• DATES:
• ADDRESSES:
• FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
• SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
• Executive Order 13563 and Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Review
• Paperwork Reduction Act
• Regulatory Flexibility Act
• List of Subjects in 5 CFR Parts 337, 576, 792, 831, and 842
• PART 337—EXAMINING SYSTEM
• Subpart C—Alternative Rating and Selection Procedures
• PART 576—VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PAYMENTS
• PART 792—FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH, COUNSELING, AND WORK/LIFE PROGRAMS
• PART 831—RETIREMENT
• PART 842—FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM—BASIC ANNUITY

Comments must be received on or before December 9, 2014.

You may submit comments, identified by RIN number “3206-AM69,” using any of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Mail: Sydney Smith-Heimbrock, Deputy Associate Director for Strategic Workforce Planning, Employee Services, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Room 7460, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415.

Jan Chisolm-King, by telephone at (202) 606-1958 or by email at [email protected].

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing proposed regulations to eliminate several reporting requirements for Federal agencies, in accordance with Executive Order 13583 of August 18, 2011, entitled “Establishing a Coordinated Government-Wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce.” This Executive order includes a requirement that OPM review applicable human capital directives and reports that are related to recruitment, hiring, promotion, retention, professional development, and training policies and practices, and to also develop strategies for consolidating such plans and reports where appropriate.

This direction is similar in nature to a separate requirement set forth in the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, Public Law 111-352, to identify at least 10 percent of agency reports to Congress as duplicative or outdated in FY 2013, which is consistent with the requirement to eliminate unnecessary reporting.

This proposed rule would remove or amend the provisions of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, listed below, which require agency reports to OPM that we have determined are no longer necessary.

• Section 337.305 requires agencies to send OPM a copy of the annual reports they are required by 5 U.S.C. 3319(d) to send to Congress in each of the first 3 years after establishing a category rating system. By a memorandum to agencies dated May 11, 2010, the President implemented certain items related to Federal hiring reform. In his memorandum, the President required agencies use a category rating system for evaluating and referring applicants by November 1, 2010. Because agencies not having a category system in place had to implement a system by November 1, 2010, the reporting requirement set forth at 5 U.S.C. 3319(d) was met by November 1, 2013, for many if not all of the agencies covered by the regulation. Therefore, because agencies have met their reporting requirement to Congress, the regulatory requirement to provide a copy of the report to OPM is no longer applicable.
• Section 576.104 concerns reports on agencies’ use of voluntary separation incentive payments (VSIPs). Because OPM plans to obtain this data, when needed, from its central Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) database and also to ask agencies to address the effectiveness of VSIPs in their annual performance reports, we are proposing to remove paragraph (b). Currently, agencies are required to report on a quarterly basis, within 30 days of the end of each quarter, and a final report due within 60 days of the authority’s expiration. This delay results in data that is 3 to 4 months after actual separation dates. It is clear that reporting to EHRI would be on the same or similar schedule to the reporting required by this regulation. Deleting the regulatory reporting requirement should not have an adverse effect on OPM’s ability to monitory agencies’ compliance with their approved plans.
• Section 792.204 requires agencies providing child care subsidies to report utilization data to OPM annually. As we have not discerned a sufficient level of interest in this information to justify requiring it on an annual basis, we are proposing to remove this requirement and require agencies to track the utilization of their funds and report the results to OPM as needed.

Sections 831.114 and 842.213 concern reports on agencies’ use of voluntary early retirement authority (VERAs). Because OPM plans to obtain this data, when needed, from its central Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) database and also to ask agencies to address the effectiveness of VERAs in their annual performance reports, we are proposing to remove paragraph (p) from each of these provisions. Currently, agencies are required to report on a quarterly basis, within 30 days of the end of each quarter, and a final report due within 60 days of the authority’s expiration. This delay results in data that is 3 to 4 months after actual separation dates. It is clear that reporting to EHRI would be on the same or similar schedule to the reporting required by this regulation. Deleting the regulatory reporting requirement should not have an adverse effect on OPM’s ability to monitory agencies’ compliance with their approved plans.

The Office of Management and Budget has reviewed this rule in accordance with E.O. 13563 and 12866.

This document does not contain proposed information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13.

I certify that these regulations will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they will apply only to Federal agencies and employees.

Accordingly, OPM is proposing to amend title 5, parts 337,576, 792, 831 and 842, Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

[FR Doc. 2014-23295 Filed 10-9-14; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325-39-P