Unknown. Final rule
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/register/2004/10/06/04-22531·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
--- schema: federal-register doc_type: fedreg source_file: FR-2004-10-06.xml --- 69 193 Wednesday, October 6, 2004 Contents AID Agency for International Development NOTICES Meetings: Voluntary Foreign Aid Advisory Committee, 59880 04-22397 Agriculture Agriculture Department See Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service See Forest Service See Rural Utilities Service RULES Import quotas and fees: Dairy tariff-rate quota licensing; technical corrections, 59763-59764 04-22444 Air Force Air Force Department NOTICES Meetings:
Scientific Advisory Board, 04-22443 59899 04-22452 Animal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59880-59881 E4-2523 Arts Arts and Humanities, National Foundation See National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Centers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59928-59929 04-22454 Centers Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NOTICES Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.:
Medicare— Care Management for High-Cost Beneficiaries Demonstration, 59929-59930 04-22459 Medicaid: State plan amendments, reconsideration; hearings— New Hampshire, 59930-59931 04-22419 Senior Executive Service: Performance Review Board; membership, 59931-59932 04-22418 Coast Guard Coast Guard RULES Ports and waterways safety: Delaware River, PA; safety zone, 59799-59801 04-22504 San Francisco Bay, CA— Safety zone, 59803-59809 04-22508 04-22511 St. Johns River, Jacksonville, FL; safety zone, 59806-59807 04-22509 Upper Chesapeake Bay, Patapsco and Severn Rivers, MD; safety zone, 59801-59803 04-22505 Regattas and marine parades:
Chesapeakeman Ultra Triathlon, 59797-59799 04-22510 Clarksville Hydroplane Challenge, 59793-59795 04-22507 Hampton Roads Sailboard Classic, 59795-59797 04-22512 NOTICES Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: National boating safety activities; national, nongovernmental, nonprofit, public service organizations, 59943-59944 04-22506 Organization, functions, and authority delegations: Greater Antilles Section, Marine Safety Office San Juan and Base San Juan; consolidation into one command, Sector San Juan, 59944-59945 04-22503 Commerce Commerce Department See Economics and Statistics Administration See International Trade Administration See National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration See Patent and Trademark Office NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 04-22513 59883-59885 04-22515 04-22516 Defense Defense Department See Air Force Department Drug Drug Enforcement Administration NOTICES *Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.:* Morall, Kathy A., M.D., 59956-59960 04-22422 Schwartz, Michael J., M.D., 59960-59961 04-22421 Economics Economics and Statistics Administration NOTICES Meetings:
Census Advisory Committee, 59885 04-22492 Employee Employee Benefits Security Administration NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59961-59964 04-22430 04-22431 04-22432 Energy Energy Department See Energy Information Administration See Federal Energy Regulatory Commission NOTICES Electricity export and import authorizations, permits, etc.: SESCO Enterprises, LLC, et al., 59899-59900 04-22425 Meetings: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board— Savannah River Site, SC, 59900 04-22500 Energy Energy Information Administration NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 04-22423 59901-59903 04-22424 EPA Environmental Protection Agency RULES Air quality implementation plans; approval and promulgation; various States:
Virginia, 59812-59815 04-22360 Water pollution control: Clean Water Act— State and interstate monies appropriation; allotment formulas revision, 59810-59812 04-22523 PROPOSED RULES Air quality implementation plans; approval and promulgation; various States: New York, 59839-59843 04-22484 Virginia, 59839 04-22359 Acquisition regulations: Background checks for EPA contractors performing services on-site; withdrawn, 59843-59844 04-22483 Pesticides; tolerances in food, animal feeds, and raw agricultural commodities:
Bromoxynil, diclofop-methyl, dicofol, diquat, etridiazole, et al., 59843 04-22474 NOTICES Air pollution control: Montreal Protocol; production and import phaseout of ozone-depleting substances; essential use exemption applications, 59918-59920 04-22487 Air pollution control; new motor vehicles and engines: California pollution control standards— Heavy-duty diesel powered vehicles and engines standards for 1995 urban bus 1998 nitrogen oxides regulations; within-the-scope determinations, 59920-59922 04-22488 Meetings:
Association of American Pesticide Control Officials/State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group, 59922-59923 04-22489 Reports and guidance documents; availability, etc.: Rapid processing of Turner Designs Model 10-AU-005 internally logged fluorescence data, 59923 04-22486 Executive Executive Office of the President See Presidential Documents FAA Federal Aviation Administration RULES Airworthiness directives: Bombardier, 59790-59793 04-22266 MD Helicopters, Inc., 59788-59790 04-22264 PROPOSED RULES Airworthiness directives:
McDonnell Douglas, 59837-59839 04-22471 FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation NOTICES Meetings: National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council, 59961 04-22450 FCC Federal Communications Commission NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals; comments requested, 59923-59924 04-22493 04-22494 Common carrier services: Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service— Incumbent local exchange carriers network elements; unbundled access, 59924-59925 04-22496 FDIC Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation RULES Nonmember insured banks; securities disclosure, 59780-59788 04-22384 Federal Election Federal Election Commission RULES Contribution and expenditure limitations and prohibitions:
Presidential inaugural committees; reporting requirements and prohibition on foreign national donations, 59775-59780 04-22393 Federal Energy Federal Energy Regulatory Commission NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59903-59904 E4-2512 Electric rate and corporate regulation filings, 59912-59916 E4-2496 E4-2497 Meetings: Louisville Gas & Electric Co.; site visit, 59916 E4-2514 Pacific Gas & Electric; site visit, 59916-59917 E4-2505 Portland General Electric and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation, OR; technical conference, 59917 E4-2503 State of natural gas industry; natural gas storage staff report; public conference, 59917-59918 E4-2506 *Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.:* ANR Pipeline Co., 59904-59905 E4-2520 CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Co., 59905 E4-2501 Columbia Gas Transmission Corp., 59905-59906 E4-2508 Crown Landing LLC, et al., 59906-59907 E4-2521 Dominion Transmission, Inc., 59907 E4-2519 Duke Power, 59907-59908 E4-2513 El Paso Electric Co., 59908 E4-2511 Missouri Interstate Gas, L.L.C., 59908-59909 E4-2517 North Baja Pipeline, LLC, 59909 E4-2518 Northern Natural Gas Co., 59909-59910 E4-2510 PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., et al., 59910 E4-2502 Questar Pipeline Co., 59910 E4-2509 Sacramento Municipal Utility District, CA, 59911 E4-2504 TransColorado Gas Transmission Co., 59911 E4-2507 Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corp., 59911-59912 E4-2516 Transwestern Pipeline Co., 59912 E4-2515 Federal Highway Federal Highway Administration NOTICES Reports and guidance documents; availability, etc.:
Special Experimental Project (SEP-15); alternative and innovative approaches to overall project development process, 59983-59986 04-21975 FMC Federal Maritime Commission NOTICES Agreements filed, etc., 59925-59927 04-22517 Ocean transportation intermediary licenses: A.T.I., U.S.A., Inc, 59927 04-22518 Amerasa Rapid Transit USA Inc. et al., 59927 04-22519 AS-AV Uluslararasi Nakliyat Ve Ticaret Ltd. et al., 59928 04-22520 Fish Fish and Wildlife Service RULES Endangered and threatened species:
Critical habitat designations— Bull trout; Klamath and Columbia River populations, 59995-60076 04-22038 PROPOSED RULES Endangered and threatened species: Critical habitat designations— Arkansas River shiner, 59859-59879 04-22396 San Jacinto Valley crownscale, 59844-59859 04-22395 Food Food and Drug Administration NOTICES Committees; establishment, renewal, termination, etc.: Food Advisory Committee; public advisory committee and subcommittees; voting members, 59932-59933 04-22498 Memorandums of understanding:
Mammography Quality Standards Act— Iowa Department of Public Health and Radiological Health Bureau; State as Certifiers Program; authorization, 59933-59938 04-22497 Forest Forest Service NOTICES Environmental statements; notice of intent: Carson National Forest, NM, 59881-59883 04-22442 Meetings: Resource Advisory Committees— Mendocino County, 59883 04-22449 Health Health and Human Services Department See Centers for Disease Control and Prevention See Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services See Food and Drug Administration See National Institutes of Health NOTICES Organization, functions, and authority delegations:
Administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration, 59928 04-22453 Homeland Homeland Security Department See Coast Guard Indian Indian Affairs Bureau NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59945-59947 04-22455 04-22456 Interior Interior Department See Fish and Wildlife Service See Indian Affairs Bureau See Land Management Bureau See Reclamation Bureau International International Trade Administration NOTICES Antidumping:
Circular welded carbon-quality line pipe from— Korea, 59885-59892 E4-2522 Mexico, 59892-59897 E4-2524 Stainless steel flanges from— India, 59897-59898 E4-2525 Meetings: United States Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board, 59898 E4-2500 Justice Justice Department See Drug Enforcement Administration See Federal Bureau of Investigation Labor Labor Department See Employee Benefits Security Administration See Mine Safety and Health Administration See Occupational Safety and Health Administration Land Land Management Bureau NOTICES Meetings:
Pinedale Anticline Working Group task groups, 04-22461 59947-59951 04-22466 04-22467 04-22468 Resource Advisory Councils— Boise District, 59951 04-22457 Public land orders: Oregon, 59951-59953 04-22391 Utah, 59953-59955 04-22390 Mine Mine Safety and Health Administration NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals; comment request, 59964-59965 04-22330 National Archives National Archives and Records Administration NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59966-59967 04-22420 National Foundation National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities NOTICES Meetings:
Arts National Council, 59967 04-22499 NIH National Institutes of Health NOTICES Meetings: National Cancer Institute, 04-22404 59938-59940 04-22413 04-22416 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 59942 04-22417 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 04-22409 59940-59941 04-22410 National Institute of General Medical Sciences, 59941 04-22415 National Institute of Mental Health, 59941 04-22414 National Library of Medicine, 59942 04-22407 Scientific Review Center, 59942-59943 04-22408 NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RULES Fishery conservation and management:
Alaska; fisheries of Exclusive Economic Zone— Atka mackerel, 59834 04-22478 Gulf of Alaska groundfish, 59835 04-22480 Pollock, 59834-59835 04-22479 Northeastern United States fisheries— Northeast multispecies, 59815-59816 04-22481 West Coast States and Western Pacific fisheries— Pacific Coast groundfish, 59816-59833 04-22477 NOTICES Committees; establishment, renewal, termination, etc.: International Whaling Commission, 59899 04-22482 National Science National Science Foundation NOTICES Meetings;
Sunshine Act, 59967-59968 04-22575 National Transportation National Transportation Safety Board NOTICES Meetings; Sunshine Act, 59968 04-22579 Nuclear Nuclear Regulatory Commission NOTICES Environmental statements; availability, etc.: Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co., 59971-59972 04-22403 *Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.:* Pacific Gas & Electric Co., 59968 04-22401 STP Nuclear Operating Co., 59969-59971 04-22402 Occupational Occupational Safety and Health Administration NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59965-59966 04-22433 Patent Patent and Trademark Office RULES Trademark cases:
Trademark Electronic Applications System— Drawings filed electronically; pixel requirement waiver, 59809-59810 04-22365 Personnel Personnel Management Office RULES Allowances and differential: Cost-of-living allowances (nonforeign areas)— Methodology changes, 59761-59763 04-22531 Presidential Presidential Documents PROCLAMATIONS *Special observances:* National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (Proc. 7823), 59759-59760 04-22624 Reclamation Reclamation Bureau NOTICES Meetings: Yakima River Basin Conservation Advisory Group, 59955-59956 04-22458 RUS Rural Utilities Service RULES Grants:
Household Water Well System Program, 59764-59770 04-22448 Revolving Fund Program; revolving funds for financing water and wastewater projects, 59770-59775 04-22446 PROPOSED RULES Grants: Household Water Well System Program, 59836 04-22447 Revolving Fund Program; revolving funds for financing water and wastewater projects, 59836-59837 04-22445 SEC Securities and Exchange Commission NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59972 E4-2498 Self-regulatory organizations; proposed rule changes:
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., 59972-59977 04-22441 National Stock Exchange, 59977-59978 E4-2499 SBA Small Business Administration NOTICES Disaster loan areas: Florida, 59978 04-22490 Georgia, 59978-59979 04-22383 04-22491 North Carolina, 59979 04-22426 04-22427 South Carolina, 59979-59980 04-22381 Vermont, 59980 04-22382 West Virginia, 59980 04-22428 State State Department NOTICES Art objects; importation for exhibition: Robert Bechtle: A Retrospective, 59980 04-22473 Family support (maintenance) obligations enforcement; declaration of foreign countries as reciprocating countries, 59980-59981 04-22472 Senior Executive Service:
Performance Review Board; membership, 59981 04-22460 Thrift Thrift Supervision Office NOTICES Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals, 59987 04-22380 Transportation Transportation Department See Federal Aviation Administration See Federal Highway Administration NOTICES Aviation proceedings: Agreements filed, etc., 59981-59982 04-22502 Certificates of public convenience and necessity and foreign air carrier permits; weekly applications, 59982-59983 04-22501 Treasury Treasury Department See Thrift Supervision Office NOTICES Performance Review Board; membership, 59986-59987 04-22429 Veterans Veterans Affairs Department NOTICES Committees; establishment, renewal, termination, etc.:
CARES Business Plan Studies Advisory Committee, 59987-59988 04-22440 Inventions, Government-owned; availability for licensing, 59988 04-22435 Legal interpretations; General Counsel-precedent opinions: Veterans’ benefits under VA administered laws; summary, 59988-59990 04-22436 Meetings: Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Research Advisory Committee, 59990 04-22439 Women Veterans Advisory Committee, 59990-59991 04-22438 Privacy Act: Systems of records, 59991-59994 04-22437 Separate Parts In This Issue Part II Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service, 59995-60076 04-22038 Reader Aids Consult the Reader Aids section at the end of this issue for phone numbers, online resources, finding aids, reminders, and notice of recently enacted public laws.
To subscribe to the Federal Register Table of Contents LISTSERV electronic mailing list, go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov and select Online mailing list archives, FEDREGTOC-L, Join or leave the list (or change settings); then follow the instructions. 69 193 Wednesday, October 6, 2004 Rules and Regulations OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT 5 CFR Part 591 RIN 3206-AK29 Cost-of-Living Allowances (Nonforeign Areas); Methodology Changes AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management. ACTION:
Final rule. SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management
(OPM)is making technical changes in the methodology used to determine nonforeign area cost-of-living allowances (COLAs). The changes correct minor drafting errors; provide consistent treatment of sale prices; allow the use of non-housing price data collected on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands; correct and clarify the definition of survey areas; and allow a one-time prospective index adjustment for the Caribbean and Alaska areas concurrent with the effective date of any COLA rate changes resulting from the 2004 Pacific COLA surveys. OPM is making these changes in large part as the result of experience gained in recent COLA surveys and upon the recommendation of several groups established to assist us in administering the COLA program. DATES: Effective November 5, 2004. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donald L. Paquin,
(202)606-2838; fax:
(202)606-4264; or e-mail: *COLA@opm.gov.* SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 5941 of title 5, United States Code, authorizes the payment of cost-of-living allowances (COLAs) to employees of the Federal Government stationed in certain nonforeign areas outside the contiguous 48 States whose rates of basic pay are fixed by statute. Executive Order 10000, as amended, delegates to the Office of Personnel Management
(OPM)the authority to administer nonforeign area COLAs and prescribes certain operational features of the program. The Government pays nonforeign area COLAs to General Schedule, U.S. Postal Service, and certain other Federal employees in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. OPM conducts COLA surveys in each allowance area to determine whether, and to what extent, local living costs are higher than those in the Washington, DC, area. OPM sets the COLA rate for each area based on the results of these surveys. On February 9, 2004, OPM published proposed regulatory changes in the **Federal Register** (69 FR 6020) which would
(1)correct minor drafting errors;
(2)provide consistent treatment of sale prices;
(3)allow the use of non-housing price data collected on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands;
(4)correct and clarify the definition of the survey areas; and
(5)allow a one-time prospective index adjustment for the Caribbean and Alaska areas concurrent with the effective date of any COLA rate changes resulting from the 2004 Pacific COLA surveys. We received six comments on these proposed changes. One comment was from members of the Hilo COLA Advisory Committee (CAC). Prior to each survey, OPM establishes CACs in each survey area to advise OPM on the COLA surveys and other issues relating to the administration of the COLA program. The Hilo CAC noted that the definition of the Hilo, Hawaii, survey area (which was stated as the “City of Hilo”) was incorrect because Hilo is not a municipality. Therefore, OPM is changing the survey area name to the “Hilo area.” Another comment was from members of the Kailua Kona CAC who recommend that the Kailua Kona survey area be expanded to include Waimea and Waikoloa areas. OPM agreed to survey these areas on a test basis in the 2004 survey to determine the feasibility of expanding the survey area. OPM found that it was feasible to do so and agrees with the recommendation to expand the survey area. To reflect this change, OPM is changing the name of the survey area to the “Kailua Kona/Waimea area,” which includes Waikoloa. A third comment was from a member of the Survey Implementation Committee, established pursuant to the settlement in *Caraballo, et al.* v. *United States,* No. 1997-0027 (D.V.I.), August 17, 2000. The commenter recommended that OPM no longer collect housing data in eastern Puerto Rico because of the closing of Roosevelt Roads Naval Station. The commenter suggested that OPM consider surveying other areas in Puerto Rico. We agree that OPM may need to revise the areas in which it collects housing data in Puerto Rico. Therefore, we have removed the reference to eastern Puerto Rico from the Survey Area table in 5 CFR 591.215, removed a similar reference from § 591.219(b), and allowed for the collection of housing data in other areas in Puerto Rico with significant Federal employment. Another member of the Survey Implementation Committee recommended that we clarify the exception in § 591.219(b), which concerns the use of housing data collected in eastern Puerto Rico and in St. John. The commenter recommended that the exception state that OPM combines housing data collected for St. John with the data collected for St. Thomas to produce indexes for the St. Thomas/St. John survey area. We agree that the exception in § 591.219(b) may have been confusing and have concluded that it is no longer needed. OPM analyzes the data it collects in St. Thomas/St. John in the same manner as the data it collects in Fairbanks/North Pole, Kailua Kona/Waimea, and other survey areas with multiple locations. Therefore, there is no exception applicable to St. John. A fifth commenter requested that OPM revise the proposed change in the definition of “Washington, DC, area or DC area” in § 591.201 to state exactly the situations the change will affect or cite the parts or subparts to which the revised definition applies. OPM proposed changing the definition of several survey areas to address the need to survey certain items on an exception basis in locations beyond the local jurisdiction. With one exception, the proposed definitional changes were limited to § 591.215(a), which lists the survey areas. The exception is the Washington, DC, area, which is defined in § 591.201 and listed again with the other survey areas in § 591.215(a). Because the purpose of § 591.201 is to define terms that OPM uses throughout subpart B, we believe it would be impractical to cite within the definition of the “Washington, DC, area or DC area” each section where the term is used. OPM also believes it would be impractical to state exactly which situations ( *i.e.* , items and locations) the expanded definition addresses. Survey items change from one survey to the next, in large part based on CAC recommendations. From experience OPM has learned that it sometimes must survey items, such as golf, snow skiing, and air travel, in areas beyond the local jurisdictions listed in the table in § 591.215(a). Therefore, OPM proposed expanding several of those areas on an exception basis. The proposed change lists golf, snow skiing, and air travel *as examples* because setting in regulation exactly which items OPM can survey outside a jurisdiction would be overly restrictive and would weaken OPM's ability to accommodate CAC suggestions. Therefore, we are not adopting the commenter's suggestion, but we are making additional changes in the title and column headings in the table in § 591.215(a) to further clarify survey area definitions. Before each survey, OPM consults with the local CACs concerning item selection, including any items we might survey outside local jurisdictions. We also include a list of the items surveyed in the survey reports we publish for comment in the **Federal Register** . The item descriptions identify which items OPM surveyed beyond local jurisdictions. The sixth commenter stated that Federal employees should not receive COLA increases. The commenter noted the high cost of living in the Washington, DC, area and stated that she did not believe Federal employees in other areas needed to receive more than employees in the DC area. OPM notes that section 5941 of title 5, United States Code, and Executive Order 10000 require the Federal Government to pay COLAs to Federal employees in areas outside the contiguous 48 States where living costs are substantially higher than in Washington, DC. Under this authority, OPM sets COLA rates after surveying and comparing living costs in the COLA areas and the DC area. Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Review This rule has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget in accordance with Executive Order 12866. 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 591 Government employees, Travel and transportation expenses, Wages. Office of Personnel Management. Kay Coles James, Director. Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management amends subpart B of 5 CFR part 591 as follows: PART 591—ALLOWANCES AND DIFFERENTIALS Subpart B—Cost-of-Living Allowance and Post Differential—Nonforeign Areas 1. The authority citation for subpart B of 5 CFR part 591 continues to read as follows: Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5941; E.O. 10000, 3 CFR, 1943-1948 Comp., p. 792; and E.O. 12510, 3 CFR, 1985 Comp., p. 338. 2. In § 591.201, revise the definition of “Washington, DC, area or DC area” to read as follows: § 591.201 Definitions. *Washington, DC, area or DC area* means the District of Columbia; Montgomery County, MD; Prince Georges County, MD; Arlington County, VA; Fairfax County, VA; Prince William County, VA; and the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, Virginia; and in the context of certain survey items, includes additional geographic locations beyond these jurisdictions. 3. In § 591.213, revise paragraph (b)(1) to read as follows: § 591.213 What prices does OPM collect?
(b)* * *
(1)OPM does not collect coupon prices, clearance prices, going-out-of-business prices, or area-wide distress sale prices. 4. In § 591.215, revise paragraph
(a)to read as follows: § 591.215 Where does OPM collect prices in the COLA and DC areas?
(a)*Survey areas.* Each COLA area has one survey area, except Hawaii County, HI, and the U.S. Virgin Islands COLA areas. Hawaii County has two survey areas: the Hilo area and the Kailua Kona/Waimea area. The U.S. Virgin Islands also has two survey areas: the Island of St. Croix and the Islands of St. Thomas and St. John. The Washington, DC, area has three survey areas: the District of Columbia, the Maryland suburbs of the District of Columbia, and the Virginia suburbs of the District of Columbia. OPM collects non-housing data throughout the survey area, and for selected items such as golf, snow skiing, and air travel, OPM collects non-housing data in additional geographic locations. OPM may collect housing data throughout the survey area or in specific housing data collection areas. The following table shows the survey areas: Survey Areas COLA and reference areas Survey areas and geographic coverage Anchorage City of Anchorage. 1 Fairbanks Fairbanks/North Pole area. 1 Juneau Juneau/Mendenhall/Douglas area. 1 Rest of Alaska See paragraph
(c)of this section. Honolulu City and County of Honolulu. Hawaii County Hilo area. 1 Kailua Kona/Waimea area. Kauai Kauai Island. Maui Maui Island. Guam & CNMI Guam. Puerto Rico San Juan/Caguas area. 2 U.S. Virgin Islands St. Croix. St. Thomas/St. John area. 3 Washington, DC-DC District of Columbia. 1 Washington, DC-MD Montgomery County and Prince Georges County. 1 Washington, DC-VA Arlington County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, City of Manassas, and City of Manassas Park. 1 1 For selected items, such as golf, snow skiing, and air travel, these survey areas may include additional geographic locations beyond these jurisdictions. 2 OPM may collect housing data in other areas in Puerto Rico that have a significant concentration of Federal employees stationed in those areas. 3 OPM collects housing data in St. John. OPM also may collect non-housing data from selected outlets in St. John. 5. In § 591.216, revise paragraph
(b)to read as follows: § 591.216 How does OPM combine survey data for the DC area and for COLA areas with multiple survey areas?
(b)*COLA areas with multiple survey areas.* OPM computes weighted average indexes at the item, PEG, MEG, and/or overall level by using the corresponding indexes and Federal employment weights from each survey area within the COLA area. 6. In § 591.219, revise paragraph
(b)to read as follows: § 591.219 How does OPM compute shelter price indexes?
(b)OPM then uses these characteristics and rental prices and/or estimates in hedonic regressions (a type of multiple regression) to compute for each COLA survey area the price index for rental and/or rental equivalent units of comparable quality and size between the COLA survey area and the Washington, DC, area. 7. In § 591.222, revise paragraph
(c)to read as follows: § 591.222 How does OPM use the expenditure weights to combine price indexes?
(c)*Step 3.* OPM repeats the process described in Step 2 at each level of aggregation within the PEG to produce a price index for the PEG, at the PEG level to produce an index for the MEG, and at the MEG level to produce the overall price index for the COLA area. 8. In § 591.224, revise paragraph
(b)and add paragraph
(c)to read as follows: § 591.224 How does OPM adjust price indexes between surveys?
(b)Paragraph
(a)of this section applies beginning with the effective date of the results of the 2005 survey conducted in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
(c)Based on additional housing data that may be collected before the 2005 survey conducted in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, OPM will adjust as warranted the price indexes and COLA rates for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the COLA areas in the State of Alaska. OPM will implement any such adjustments on a one-time basis on the effective date of the results of the 2004 surveys conducted in Hawaii and Guam/CNMI, and subject to § 591.228. OPM will publish such adjustments as provided in § 591.229. [FR Doc. 04-22531 Filed 10-5-04; 8:45 am]
Connectionstraces to 3
2 references not yet in our index
- 5 CFR 591
- 5 CFR 591.215
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