Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/03/05/2013-04965/electronic-retirement-processing
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 01:15:52
Document Index: 128814214

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 850', 'art 850', 'art 850', 'art 850', 'art 850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', 'art 850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', 'art 850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009831', '§\u2009850', 'arts 850', 'art 850', 'art 850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009850', '§\u2009831']

Federal Register :: Electronic Retirement Processing
A Proposed Rule by the Personnel Management Office on 03/05/2013
We must receive your comments by May 6, 2013.
78 FR 14233
14233-14236 (4 pages)
3206-AM45
2013-04965
OPM-2013-0003
List of Subjects in 5 CFR Parts 850
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-04965 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2013-04965
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 14233
Pursuant to the President's January 18, 2011, Executive Order 13563—Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review, published in the Federal Register, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) undertook a review of our regulations, to streamline and revise this part so that it better serves OPM's ongoing modernization of the processing of benefits under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB), and the Retired Federal Employee Health Benefits (RFEHB) Programs. OPM proposes these amendments to ensure the rule reflects the electronic recordkeeping and automated retirement processing improvements being deployed by OPM, agencies, and Shared Service Centers under OPM's Human Resources Line of Business. These amendments are also being proposed to provide OPM with the flexibility to implement further improvements in automated retirement processing, recordkeeping, and electronic submission of forms and retirement applications as OPM's technological initiatives reach completion.
You may submit comments, identified by docket number and/or RIN number 3206-AM54, by any of the following methods:
Email: combox@opm.gov. Include RIN number 3206-AM45 in the subject line of the message.
Mail: John Panagakos, Retirement Policy, Retirement Services, Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E. Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-3200.
Roxann Johnson or Kristine Prentice, (202) 606-0299.
OPM proposes to amend part 850 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, by updating the regulations previously published at 72 FR 73573 (December 28, 2007). OPM is proceeding with its efforts to modernize its retirement processing systems and, therefore, is proposing these changes so that part 850 better reflects the automated systems OPM has developed and to afford flexibility in developing and adopting automated technologies that improve the quality and timeliness of retirement, health, and life insurance benefits processing.
To assist in meeting the ongoing objective to modernize the processing of employee and retirement benefits, we have removed references to OPM's “Retirement Systems Modernization” (RSM) initiative so that part 850 reflects OPM's current efforts in modernizing these systems. For that reason, OPM proposes renaming part 850 “Electronic Retirement Processing.” This proposed rule would also amend §§ 850.101 and 850.102 by removing specific references to RSM and the electronic retirement and insurance processing system so that these subsections better reflect OPM's current modernization efforts and objectives. The proposed rule adds language in § 850.101(a) to clarify that automated technologies implemented to improve the quality and timeliness of retirement, health, and life insurance benefits processing must be accessible to people with disabilities as required by section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 794(d).
The proposed rule would add definitions within § 850.103 that describe specific databases, electronic records, and processes OPM has developed, utilized, or is in the process of implementing since part 850 was first issued in 2007. Specifically, we have included definitions of OPM's Electronic Document Management System, the Electronic Official Personnel Record Folder, the Electronic Individual Retirement Record, the Electronic Retirement Record, and the Retirement Data Repository.
The proposed rule also revises language at § 850.106(a)(4) to clarify that when there are regulatory requirements under CSRS, FERS, FEGLI, FEHB or RFEHB that require a signature be notarized, the notarization requirement may be satisfied if the notary public or other official's signature is attached to, or logically associated with, all records necessary to meet the prescribed regulations. Additionally, we have added language in the proposed rule to clarify that a person making an electronic signature must be in the physical presence of a notary or other official. However, the proposed rule would allow the Director to issue directives allowing for virtual presence if the procedures used by the notary or official (such as audio-video conferencing) have safeguards equivalent to the physical presence of the person signing.
We also propose removing the references to notice requirements under §§ 850.201(c) and 850.203(b). These requirements were included in part 850 to accommodate specific processes designed for the previous RSM effort. However, upon review, OPM has determined that under future retirement processes, OPM's standard informational material provided to annuitants and OPM's annual notices, which include information to annuitants regarding their post-retirement survivor election rights and annuity Cost-of-Living Adjustments, provide sufficient information to annuitants to satisfy the purpose of the notice requirements under §§ 850.201(c) and 850.203(b).
The proposed rule would also add specific references at § 850.301 to the Electronic Individual Retirement Record. These electronic record equivalents for the hardcopy based Individual Retirement Record (SF 2806 or SF 3100) are, or will be, provided to OPM by agencies and Shared Service Centers through the electronic data feeds for storage in OPM's Retirement Data Repository databases. Section 850.301 would also be amended to add a reference to OPM's Electronic Document Management System, which is a database of electronic images of hardcopy documents imaged and stored during OPM's RSM initiative. Start Printed Page 14234Additionally, we propose removing subsection (c) from section 850.301, which requires OPM to retain documents in accordance with requirements under title 44, United States Code, after they have been imaged or converted to electronic records. Because title 44, United States Code, provides the requirements federal agencies must follow in retaining documents after they have been converted to electronic records, the additional requirements noted under § 850.301(c) regarding retention are unnecessary.
Finally, OPM has received many requests from agencies to allow them the ability to submit electronically notices of law enforcement officer, firefighter, or nuclear materials retirement coverage required by §§ 831.811(a), 831.911(a), 842.808(a), or 842.910(a). To accommodate these requests, we have included instructions under § 850.401 on how to submit these notices electronically and propose amending this section to require agencies and other entities to use this method when submitting future notices.
I certify that this regulation will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because the purpose of this regulation is to assist in facilitating OPM's ongoing modernization of the processing of benefits under CSRS, FERS, FEGLI, FEHB, and RFEHB.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Office of Personnel Management is proposing to amend 5 CFR parts 850 as follows:
1. The authority citation for part 850 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8347; 5 U.S.C. 8461; 5 U.S.C. 8716; 5 U.S.C. 8913; sec. 9 of Pub. L. 86-724, 74 Stat. 849, 851-52 (September 8, 1960) as amended by sec. 102 of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978, 92 Stat. 3781, 3783 (February 23, 1978).
2. The heading for part 850 is revised as above to read as follows:
3. Revise § 850.101 to read as follows:
§ 850.101
4. Revise § 850.103 to read as follows:
§ 850.103
Electronic Official Personnel Record Folder (eOPF) means an electronic version of the hardcopy Official Personnel Folder (OPF), providing Web-enabled access for federal employees and HR staff to view eOPF documents.Start Printed Page 14235
5. Amend § 850.106 by revising paragraph (a)(4) to read as follows:
§ 850.106
(ii) Except as provided in paragraph (iii), a person signing a consent or election for the purpose of electronic notarization under paragraph (i) must be in the physical presence of the notary public or an official authorized to administer oaths.
(iii) The Director may provide in directives issued under § 850.104 that alternative procedures utilized by a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths (such as audio-video conference technology) will be deemed to satisfy the physical presence requirement for a notarized, certified, or witnessed election or consent, but only if those procedures with respect to the electronic system provide the same safeguards as are provided by physical presence.
6. Revise § 850.201 to read as follows:
§ 850.201
Applications for benefits.
(a) Hardcopy applications and related submissions that are otherwise required to be made to an individual's employing agency (other than by statute) may instead be submitted electronically in such form as the Director prescribes under § 850.104.
§ 850.202
7. Amend § 850.202 by removing paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2).
8. Revise § 850.203 to read as follows:
§ 850.203
Any other election may be effected in such form as the Director prescribes under § 850.104. Such elections include but are not limited to elections of coverage under CSRS, FERS, FEGLI, FEHB, or RFEHB by individuals entitled to elect such coverage; applications for service credit and applications to make deposit; and elections regarding the withholding of State income tax from annuity payments.
9. Revise § 850.301 to read as follows:
§ 850.301
Electronic records; other acceptable records.
(b) Documents that are not converted to an electronic or digital form will Start Printed Page 14236continue to be acceptable records for processing by the retirement and insurance processing system.
10. Revise § 850.401 to read as follows:
§ 850.401
Electronic notice of coverage determination.
An agency or other entity that submits electronic employee records directly or through a Shared Service Center must include in the notice of law enforcement officer, firefighter, or nuclear materials retirement coverage, required by §§ 831.811(a), 831.911(a), 842.808(a), or 842.910(a) of this chapter, the position description number, or other unique alphanumeric identifier, in the notice for the position for which law enforcement officer, firefighter, or nuclear materials courier retirement coverage has been approved. Agencies or other entities must submit position descriptions to OPM in a PDF document to combox address: combox@opm.gov.
[FR Doc. 2013-04965 Filed 3-4-13; 8:45 am]