Earlier this month, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a proposal to add another new locality pay area and expand an existing area.
The proposed regulation would establish a new locality pay area for Des Moines, Iowa. It would also include Imperial County, CA in the existing Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif., locality pay area.
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The changes in definitions would be applicable on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2021, subject to issuance of final regulations.
The addition of Des Moines would be the 54th federal locality pay area, which includes“rest of U.S.” — the descriptor used for federal employees who do not work within any of the other 53 established locality pay areas. Locality pay rates for the new Des Moines area would be set by the president after it is established by regulation.
Imperial County, CA is currently considered a “rest of U.S.” location that is adjacent to both the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA, and San Diego-Carlsbad, CA, basic locality pay areas and has approximately 1,860 GS employees currently receiving a “Rest of U.S.” locality pay adjustment.
“Imperial County is unusual in that it is adjacent to two current locality pay areas and also shares a long border with Mexico,” OPM wrote.
OPM will receive comments on the proposal through August 10, 2020.
To read the full text of OPM’s proposal, go here.