask a data processing professional to accompany them. 

The specifics are, as follows: 

Where When 

Campbell Auditorium 

1900 E Street, N.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20415 

April 27, 2001 

9:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. 

For your information, we have attached to this Letter an announcement about an IPAC session that 

FMS will present two times on April 19 at the Department of Agriculture in Washington. Although 

this session will not contain a great deal of information specifically about RITS-2, APO officials 

may nonetheless find it useful. 

For more information about IPAC, you should access the FMS website at 

www.fms.treas.gov/goals. If you would like to work with us and FMS to test RITS-2, please let 

us know as soon as possible. We would prefer that you email us at finance@opm.gov, so that we 

have a record of our communication, but you may also phone us on (202) 606-0606. 

 

 Robert A. Yuran, Chief 

 Financial Policy Staff 

Attachment