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. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

27243

Vol. 61, No. 106

Friday, May 31, 1996

OFFICE OF PERSONNEL

MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206–AH30

Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment

of Merced, CA, Nonappropriated Fund

Wage Area

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel

Management is issuing a final rule to

abolish the Merced, CA,

nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal

Wage System (FWS) wage area and

redefine the county having continuing

FWS employment (Fresno) as an area of

application to the Kern, CA, NAF wage

area for pay-setting purposes. The

remaining Merced wage area county

(Merced) has no FWS employment and

is being deleted.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

Shields, (202) 606–2848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

February 15, 1996, the Office of

Personnel Management (OPM)

published an interim rule to abolish the

Merced, CA, nonappropriated fund

(NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS)

wage area and redefine the county

having continuing FWS employment

(Fresno County) as an area of

application to the Kern, CA, NAF wage

area for pay-setting purposes. The

remaining Merced wage area county

(Merced) is being deleted because is has

no FWS employment. The interim rule

provided a 30-day period for public

comment. OPM received no comments

during the comment period. Therefore,

the interim rule is being adopted as a

final rule.

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 February

15, 1996 (61 FR 5921), is adopted as

final without any changes.

Office of Personnel Management.

Lorraine A. Green,

Deputy Director,

[FR Doc. 96–13683 Filed 5–30–96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325–01–M

5 CFR Part 591

RIN 3206–AH17

Allowances and Differentials; Separate

Maintenance Allowance for Duty at

Johnston Island

AGENCY: Office of Personnel

Management.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel

Management (OPM) is issuing final

regulations to change the method for

setting separate maintenance allowance

(SMA) rates for duty at Johnston Island.

Under this method, SMA rates for

Johnston Island are set at the same

amount and adjusted at the same time

as SMA rates established by the

Department of State for employees who

receive SMA’s in foreign areas.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Roger M. Knadle, (202) 606–2858, or

FAX: (202) 606–0824.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On

October 17, 1995, the Office of

Personnel Management published

proposed regulations (60 FR 53716) to

set and adjust the SMA rates for

Johnston Island (a non-foreign area) at

the same time and in the same manner

as SMA rates for employees in foreign

areas. The 60-day public comment

period ended on December 18, 1995. We

received one comment from one agency

supporting the regulations as proposed.

Therefore, OPM is issuing final

regulations that are the same as the

proposed regulations.

An SMA is paid to employees

assigned to Johnston Island to help meet

the additional expense of maintaining

family members elsewhere who would

normally reside with the employee.

Johnston Island is a possession of the

United States in the Pacific Ocean and

is a non-foreign post of duty. Much of

the island is devoted to chemical

weapon storage and disposal facilities.

Because of hazardous conditions (toxic

waste) and the lack of facilities, family

members are not allowed on the island.

Civilian employees assigned to

foreign areas who are precluded from

establishing a residence because of local

living conditions or Federal policy are

authorized an SMA established by the

Department of State that is periodically

updated based on the Consumer Price

Index (CPI) and budgetary

considerations. The final regulations

abolish the current SMA rates

established by OPM regulations and

provide that SMA rates for Johnston

Island will be set and adjusted at the

same time and in the same amount as

SMA rates established by the

Standardized Regulations (Government

Civilians, Foreign Areas) of the

Department of State for employees in

foreign areas. This maintains equity

between civilian employees assigned to

foreign and non-foreign areas. The final

regulations apply only to Federal

civilian employees assigned to Johnston

Island.

The SMA rates will be adjusted on the

first day of the first pay period

beginning on or after the effective date

of these regulations. Subsequently, the

SMA rates will be adjusted on the first

day of the first pay period beginning on

or after the effective date of SMA rate

adjustments under the Department of

State’s Standardized Regulations

(Government Civilians, Foreign Areas).

This change in methodology for setting

SMA rates is not retroactive.

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.