GPPA Chapter 15 Fair Chance Act Remark Codes Change

Reference: NFC-25-1747144264
Published Date: July 11, 2025
Effective: Pay Period 13, 2025

Summary

On September 1, 2023, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) announced the release of final regulations to implement the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (the Fair Chance Act). Unless they have been granted an exception by OPM, Agencies may not ask individuals to complete questions that relate to criminal or credit history.

The regulations assist Agencies in carrying out provisions of the Fair Chance Act found in
Chapter 92 of Title 5, United States Code. The regulations govern when, during the hiring process, a hiring Agency or a Federal contractor acting on their behalf, may request information typically collected during a background investigation from an applicant for Federal employment.

As a result of these changes, Remark Code S49, Reason for Suspension, is no longer required when processing a Nature of Action Code (NOAC) 450, Suspension NTE, with certain Legal Authority Codes (LAC), in the Web-based Entry, Processing, Inquiry, and Correction System (EPIC Web), EmpowHR, or Front-End System Interface (FESI). Lists of required and non-required LACs are listed below in the Implementation section of this bulletin.

The National Finance Center (NFC) has also updated the Table Management System (TMGT) Table 047, PINE Error Messages and Codes, to add Error Code 874 – Remark Code S60 S61 S62 S63 or S64 must be present to Document Type 063, Personnel Action. This new edit will be enforced when processing a 450, Suspension NTE, to require the appropriate remark code as indicated in the Guide to Processing Personnel Actions.

Affected Systems

System	System Impact
Table Management System (TMGT)	Updated TMGT Table 101, PACT Screen Elements, for NOAC 450 to update the S49 remark code edits. Updated TMGT Table 047 for NOAC 450.
Personnel Input and Edit System (PINE)	Added new Error Code 874 to Document Type 063.

System

System Impact

Table Management System (TMGT)

Updated TMGT Table 101, PACT Screen Elements, for NOAC 450 to update the S49 remark code edits.

Updated TMGT Table 047 for NOAC 450.

Personnel Input and Edit System (PINE)

Added new Error Code 874 to Document
Type 063.

Implementation

TMGT Table 047 for NOAC 450 has been updated to no longer require Remark Code S49, when processing a NOAC 450, with the following LACs:

(LACs) VAO
VAP
VAQ
VAR
VAS

TMGT Table 047 for NOAC 450 does require the S49 remark code except when NOAC 450 is used with the following LACs:

V4J and ZEM
VAA
VAB
VAC
VAD and USP
VAE and USR
VAV and ZEM
VDS
VWJ
USP and USR

Note: These LACs each necessitate a specific required remark code that aligns with limitations on requests for criminal history record information (5 U.S.C. 9202).

TMGT Table 047 has also been updated to add Error Code 874 – Remark Code S60 S61 S62 S63 or S64 must be present to Document Type 063.

Note: Invalid documents will go to suspense with an error code of 874 on Document Type 063.

Resources

The TMGT Procedure is available online on the NFC website. The PINE Procedure is being updated to reflect the changes in this bulletin. To view these procedures, select HR and Payroll Clients from the MyNFC drop-down menu on the NFC Home page. At the HR and Payroll Clients page, select the Publications tab and select NFC System Documentation from the Publications Library section.

Inquiries

For questions about NFC processing, authorized Servicing Personnel Office representatives should contact the NFC Contact Center at 1-855-NFC-4GOV (1-855-632-4468) or via the customer service portal at ServiceNow Portal for Federated Users and at ServiceNow Portal for Non-Federated Users.