Changes in Filing Addresses and Procedures

AGENCY:

Federal Labor Relations Authority, General Counsel of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and Federal Service Impasses Panel.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), including the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), and the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP), are amending their regulations to update their addresses and telephone numbers, and to eliminate the requirement that parties file four copies of original documents that they file with: the FLRA's three-member, decisional component (the Authority); the OGC; and the FLRA's Administrative Law Judges, Regional Directors, and Hearing Officers.

DATES:

This final rule is effective on March 1, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Erica Balkum, Chief, Office of Case Intake and Publication at ebalkum@flra.gov or at: (771) 444–5805.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Due primarily to budgetary constraints, the FLRA is consolidating its office space at 1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC, so that all of the offices currently on the second floor of that address will now be located on the third floor of that address, along with the other FLRA offices that are already located on the third floor. The FLRA is updating its rules to reflect that consolidation and new telephone numbers. The FLRA is also updating telephone numbers and addresses for regional offices that changed since the last update to the regulation, and making one minor change to clarify that “Panama,” rather than “Panama/limited jurisdiction,” is excluded from the Washington Regional Office's geographic jurisdiction.

In addition, as part of its continued move towards fully electronic case files, and to alleviate parties' filing burdens, the FLRA is amending 5 CFR 2429.25(a) to eliminate the requirement that parties file four copies of original documents that they file with: the Authority; the OGC; and the FLRA's Administrative Law Judges, Regional Directors, and Hearing Officers. Because 5 CFR 2429.25(b)(1) provides an exception to the four-copies requirement for documents filed by facsimile, the amendment to § 2429.25(a) renders § 2429.25(b)(1) unnecessary. Therefore, the FLRA is also amending § 2429.25(b) to remove current subsection (b)(1), and to redesignate subsections (b)(2) through (b)(4) as subsections (b)(1) through (b)(3). The FLRA also is making a minor punctuation change to § 2429.25(a).

As this rule pertains to agency organization, practice, or procedure, it is exempt from prior notice and public comment under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A). For the same reason, under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the FLRA and FSIP find that good cause exists for not providing a more delayed effective date.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

Pursuant to section 605(b) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 605(b), the Chairman of the FLRA has determined that this final rule will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities, because this final rule applies only to Federal agencies, Federal employees, and labor organizations representing those employees.

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Review

The FLRA is an independent regulatory agency and thus is not subject to the requirements of E.O. 12866 (58 FR 51735, Sept. 30, 1993).

Executive Order 13132, Federalism

The FLRA is an independent regulatory agency and thus is not subject to the requirements of E.O. 13132 (64 FR 43255, Aug. 4, 1999).

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

This final rule will not result in the expenditure by state, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100,000,000 or more in any one 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.

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996

This action is not a major rule as defined by section 804 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. This final rule will not result in an annual effect on the economy of $100,000,000 or more; a major increase in costs or prices; or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or on the ability of United States-based companies to compete with foreign-based companies in domestic and export markets.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

The amended regulations contain no additional information collection or record-keeping requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Parts 2417, 2429, 2471 and Appendix A to Chapter XIV

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Government employees
• Labor management relations

For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the FLRA amends 5 CFR chapter XIV as follows:

PART 2417—TESTIMONY BY EMPLOYEES RELATING TO OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND PRODUCTION OF OFFICIAL RECORDS IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

1. The authority citation for part 2417 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 7105; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 44 U.S.C. 3101–3107.

2. Amend § 2417.204 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:

PART 2429—MISCELLANEOUS AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3. The authority citation for part 2429 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 7134; § 2429.18 also issued under 28 U.S.C. 2112(a).

4. Amend § 2429.24 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:

5. Amend § 2429.25 by:

a. Revising paragraph (a),

b. Removing paragraph (b)(1), and

c. Redesignating paragraphs (b)(2) through (b)(4) as paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3).

The revision reads as follows:

PART 2471—PROCEDURES OF THE PANEL

6. The authority citation for part 2471 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 7119, 7134.

7. Revise § 2471.2 to read as follows:

8. Revise § 2471.4 to read as follows:

Appendix A to 5 CFR Chapter XIV—Current Addresses and Geographic Jurisdiction

9. The authority citation for Appendix A to 5 CFR Chapter XIV continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 7134.

10. Revise Appendix A to 5 CFR Chapter XIV to read as follows:

Appendix A to 5 CFR Chapter XIV—Current Addresses and Geographic Jurisdictions

(a) The Office address, telephone number, and fax number of the Authority are: Suite 300, 1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20424–0001; telephone: (771) 444–5801; fax: (202) 482–6657.

(b) The Office address, telephone number, and fax number of the General Counsel are: 1400 K Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20424; telephone: (771) 444–5790; fax: (202) 482–6608.

(c) The Office address, telephone number, and fax number of the Chief Administrative Law Judge are: Suite 300, 1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20424; telephone: (771) 444–5715; fax: (202) 482–6629.

(d) The Office addresses, telephone and fax numbers of the Regional Offices of the Authority are as follows:

(1) Washington, DC Regional Office—1400 K Street NW, 3rd Floor, Washington, DC 20424–0001; telephone: (771) 444–5780; fax: (202) 482–6724.

(2) Atlanta Regional Office—229 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 900, Atlanta, Georgia 30303; telephone: (470) 681–7630; fax: (678) 498–2697.

(3) Chicago Regional Office—224 S Michigan Avenue, Suite 445, Chicago, Illinois 60604–2505; telephone: (872) 627–0020; fax: (312) 281–6500.

(4) Denver Regional Office—1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 446, Denver, Colorado 80204–3581; telephone: (303) 225–0340; fax: (303) 844–2774.

(5) San Francisco Regional Office—1301 Clay Street, Suite 1180N, Oakland, California 94612–5242; telephone: (510) 982–5440; fax: (415) 872–1445.

(e) The Office address, telephone number, and fax number of the Federal Service Impasses Panel are: Suite 300, 1400 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20424; telephone: (771) 444–5762; fax: (202) 482–6674.

(f) The geographic jurisdictions of the Regional Directors of the Federal Labor Relations Authority are as follows: