U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has completed its annual determination of the States that qualify as Medically Underserved Areas under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program for calendar year 2006. This is necessary to comply with a provision of the FEHB law that mandates special consideration for enrollees of certain FEHB plans who receive covered health services in States with critical shortages of primary care physicians. Accordingly, for calendar year 2006, OPM's calculations show that the following states are Medically Underserved Areas under the FEHB Program: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming. For the 2006 contract year Arizona and West Virginia are being added to the list and Texas is being removed.
FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ingrid Burford, (202) 606-0004.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing final rules that permit certain police officers with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to elect coverage under the special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers. We are also amending the regulations governing special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers and officers and firefighters employed under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). These changes were made to clarify and interpret previously promulgated regulations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Ellen Wilson, (202) 606-0299.
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SUMMARY: This gives notice of OPM decisions granting authority to make appointments under Schedules A, B and C in the excepted service as required by 5 CFR 6.6 and 213.103.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Quasette Crowner, Chief, Executive Resources Group, Center for Leadership and Executive Resources Policy, Division for Strategic Human Resources Policy, 202-606-8046.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for reclearance of a revised information collection. RI 34-1, Financial Resources Questionnaire, collects detailed financial information for use by OPM to determine whether to agree to a waiver, compromise, or adjustment of the collection of erroneous payments from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. RI 34-3, Notice of Amount Due Because of Annuity Overpayment, informs the annuitant about the overpayment and collects information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cyrus S. Benson, Team Leader, Publications Team, RIS Support Services/Support Group, (202) 606-0623.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a request for review of a revised information collection. RI 78-11, Medicare Part B Certification, collects information from annuitants, their spouses, and survivor annuitants to determine their eligibility under the Retired Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for a Government contribution toward the cost of Part B of Medicare. Approximately 100 RI 78-11 forms are completed annually. Each form requires approximately 10 minutes complete. The annual estimated burden is 17 hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cyrus S. Benson, Team Leader, Publications Team, RIS Support Services/Support Group, (202) 606-0623.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a currently approved information collection. RI 20-120, Request for Change to Unreduced Annuity, is used to collect information OPM needs to comply with wishes of the retired Federal employee whose marriage has ended.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cyrus S. Benson, Team Leader, Publications Team, RIS Support Services, Support Group, (202) 606-0623.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a revised information collection. SF 2800, Application for Death Benefits Under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), is needed to collect information so that OPM can pay death benefits to the survivors of Federal employees and annuitants. SF 2800A, Documentation and Elections in Support of Application for Death Benefits When Deceased Was an Employee at the Time of Death, is needed for deaths in service only so that survivors can make the needed elections regarding military service. Approximately 68,000 SF 2800's are processed annually. The form requires approximately 45 minutes to complete. An annual burden of 51,000 hours is estimated. Approximately 6,800 applicants will use SF 2800A annually. This form also requires approximately 45 minutes to complete. An annual burden of 5,100 hours is estimated. The total burden is 56,100 hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or e-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to include a mailing address with your request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a revised information collection. RI 20-80, Alternative Annuity Election, is used for individuals who are eligible to elect whether to receive a reduced annuity and a lump-sum payment equal to their retirement contributions (alternative form of annuity) or an unreduced annuity and no lump sum. Approximately 200 annuitants and survivors request reconsideration annually. We estimate it takes approximately 20 minutes to apply. The annual burden is 67 hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or e-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to include a mailing address with your request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a revised information collection. RI 38-117, Rollover Election, is used to collect information from each payee affected by a change in the tax code (Public Law 102-318) so that OPM can make payment in accordance with the wishes of the payee. RI 38-118, Rollover Information, explains the election. RI 37-22, Special Tax Notice Regarding Rollovers, provides more detailed information. Comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Office of Personnel Management, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of the appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Approximately 1,500 RI 38-117 forms will be completed annually. We estimated it takes approximately 30 minutes to complete the form. The annual burden is 750 hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or e-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to include a mailing address with your request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for review of a currently approved information collection. RI 38-107, Verification of Who is Getting Payments, is used to verify that the entitled person is indeed receiving the monies payable. Failure to collect this information would cause OPM to pay monies absent the assurance of the correct payee. Comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Office of Personnel Management, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological techniques or other forms of information technology. Approximately 25,400 forms are completed annually. Each form takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. The annual estimated burden is 4,234 hours
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or e-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to include a mailing address with your request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, May 22, 1995), this notice announces that the Office of Personnel Management intends to submit to the Office of Management and Budget a request for clearance of an expiring information collection. OPM Form 1647, Combined Federal Campaign Eligibility Application, is used to review the eligibility of national, international, and local charitable organizations that wish to participate in the Combined Federal Campaign. We estimate 2,000 Form 1647's will be completed annually. Each form takes approximately three hours to complete. The annual estimated burden is 6,000 hours. Comments are particularly invited on: Whether this information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Office of Personnel Management, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the appropriate use of technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Smith-Toomey on (202) 606-8358, FAX (202) 418-3251 or e-mail to mbtoomey@opm.gov. Please be sure to include a mailing address with your request.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final regulation to amend the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Acquisition Regulation. The regulation incorporates changes in administrative policy and practices and makes clarifying language changes.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Leibach, first call (1-888) 801- 7210; then at the prompt, enter (202) 606-1461.
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SUMMARY: OPM is re-publishing notice of its computer matching program with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to meet the reporting requirements of Pub. L. 100-503. The purpose of this match is to establish the conditions for disclosure of Social Security benefit information to OPM via direct computer link for the administration of programs by the Retirement Services Programs. OPM is legally required to offset specific benefits by a percentage of benefits payable under Title II of the Social Security Act. The matching will enable OPM to compute benefits at the correct rate and determine eligibility for benefits. This is a re-publication of the June 1, 2005, Federal Register notice announcing this matching program, providing several technical corrections to the notice previously published on the above date.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marc Flaster, Chief, RIS Support Services Group, Office of Personnel Management, Room 1312, 1900 E. Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has authority to conduct demonstration projects that experiment with new and different human resources management concepts to determine whether changes in policies and procedures result in improved Federal human resources management. OPM approved a demonstration project covering several operating units of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC). OPM must approve all modifications to approved demonstration project plans. This notice proposes to further expand the coverage of the demonstration project to include two bargaining units contained within organizations already included in the project. This notice also announces the realignment of the Space Environment Center (SEC), Boulder, Colorado, from the Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to the National Weather Service (NWS) of NOAA located in Boulder, Colorado. This notice also adds several new occupational series used in the project and identifies changes to the Federal Register notice document Volume 68, Number 180, on page 54506, dated Wednesday, September 17, 2003. These changes do not require waivers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Department of Commerce: Joan Jorgenson, U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 5014, Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-4233. Office of Personnel Management: Jill Rajaee, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Room 7667, Washington, DC 20415, (202) 606-0836.
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