# Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of Certain Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas
**AGENCY:**
Office of Personnel Management.
**ACTION:**
Final rule.
**SUMMARY:**
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing a final rule to redefine the geographic boundaries of the following appropriated fund Federal Wage System (FWS) wage areas for pay-setting purposes: Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg, MD; Richmond, VA; Roanoke, VA; and Washington, DC. The final rule will redefine the Shenandoah National Park portions of Albemarle, Augusta, Greene, Page, and Rockingham Counties, VA, to the Washington, DC, wage area. This change is based on a recent consensus recommendation of the Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee (FPRAC).
**DATES:**
*Effective date:* This regulation is effective April 24, 2023.
*Applicability date:* This change applies on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after April 24, 2023.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Ana Paunoiu, by telephone at (202) 606-2858 or by email at *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
On December 30, 2022, OPM issued a proposed rule (87 FR 80472) to redefine the geographic boundaries of the following appropriated fund FWS wage areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg, MD; Richmond, VA; Roanoke, VA; and Washington, DC.
FPRAC, the national labor-management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, reviewed and recommended these changes by consensus. The proposed rule had a 30-day comment period, during which OPM received no comments.
**Regulatory Impact Analysis**
This action is not a “significant regulatory action” under the terms of Executive Order (E.O.) 12866 (58 FR 51735, October 4, 1993) and is therefore not subject to review under E.O. 12866 and 13563 (76 FR 3821, January 21, 2011).
**Regulatory Flexibility Act**
OPM certifies that this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
**Federalism**
We have examined this rule in accordance with Executive Order 13132, Federalism, and have determined that this rule will not have any negative impact on the rights, roles and responsibilities of State, local, or tribal governments.
**Civil Justice Reform**
This regulation meets the applicable standard set forth in Executive Order 12988.
**Unfunded Mandates Act of 1995**
This rule will not result in the expenditure by State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more in any year and it will not significantly or uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no actions were deemed necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.
**Paperwork Reduction Act**
This rule does not impose any new reporting or record-keeping requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act.
**List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532**
Administrative practice and procedure, Freedom of information, Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Wages.
Office of Personnel Management.
Stephen Hickman,
Federal Register Liaison.
Accordingly, OPM is amending 5 CFR part 532 as follows:
**PART 532—PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS**
**5 CFR Part 532**
1. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as follows:
**Authority:**
5 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; § 532.707 also issued under 5 U.S.C. 552.
**5 CFR Part 532**
2. In appendix C to subpart B amend the table by revising the wage area listings for the District of Columbia and the States of Maryland and Virginia to read as follows:
**Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532—Appropriated Fund Wage and Survey Areas**
**Definitions of Wage Areas and Wage Area Survey Areas**
**District of Columbia**
**Washington, DC**
**Survey Area**
District of Columbia:
Washington, DC
Maryland:
Charles
Frederick
Montgomery
Prince George's
Virginia (cities):
Alexandria
Fairfax
Falls Church
Manassas
Manassas Park
Virginia (counties):
Arlington
Fairfax
Loudoun
Prince William
**Area of Application. Survey area plus:**
Maryland:
Calvert
St. Mary's
Virginia (city):
Fredericksburg
Virginia (counties):
Albemarle (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Augusta (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Clarke
Culpeper
Fauquier
Greene (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
King George
Madison
Page (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Rappahannock
Rockingham (Only includes the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Spotsylvania
Stafford
Warren
West Virginia:
Jefferson
**Maryland**
**Baltimore**
**Survey Area**
Maryland (city):
Baltimore
Maryland (counties):
Anne Arundel
Baltimore
Carroll
Harford
Howard
**Area of Application. Survey area plus:**
Maryland:
Queen Anne's
**Hagerstown-Martinsburg-Chambersburg**
**Survey Area**
Maryland:
Washington
Pennsylvania:
Franklin
West Virginia:
Berkeley
**Area of Application. Survey area plus:**
Maryland:
Allegany
Garrett
Pennsylvania:
Fulton
Virginia (cities):
Harrisonburg
Winchester
Virginia (counties):
Frederick
Page (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Rockingham (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Shenandoah
West Virginia:
Hampshire
Hardy
Mineral
Morgan
**Virginia**
**Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News-Hampton**
**Survey Area**
Virginia (cities):
Chesapeake
Hampton
Newport News
Norfolk
Poquoson
Portsmouth
Suffolk
Virginia Beach
Williamsburg
Virginia (counties):
Gloucester
James City
York
North Carolina:
Currituck
**Area of Application. Survey area plus:**
Virginia (city):
Franklin
Virginia (counties):
Accomack
Isle of Wight
Mathews
Northampton
Southampton
Surry
North Carolina:
Camden
Chowan
Gates
Pasquotank
Perquimans
Maryland:
Assateague Island part of Worcester
**Richmond**
**Survey Area**
Virginia (cities):
Colonial Heights
Hopewell
Petersburg
Richmond
Virginia (counties):
Charles City
Chesterfield
Dinwiddie
Goochland
Hanover
Henrico
New Kent
Powhatan
Prince George
**Area of Application. Survey area plus:**
Virginia (cities):
Charlottesville
Emporia
Virginia (counties):
Albemarle (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Amelia
Brunswick
Buckingham
Caroline
Charlotte
Cumberland
Essex
Fluvanna
Greene (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Greensville
King and Queen
King William
Lancaster
Louisa
Lunenberg
Mecklenburg
Middlesex
Nelson
Northumberland
Nottoway
Orange
Prince Edward
Richmond
Sussex
Westmoreland
**Roanoke**
**Survey Area**
Virginia (cities):
Radford
Roanoke
Salem
Virginia (counties):
Botetourt
Craig
Montgomery
Roanoke
**Area of Application. Survey area plus:**
Virginia (cities):
Bedford
Buena Vista
Clifton Forge
Covington
Danville
Galax
Lexington
Lynchburg
Martinsville
South Boston
Staunton
Waynesboro
Virginia (counties):
Alleghany
Amherst
Appomattox
Augusta (Does not include the Shenandoah National Park portion)
Bath
Bedford
Bland
Campbell
Carroll
Floyd
Franklin
Giles
Halifax
Henry
Highland
Patrick
Pittsylvania
Pulaski
Rockbridge
Wythe