This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

the Superintendent of Documents.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

93147 

Vol. 89, No. 228 

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL 

MANAGEMENT 

5 CFR Part 532 

[Docket ID: OPM–2024–0012] 

RIN 3206–AO70 

Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment 

of Calhoun, Alabama, as a 

Nonappropriated Fund Federal Wage 

System Wage Area 

AGENCY: Office of Personnel 

Management. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) is issuing a final 

rule to abolish the Calhoun, Alabama 

(AL), nonappropriated fund (NAF) 

Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area 

and define Calhoun County, AL, to the 

Cobb, Georgia, NAF FWS wage area, and 

Jefferson County, AL, to the Madison, 

AL, NAF FWS wage area. These changes 

are necessary because NAF FWS 

employment in the survey area is now 

below the minimum criterion of 26 

wage employees to maintain a wage 

area, and the local activities no longer 

have the capability to conduct local 

wage surveys. 

DATES: 

Effective date: This regulation is 

effective December 26, 2024. 

Applicability date: This change 

applies on the first day of the first 

applicable pay period beginning on or 

after December 26, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ana 

Paunoiu, by telephone at (202) 606– 

2858 or by email at paypolicy@opm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 

30, 2024, OPM issued a proposed rule 

(89 FR 46830) to abolish the Calhoun, 

AL, NAF FWS wage area and define 

Calhoun County, AL, to the Cobb, GA, 

NAF FWS wage area, and Jefferson 

County, AL, to the Madison, AL, NAF 

FWS wage area. The Federal Prevailing 

Rate Advisory Committee, the national 

labor-management committee 

responsible for advising OPM on 

matters concerning the pay of FWS 

employees, reviewed and recommended 

these changes by consensus. 

The proposed rule had a 30-day 

comment period, during which OPM 

received no comments. Therefore, this 

final rule adopts the proposed rule at 89 

FR 46830 without change. 

Expected Impact of This Rule 

Section 5343 of title 5, U.S. Code, 

provides OPM with the authority and 

responsibility to define the boundaries 

of NAF FWS wage areas. Any changes 

in wage area definitions can have the 

long-term effect of increasing pay for 

Federal employees in affected locations. 

OPM expects this final rule to impact 

approximately 21 NAF FWS employees. 

Considering the small number of 

employees affected, OPM does not 

anticipate this rule will substantially 

impact local economies or have a large 

impact in local labor markets. As this 

and future wage area changes may 

impact higher volumes of employees in 

geographical areas and could rise to the 

level of impacting local labor markets, 

OPM will continue to study the 

implications of such impacts in this or 

future rules as needed. 

Regulatory Review 

Executive Orders 13563, 12866, and 

14094 direct agencies to assess all costs 

and benefits of available regulatory 

alternatives and, if regulation is 

necessary, to select regulatory 

approaches that maximize net benefits 

(including potential economic, 

environmental, public health and safety 

effects, distributive impacts, and 

equity). This rule is not a ‘‘significant 

regulatory action’’ under the provisions 

of Executive Order 14094 and, therefore, 

was not reviewed by OMB. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act 

The Acting Director of OPM certifies 

that this rule will not have a significant 

economic impact on a substantial 

number of small entities. 

Federalism 

OPM has examined this rule in 

accordance with Executive Order 13132, 

Federalism, and have determined that 

this rule will not have any negative 

impact on the rights, roles and 

responsibilities of State, local, or tribal 

governments. 

Civil Justice Reform 

This rule meets the applicable 

standard set forth in Executive Order 

12988. 

Unfunded Mandates Act of 1995 

Section 202 of the Unfunded 

Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) 

requires that agencies assess anticipated 

costs and benefits before issuing any 

rule that would impose spending costs 

on State, local, or tribal governments in 

the aggregate, or on the private sector, 

in any 1 year of $100 million in 1995 

dollars, updated annually for inflation. 

That threshold is currently 

approximately $183 million. This rule 

will not result in the expenditure by 

State, local, or tribal governments, in the 

aggregate, or by the private sector, in 

excess of the threshold. Thus, no 

written assessment of unfunded 

mandates is required. 

Congressional Review Act 

OMB’s Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs has determined this 

rule does not satisfy the criteria listed in 

5 U.S.C. 804(2). 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

This rule does not impose any 

reporting or record-keeping 

requirements subject to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act. 

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532 

Administrative practice and 

procedure, Freedom of information, 

Government employees, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, Wages. 

Office of Personnel Management. 

Kayyonne Marston, 

Federal Register Liaison. 

Accordingly, OPM is amending 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; § 532.707 

also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552. 

■ 2. In appendix D to subpart B, amend 

the table by revising the wage area 

listing for the States of Alabama and 

Georgia to read as follows: 


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93148 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532— 

Nonappropriated Fund Wage and 

Survey Areas 

DEFINITIONS OF WAGE AREAS AND

WAGE AREA SURVEY AREAS

* * * * * 

ALABAMA 

Madison 

Survey Area 

Alabama: 

Madison 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Alabama: 

Jefferson 

Tennessee: 

Coffee 

Davidson 

Hamilton 

Rutherford 

Montgomery 

Survey Area 

Alabama: 

Montgomery 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Alabama: 

Dale 

Dallas 

Macon 

* * * * * 

GEORGIA 

Chatham 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Chatham 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Georgia: 

Glynn 

Liberty 

South Carolina: 

Beaufort 

Cobb 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Cobb 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Alabama: 

Calhoun 

Georgia: 

Bartow 

De Kalb 

Fulton 

Columbus 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Columbus 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Georgia: 

Chattahoochee 

DOUGHERTY

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Dougherty 

Area of Application. Survey area. 

HOUSTON 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Houston 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Georgia: 

Laurens 

Lowndes 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

DEFINITIONS OF WAGE AREAS AND

WAGE AREA SURVEY AREAS—Continued 

Lowndes 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

Florida: 

Leon 

Richmond 

Survey Area 

Georgia: 

Richmond 

Area of Application. Survey area plus: 

South Carolina: 

Aiken 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2024–27662 Filed 11–25–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6325–39–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Agricultural Marketing Service 

7 CFR Part 984 

[Doc. No. AMS–SC–24–0039] 

Walnuts Grown in California; Increased 

Assessment Rate 

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, 

Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: This final rule implements a 

recommendation from the California 

Walnut Board (Board) to increase the 

assessment rate established for the 

2024–2025 and subsequent marketing 

years from $0.011 to $0.0125 per inshell 

pound of California walnuts. The 

assessment rate will remain in effect 

indefinitely unless modified, 

suspended, or terminated. 

DATES: Effective December 26, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joshua R. Wilde, Marketing Specialist, 

or Barry Broadbent, Chief, Northwest 

Region Branch, Market Development 

Division, Specialty Crops Program, 

AMS, USDA; Telephone: (503) 326– 

2724, or Email: Joshua.R.Wilde@

usda.gov or Barry.Broadbent@usda.gov. 

Small businesses may request 

information on complying with this 

regulation by contacting Richard Lower, 

Market Development Division, Specialty 

Crops Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, STOP 0237, 

Washington, DC 20250–0237; 

Telephone: (202) 720–8085, or Email: 

Richard.Lower@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

action, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, 

amends regulations issued to carry out 

a marketing order as defined in 7 CFR 

900.2(j). This rule is issued under 

Marketing Order No. 984, as amended (7 

CFR part 984), regulating the handling 

of walnuts grown in California. Part 984 

(referred to as the ‘‘Order’’) is effective 

under the Agricultural Marketing 

Agreement Act of 1937, as amended (7 

U.S.C. 601–674), hereinafter referred to 

as the ‘‘Act.’’ The Board locally 

administers the Order and comprises 

growers and handlers of California 

walnuts operating within the area of 

production, and a public member. 

The Agricultural Marketing Service 

(AMS) is issuing this final rule in 

conformance with Executive Orders 

12866, 13563, and 14094. Executive 

Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies 

to assess all costs and benefits of 

available regulatory alternatives and, if 

regulation is necessary, to select 

regulatory approaches that maximize 

net benefits (including potential 

economic, environmental, public health 

and safety effects, distributive impacts 

and equity). Executive Order 13563 

emphasizes the importance of 

quantifying both costs and benefits, 

reducing costs, harmonizing rules, and 

promoting flexibility. Executive Order 

14094 reaffirms, supplements, and 

updates Executive Orders 12866 and 

further directs agencies to solicit and 

consider input from a wide range of 

affected and interested parties through 

a variety of means. This action falls 

within a category of regulatory actions 

that the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) exempted from Executive 

Order 12866 review. 

This final rule has been reviewed 

under Executive Order 13175— 

Consultation and Coordination with 

Indian Tribal Governments, which 

requires Federal agencies to consider 

whether their rulemaking actions would 

have Tribal implications. AMS has 

determined that this rule is unlikely to 

have substantial direct effects on one or 

more Indian Tribes, on the relationship 

between the Federal Government and 

Indian Tribes, or on the distribution of 

power and responsibilities between the 

Federal Government and Indian Tribes. 

This final rule has been reviewed 

under Executive Order 12988—Civil 

Justice Reform. Under the Order now in 

effect, California walnut handlers are 

subject to assessments. Funds to 

administer the Order are derived from 

such assessments. It is intended that the 

assessment rate will be applicable to all 

assessable California walnuts for the 

2024–2025 marketing year, and 

continue until amended, suspended, or 

terminated. 

The Act provides that administrative 

proceedings must be exhausted before 

parties may file suit in court. Under 

section 608c(15)(A) of the Act, any 

handler subject to an order may file 

with USDA a petition stating that the 

order, any provision of the order, or any 


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