[Federal Register: April 7, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 66)] [Notices] [Page 16631-16632] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr07ap97_dat-117] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT January 1997 Pay Adjustments AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The rates of basic pay and locality payments for certain categories of Federal employees were adjusted in January 1997, as authorized by the President. This notice documents those pay adjustments for the public record. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharon Herzberg, Office of Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems Service, Office of Personnel Management, (202) 606-2858, FAX (202) 606- 4264, or email to payleave@opm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 22, 1996, the President transmitted to Congress an alternative plan under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 5304a that established the January 1997 locality pay adjustments for General Schedule (GS) employees in the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia. On December 27, 1996, the President signed Executive Order 13033 (62 FR 252). This order implemented increases in rates of basic pay for various categories of Federal employees effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 1997, as required by 5 U.S.C. 5303. The 1997 General Schedule, reflecting the 2.3-percent general increase, was published in Schedule 1 of Executive Order 13033. Executive Order 13033 also included the percentage amounts of the 1997 locality payments as established by the President's alternative plan of November 22, 1996. (See Section 5 and Schedule 9 of Executive order 13033.) The publication of this notice satisfies the requirement in section 5(b) of Executive Order 13033 that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publish appropriate notice of the 1997 locality payments in Federal Register. Locality payments are authorized for General Schedule employees under 5 U.S.C. 5304 and 5304a. They apply in the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia. In 1997, there are 30 separate locality pay areas with locality payments ranging from 4.81 percent to 11.52 percent. These 1997 locality pay percentages, which replaced the locality pay percentages that were applicable in 1996, became effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 1997. An employee's locality-adjusted annual rate of pay is computed by increasing his or her scheduled annual rate of basic pay (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5302(8) and 5 CFR 531.602) by the applicable locality pay percentage. (See 5 CFR 531.604 and 531.605.) On December 5, 1996, the Director of OPM, on behalf of the President's Pay Agent, extended the 1997 locality-based comparability payments to the same Governmentwide and single-agency categories of non-GS employees that were authorized to receive the 1996 locality payments. The Governmentwide categories include members of the Senior Executive Service (SES), the Foreign Service, and the Senior Foreign Service; employees in senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions; administrative law judges; and members of Boards of Contracts Appeals. Public Law 104-208, September 30, 1996, provided that there would be no increase in the rates of basic pay for the Executive Schedule. By law, the maximum rate of basic pay for members of the SES may not exceed level IV of the Executive Schedule. The President has established six rates of basic pay for members of the SES with the maximum SES rate of basic pay (ES-6) equivalent to the rate of basic pay for level IV (currently $115,700). (See 5 U.S.C. 5382(b) and Schedule 5 of Executive Order 13033.) Schedule 4 of Executive Order 13033 reflects a decision by the President to increase the rates of basic pay for members of the SES by 2.3 percent at levels ES-1 through ES-4. Since level IV of the Executive Schedule was not increased, the new rate of basic pay for ES-5 is $115,700 (an increase of about 1.5 percent), and the rate of basic pay for ES-6 rate remains unchanged at $115,700. The minimum rate of basic pay for senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions increased by 2.3 percent (to $85,073) because it is calculated as a percentage of the minimum rate of basic pay for GS-15 of the General Schedule. The maximum rate of basic pay for SL and ST positions remains unchanged because it is linked to level IV of the Executive Schedule ($115,700), which remains unchanged. Rates of basic pay for administrative law judges and members of Boards of Contract Appeals remain unchanged in 1997 because these rates are calculated as a percentage of the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule, which remains unchanged. OPM has published ``Salary Table No. 97'' (OPM Doc. 124-48-6, January 1997), which provides complete salary tables incorporating the 1997 pay adjustments, information on general pay administration matters, locality pay area definitions, Internal Revenue Service withholding tables, and other related information. The rates of pay shown in ``Salary Table No. 97'' are the official rates of pay for affected employees and are hereby incorporated as part of this notice. Copies of ``Salary Table No. 97'' may be purchased from the Government Printing Office (GPO) by calling (202) 512-1800 or FAX at (202) 512- 2250. Copies of Salary Table 97'' may also be ordered online from GPO at http://www.gpo.gov/su__docs/sale/prf/prf.html. In addition, individual pay schedules may be downloaded directly from OPM's electronic bulletin board, which is reached by dialing via modem (202) 606-4800. Pay tables may also be downloaded from OPM's Internet web cite at http://www.opm.gov/pay. [[Page 16632]] Office of Personnel Management. James B. King, Director. [FR Doc. 97-8724 Filed 4-4-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6301-01-M