[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 117 (Monday, June 17, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30645-30646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-15216]



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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

January 1996 Pay Adjustments

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The rates of basic pay and locality payments for certain 
categories of Federal employees were adjusted in January 1996, as 
authorized by the President. This notice documents those pay 
adjustments for the public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brenda Roberts, Office of Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems 
Service, Office of Personnel Management, (202) 606-2858 or FAX (202) 
606-4264.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 31, 1995, the President issued an 
alternative plan under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 5303 and 5304a. The 
alternative plan set forth the January 1996 pay adjustments for General 
Schedule (GS) employees, including a 2-percent adjustment in GS rates 
of basic pay and various adjustments in locality payments in the 48 
contiguous States and the District of Columbia.
    On December 28, 1995, the President signed Executive Order 12984 
(61 FR 237). This order implemented increases in rates of basic pay for 
various categories of Federal employees effective on the first day of 
the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 1996. 
The 1996 General Schedule, reflecting the 2-percent general increase 
approved by the President, was published in Schedule 1 of Executive 
Order 12984.
    Executive Order 12984 also included the percentage amounts of the 
1996 locality payments as established by the President's alternative 
plan of August 31, 1995. (See section 5 and schedule 9 of Executive 
Order 12984 (61 FR 246).) The publication of this notice satisfies the 
requirement in section 5(b) of Executive Order 12984 that OPM publish 
appropriate notice of the 1996 locality payments in the Federal 
Register.
    Locality payments are authorized for General Schedule employees 
under 5 U.S.C. 5304 and 5304a. They apply in the 48 contiguous States 
and the District of Columbia. In 1996, there are 27 separate locality 
pay areas with locality payments ranging from 4.13 to 9.40 percent. 
These 1996 locality pay percentages, which replaced the lower locality 
pay percentages that were applicable in 1995, became effective on the 
first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after 
January 1, 1996. An employee's locality-adjusted annual rate of pay is 
computed by increasing his of her scheduled annual rate of basic pay 
(as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5302 (8) and 5 CFR 531.602) by the applicable 
locality pay percentage. (See 5 CFR 531.604 and 531.605.)
    On December 8, 1995, the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM), on behalf of the President's Pay Agent, extended the 
1996 locality-based comparability payments to the same Governmentwide 
and single-agency categories of non-GS employees that were authorized 
to receive the 1995 locality payments. The Governmentwide categories 
include members of the Senior Executive Service, the Foreign Service, 
and the Senior Foreign Service; employees in senior-level (SL) and 
scientific or professional (ST) positions; administrative law judges; 
and Contract Appeals Board members.
    Schedule 4 of Executive Order 12984 reflected a decision by the 
President to increase the rates of basic pay for members of the Senior 
Executive Service by 2 percent at levels ES-1 through ES-5. The rate 
for ES-6 remains unchanged, since it cannot exceed the rate for level 
IV of the Executive Schedule, which remains unchanged. (Public Law 104-
52, November 19, 1995, provided that there would be no increase in the 
rates of basic pay for the Executive Schedule. See Schedule 5 of 
Executive Order 12984.)
    Although not specifically addressed in Executive Order 12984, rates 
of basic pay for certain other Governmentwide categories of employees 
were also adjusted in January 1996. The minimum rate of basic pay for 
senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions 
increased by 2 percent (to $83,160) because it is calculated as a 
percentage of the minimum rate of basic pay for GS-15 of the General 
Schedule.

[[Page 30646]]

The maximum rate of basic pay for SL and ST positions remains unchanged 
because it is linked to level IV of the Executive Schedule ($115,700), 
which remains unchanged. Rates of basic pay for administrative law 
judges and Contract Appeals Board members remain unchanged in 1996 
because these rates are calculated as a percentage of the rate for 
level IV of the Executive Schedule, which remains unchanged.
    OPM has published ``Salary Table No. 96'' (OPM Doc. 124-48-6, 
January 1996), which provides complete salary tables incorporating the 
1996 pay adjustments, information on general pay administration 
matters, locality pay area definitions, Internal Revenue Service 
withholding tables, and other related information. The rates of pay 
shown in ``Salary Table No. 96'' are the official rates of pay for 
affected employees and are hereby incorporated as part of this notice. 
Copies of ``Salary Table No. 96'' can be purchased from the Government 
Printing Office by calling (202) 512-1800. In addition, individual pay 
schedules can be downloaded directly from OPM's electronic bulletin 
boards. For instructions, please contact Denise Jenkins by calling 
(202) 606-2900.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.
[FR Doc. 96-15216 Filed 6-14-96; 8:45 am]
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