Federal Management Regulation; FMR Case 2007-102-2, Sale of Personal Property-Federal Asset Sales (eFAS) Sales Centers, 20799-20804 [E8-8314]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 75 / Thursday, April 17, 2008 / Rules and Regulations
provides Congress, through the Office of
Management and Budget, with an
explanation of why using these
standards would be inconsistent with
applicable law or otherwise impractical.
Voluntary consensus standards are
technical standards (e.g., specifications
of materials, performance, design, or
operation; test methods; sampling
procedures; and related management
systems practices) that are developed or
adopted by voluntary consensus
standards bodies.
This rule does not use technical
standards. Therefore, we did not
consider the use of voluntary consensus
standards.
Environment
We have analyzed this rule under
Commandant Instruction M16475.lD
which guides the Coast Guard in
complying with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370f), and
have concluded that there are no factors
in this case that would limit the use of
a categorical exclusion under section
2.B.2 of the Instruction. Therefore, this
rule is categorically excluded, under
figure 2–1, paragraph (34)(g.), of the
Instruction, from further environmental
documentation. This rule establishes a
security zone.
A final ‘‘Environmental Analysis
Check List’’ and a final ‘‘Categorical
Exclusion Determination’’ are available
in the docket where indicated under
ADDRESSES.
List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165
Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation
(water), Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Security measures,
Waterways.
I For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the Coast Guard amends 33
CFR part 165 as follows:
Federal Management Regulation; FMR
Case 2007–102–2, Sale of Personal
Property-Federal Asset Sales (eFAS)
Sales Centers
Office of Governmentwide
Policy, General Services Administration
(GSA).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
Authority: 33 U.S.C. 1226, 1231; 46 U.S.C.
Chapter 701; 50 U.S.C. 191, 195; 33 CFR
1.05–1, 6.04–1, 6.04–6, and 160.5; Pub. L.
107–295, 116 Stat. 2064; Department of
Homeland Security Delegation No. 0170.1.
I 2. Add § 165.T08–012 to read as
follows:
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GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
RIN 3090–AI33
1. The authority citation for part 165
continues to read as follows:
§ 165.T08–012 Security Zone; Anacostia
River, Washington, DC.
(a) Location. The following area is a
security zone: All waters of the
Anacostia River, from shoreline to
shoreline, from a line connecting the
following points, beginning at 38°51′50″
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BILLING CODE 4910–15–P
[FMR Amendment 2008–05; FMR Case
2007–102–2; Docket FMR–2008–0001;
Sequence 2]
I
17:02 Apr 16, 2008
Dated: April 10, 2008.
Brian D. Kelley,
Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the
Port, Baltimore, Maryland.
[FR Doc. 08–1146 Filed 4–15–08; 9:31 am]
41 CFR Part 102–38
PART 165—REGULATED NAVIGATION
AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS
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N, 077°00′41″ W thence to 38°51′44″ N,
077°00′26″ W, upstream to the Officer
Kevin J. Welsh Memorial (11th Street)
Bridge. These coordinates are based
upon North American Datum 1983.
(b) Regulations. (1) Entry into the
security zone described in paragraph (a)
of this section is prohibited unless
authorized by the Coast Guard Captain
of the Port, Baltimore. Except for Public
vessels and vessels at berth, mooring or
at anchor, all vessels in this zone must
depart the security zone.
(2) Persons desiring to transit the area
of the security zone may contact the
Captain of the Port at telephone number
410–576–2693 or on VHF channel 16
(156.8 MHz) to seek permission to
transit the area. If permission is granted,
all persons and vessels must comply
with the instructions of the Captain of
the Port or his or her designated
representative.
(3) The U.S. Coast Guard may be
assisted in the patrol and enforcement
of the security zone by Federal, State
and local agencies.
(c) Effective period. This section is
effective from 7:30 a.m. through 2 p.m.
on April 17, 2008.
SUMMARY: The General Services
Administration is amending the Federal
Management Regulation (FMR) by
adding provisions for the sale of
personal property through Federal Asset
Sales (eFAS) Sales Centers.
DATES: Effective Date: This rule is
effective on April 17, 2008.
Compliance Date: For agencies
already tasked by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to meet
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20799
e-Government milestones related to this
eFAS initiative, you must comply by
April 17, 2008.
All other agencies must comply with
the e-Government milestones identified
in section 102–38.360 by July 17, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Robert Holcombe, Office of
Governmentwide Policy, Personal
Property Management Policy, at (202)
501–3828, or e-mail at
robert.holcombe@gsa.gov for
clarification of content. For information
pertaining to status or publication
schedules, contact the Regulatory
Secretariat, Room 4035, GS Building,
Washington, DC 20405, (202) 501–4755.
Please cite FMR Amendment 2008–05,
FMR Case 2007–102–2.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
A proposed rule was published in the
Federal Register on April 3, 2007 (72 FR
15854) soliciting comments on proposed
changes to 41 CFR part 102–38.
Nineteen individuals, agencies, or
entities provided comments. Many of
those providing comments had multiple
statements, questions, or concerns. After
reviewing the comments, and
recognizing that the milestones listed in
Subpart H were inconsistent with the
eFAS e-Government milestones, that
section is being revised to refer to the
eFAS initiative milestones, which have
been developed between the Office of
Management and Budget, the eFAS
Planning Office, and agency
representatives over the past year. These
milestones are available to the public
via GSA’s Web site at https://
www.gsa.gov/govsalesmilestones.
The second major change from the
proposed rule is to address comments
from the public that there is a
perception that this e-Government
initiative will make agencies choose less
effective sales solutions in order to
migrate to an approved Sales Center
(SC). Section 102–38.360 is rewritten to
further emphasize that agencies should
identify sales solutions which are more
effective than those solutions offered by
approved Sales Centers by submitting a
waiver to the eFAS Planning Office.
GSA foresees granting temporary
waivers for agencies to use these more
effective solutions until either the sales
solutions are approved as Sales Centers,
or the agency migrates to an approved
Sales Center as quickly as practicable. It
is not the intent of the eFAS initiative
nor this regulation to make agencies
migrate away from effective sales
solutions. The intent is to identify the
best sales solutions for Federal assets,
and to make these assets visible to the
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public so that prospective purchasers
can find and buy Federal assets for sale
through one centralized Internet portal.
To clarify, the FMR has provisions for
granting deviations to regulations;
however, this regulation will allow for
waivers outside the deviation process in
FMR 102–2.60 through 102–2.110.
Waivers will be approved by the eFAS
Planning Office upon presentation of a
business case showing that complying
with an eFAS milestone is either
impracticable or inefficient.
This final rule recognizes different
migration dates for agencies previously
tasked to comply with OMB eGovernment milestones related to this
eFAS initiative and all other agencies.
For agencies not tasked by OMB to meet
e-Government milestones related to this
eFAS initiative, the agencies’ current
sales solution(s) are considered
approved eFAS Sales Center(s) until the
‘‘Compliance Date’’ of this final rule.
The following is a summary of
comments on the proposed rule, and
how they are addressed in this final
rule.
Comment 1. One specific comment
questioned the need to have ‘‘a duly
authorized agency official’’ sell Federal
personal property assets. Several other
comments alluded to this sales function
when comparing Federal and
commercial sales.
Response: Federal asset sales policies
have always required a Government
representative approving each sale. This
is to protect the Government’s interest
and because the transfer of title to
personal property is an inherently
governmental function. There are three
main reasons for this requirement: The
Federal official approving the sale is (a)
obligating the Government to a course of
action (committing the expenditure of
resources) for every sale; (b) obligating
the Government to the sales contract,
including addressing sales disputes
should issues arise, and the transfer of
title to the personal property sold; and
(c) verifying that the winning bidder(s)
are not excluded from engaging in
business with the Federal Government.
Finally, most of these sales-related
functions are within the realm of
activities which are ‘‘inherently
governmental’’ according to Office of
Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP)
Letter 92–1.
There was no change made to this
final rule as a result of this comment.
Comment 2. Eleven comments
specifically addressed the concern that
the Government was competing with the
private sector in the sale of Federal
assets, and/or that the Government was
impacting commercial sales or sales
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solutions. Other comments alluded to
this concern.
Response: As mentioned in Comment
1., the sale of Federal assets cannot be
compared to commercial sales in every
aspect. In addition, under eFAS, private
sector entities are the sales mechanism
for many sales currently conducted by
the eFAS-approved SCs. Finally, and
perhaps most importantly, agencies that
currently use or that are able to identify
private sector entities which can
demonstrate a more effective sales
solution than the eFAS-approved SCs
are invited and encouraged to submit a
waiver request so that, if the waiver is
approved, that agency and other
agencies, in the future, may utilize the
services of these private sector sales
solutions and be better stewards of the
Government’s interests. GSA plans to
approve waivers where there is a
business case showing when an eFAS
milestone is either impracticable or
inefficient. The waiver process is
discussed under Comment 5. For
background: GSA is not able to identify
all activities selling Federal personal
property; therefore, GSA is not able to
identify those sales activities which are
more effective than the approved SCs.
All agencies were asked to nominate
effective sales solutions for
consideration as SCs in 2005. This
request for SC nominations was
repeated in 2006. Only the eFASapproved SCs were nominated by
agencies as effective providers of sales
solutions. No bid by an agency to
become an SC using their current or
proposed sales solution(s) was refused,
regardless of whether the solution
utilized private sector support,
governmental support, or a mix of
private and governmental activities.
There was no change made in this final
rule as a result of these comments.
Comment 3. Related to Comment 2.,
there were two comments requesting
that only private sector entities sell
Federal assets.
Response: As in the response to
Comment 2., there is no barrier to
private sector participation in the sales
of Federal personal property. Many
private sector entities already
participate with the eFAS-approved
SCs, and agencies are invited to identify
new solutions which are more effective
than those approved by the eFAS
initiative. See the waiver process
comments in Comment 5. There was no
change made to this final rule as a result
of these comments.
Comment 4. Nine comments
expressed concern that this final rule
will increase the cost of Government
sales; either because the SCs will charge
higher prices because they are not as
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cost-effective as private sector sellers, or
because they are not incentivized to
maximize profits.
Response: Many private sector entities
already participate with the eFASapproved SCs, and agencies are invited
to identify new solutions which are
more effective than those approved by
the eFAS initiative. See the waiver
process comments in Comment 5. There
was no change made to the final rule as
a result of these comments.
Comment 5. Six comments related to
the FMR deviation or waiver process,
either suggesting that Federal agencies
be able to opt out of the provisions of
this final rule or stating that the process
of obtaining a waiver to the provisions
of this final rule was not provided.
Response: The eFAS initiative is
established to utilize and leverage the
services of the best sellers of Federal
assets. It would be contrary to the eFAS
initiative to allow agencies to choose
sales solutions that are less effective
sellers than those identified by the
selling agencies or the eFAS Executive
Steering Committee (ESC). The general
provisions for requesting a deviation to
the regulation remain in section 102–
38.30. However, for waivers to the eFAS
milestones (such as migrating to an ESCapproved SC), the agency must request
a waiver in accordance with section
102–38.360. Waivers will be approved
by the eFAS Planning Office upon
presentation of a business case showing
that complying with an eFAS milestone
is either impracticable or inefficient.
In summary, for this final rule, there
is a waiver process for the eFAS
milestones (following policy in section
102–38.360) and a deviation process to
the regulation that is for other than
eFAS milestones (following policy in
section 102–38.30). Section 102–38.360
was modified to address eFAS Planning
Office waivers to the eFAS milestones.
Comment 6. Two comments suggested
that the process for an agency to become
an eFAS-approved SC was not
identified.
Response: The process for an agency
to become an eFAS-approved SC is
identified in section 102–38.35 under
the definition of a ‘‘Sales Center.’’ There
was no change made to the final rule as
a result of these comments.
Comment 7. One comment suggested
that all new SCs be approved by the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB).
Response: OMB has approved all SCs
and will approve the designation of any
future SCs. There was no change made
to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
Comment 8. One comment suggested
that all SCs sit on a board which
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governs the eFAS process, and each SC
have an equal vote.
Response: All agencies identified as
Business Reference Model agencies by
OMB are invited to participate in the
eFAS ESC. The voting members were
identified by OMB at the beginning of
the eFAS initiative and include SC
agencies and non-SC agencies. The
input of the non-SC agencies is
important to obtain the perspective of
the customer agencies. There was no
change made to this final rule as a result
of this comment.
Comment 9. Three responses contend
that the proposed rule is in violation of
Executive Order 12866 as it will harm
many small businesses.
Response: Executive Order 12866
specifically excludes a regulation
limited to rules governing agency
management practices (such as this)
from the definition of a significant
regulatory action (section 3(d)). There
was no change made to this final rule as
a result of these comments.
Comment 10. One question asked if
GSA will be the only seller of surplus
property held by the State Agencies for
Surplus Property (SASPs) which is not
donated.
Response: As the undonated property
held by the SASPs is still Federal
property, it would fall under the rules
of this final rule and must be sold
through an SC such as GSA, if not
disposed of in accordance with FMR
102–37.305. There was no change made
to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
Comment 11. Two comments had a
concern that the Government is
inappropriately using private sector
business models or will violate patent
laws by using Government developed
systems.
Response: The Government must
ensure that it does not violate protected
processes or tools. There was no change
made to this final rule as a result of
these comments.
Comment 12. One comment had a
concern that the Government will have
to invest in the development of an SC.
Response: The SCs were nominated,
approved, and selected because they
have already shown expertise in selling
Federal assets and have a plan to be able
to absorb an increase in sales volume if
more assets are sold through the SC.
This increase in SC capacity will not be
funded by the Government. There was
no change made to this final rule as a
result of this comment.
Comment 13. One comment expressed
a concern that only GSA determines
who sells property under the eFAS
initiative.
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Response: As indicated under
Comment 7., OMB makes the final
decision as to which agencies become
SCs, and therefore who sells Federal
property. Prior to OMB review, the
eFAS ESC reviews and approves the
recommendations of the ESC selection
panel. GSA has only one vote on the
eFAS ESC. There was no change made
to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
Comment 14. One comment had a
concern that the eFAS activity is not
transparent and in accordance with
principles of the Federal Acquisition
Regulation.
Response: This is not an acquisition
for sales services—the eFAS initiative
involves the selection of agencies to sell
property belonging to the holding
agency (and possibly that of other
agencies). Nevertheless, the process of
approving and selecting SCs and making
significant decisions is transparent to
the representatives on the eFAS ESC,
and those who represent the interests of
all the agencies selling assets. Finally,
major decisions are fully explained and
documented to OMB. There was no
change made to this final rule as a result
of this comment.
Comment 15. Two comments had a
concern that this would violate OMB
Circular A–76 as the Circular states that
a competition should be performed
before Government personnel perform
an activity performed by the private
sector.
Response: As explained under
Comment 1., these functions are clearly
within the scope of activities which are
‘‘inherently governmental’’ according to
OFPP Letter 92–1, and, as such, do not
need to be competed with commercial
activities. There was no change made to
this final rule as a result of these
comments.
Comment 16. One comment suggested
that the proposed rule violates 40 U.S.C.
573 in that ‘‘the statute does not permit
GSA to retain charges for running a Web
site or collecting information not part of
the sales process.’’
Response: Administering the
GovSales sales Web site is a cost
associated with sales of property which
GSA is allowed to do under 40 U.S.C.
573. The retention of proceeds cited in
the proposed FMR 102–38.295(a) is
what all agencies (not just GSA) can
retain to mitigate costs in accordance
with 40 U.S.C. 571. There was no
change made to this final rule as a result
of this comment.
Comment 17. One comment observed
that the vendor has attempted to update
pricing with GSA for years with no
progress.
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Response: GSA’s contract pricing was
not addressed in the proposed rule, and
is not addressed in the final rule. The
comment likely refers to a vendor’s
pricing on the GSA schedules. The rates
charged by any eFAS SC to sell assets
for another agency is established by an
agreement between the eFAS SC and the
holding agency. There was no change
made to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
Comment 18. One comment asked
‘‘How will sales work for a private
citizen that does not have access to the
internet?’’
Response: In addition to online sales,
there will continue to be offline sales.
Also, with the continuing spread of
technology, more people will have
access to the Internet through their
community, work, or friends/family.
There was no change made to this final
rule as a result of this comment.
Comment 19. One comment expressed
the expectation that GSA will keep costs
to the absolute minimum since agencies
no longer have approved SC options.
Response: GSA agrees with this
comment. The eFAS initiative and GSA
will continually seek to find ways to
ensure that GSA rates (as well as the
rates charged by all eFAS SCs) are
competitive. Also, agencies that find a
sales process that provides a better
value should make that known to the
eFAS Planning Office. There was no
change made to this final rule as a result
of this comment.
Comment 20. One comment suggested
that Real Property sales should be left to
local brokers.
Response: The proposed rule and this
final rule only address sales of Federal
personal property. There was no change
made to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
Comment 21. One question asked if
this final rule would increase the
amount of property returned by an SC
to the agency because the property
could not be sold or the sale was not
conducted because it was not feasible.
Response: The eFAS initiative does
not foresee any degradation of SC
service as a result of this final rule. To
the contrary, through agencies
identifying and using more effective
sales solutions, the initiative expects
that service and effectiveness will
improve over time. There was no change
made to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
The following comments were
accepted and are incorporated in this
final rule.
Comment 22. One comment was that
the policy should be clearer regarding
what agencies should do with property
that is scrap, or property that the SCs
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could not sell, or that was otherwise
eligible for disposal under the
abandonment/destruction authorities of
section 102–36.305 and following
subparts.
Response: Agreed. Provisions have
been added to this final rule to address
these situations (sections 102–38.365
and 102–38.370).
Comment 23. Three comments
observed that this final rule could not
supersede their agency’s authority given
to them by another law.
Response: Agreed. It will be clear in
section 102–38.20 that agencies with
sales authorities outside title 40 of the
United States Code are exempt from
following this final rule.
B. Executive Order 12866
The General Services Administration
(GSA) has determined that this final
rule is not a significant regulatory action
for the purposes of Executive Order
12866.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
This final rule is not required to be
published in the Federal Register for
comment. Therefore, the Regulatory
Flexibility Act does not apply.
D. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act does
not apply because the changes to the
FMR do not impose information
collection requirements that require the
approval of the Office of Management
and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et
seq.
E. Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act
List of Subjects in 41 CFR Parts 102–38
Government property management,
Surplus Government property.
Dated: January 10, 2008.
Lurita Doan,
Administrator of General Services.
Editorial Note: This document was
received at the Office of the Federal Register
on April 14, 2008.
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, GSA amends 41 CFR part
102–38 as set forth below:
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I
PART 102–38—SALE OF PERSONAL
PROPERTY
1. The authority citation for part 102–
38 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 40 U.S.C. 545 and 40 U.S.C.
121(c).
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§ 102–38.20 Must an executive agency
follow the regulations of this part when
selling all personal property?
Generally, yes, an executive agency
must follow the regulations of this part
when selling all personal property;
however—
(a) Materials acquired for the national
stockpile or supplemental stockpile, or
materials or equipment acquired under
section 303 of the Defense Production
Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C.
App. 2093) are excepted from this part;
(b) The Maritime Administration,
Department of Transportation, has
jurisdiction over the disposal of vessels
of 1,500 gross tons or more and
determined by the Secretary to be
merchant vessels or capable of
conversion to merchant use;
(c) Sales made by the Secretary of
Defense pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2576
(Sale of Surplus Military Equipment to
State and Local Law Enforcement and
Firefighting Agencies) are exempt from
these provisions;
(d) Foreign excess personal property
is exempt from these provisions; and
(e) Agency sales procedures which are
mandated or authorized under laws
other than Title 40 United States Code
are exempt from this part.
§ 102–38.25
[Amended]
3. Amend § 102–38.25 by removing
the words ‘‘holding agency’’ and adding
the words ‘‘Sales Center’’ in its place.
I 4. Revise § 102–38.30 to read as
follows:
I
§ 102–38.30 How does an executive
agency request a deviation from the
provisions of this part?
This final rule is exempt from
Congressional review under 5 U.S.C.
801 since it relates solely to agency
management and personnel.
I
2. Revise § 102–38.20 to read as
follows:
I
Refer to §§ 102–2.60 through 102–
2.110 of this chapter for information on
how to obtain a deviation from this part.
However, waivers which are distinct
from the standard deviation process and
specific to the requirements of the
Federal Asset Sales (eFAS) initiative
milestones (see Subpart H of this part)
are addressed in § 102–38.360.
I 5. Amend § 102–38.35 by
alphabetically adding the definitions
‘‘Federal Asset Sales (eFAS)’’, ‘‘Federal
Asset Sales Planning Office (eFAS
Planning Office)’’, ‘‘Holding Agency’’,
‘‘Migration Plan’’, and ‘‘Sales Center
(SC)’’ to read as follows:
§ 102–38.35
part?
What definitions apply to this
*
*
*
*
*
Federal Asset Sales (eFAS) refers to
the e-Government initiative to improve
the way the Federal Government
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manages and sells its real and personal
property assets. Under this initiative,
only an agency designated as a Sales
Center (SC) may sell Federal property,
unless a waiver has been granted by the
eFAS Planning Office in accordance
with § 102–38.360. The eFAS initiative
is governed and given direction by the
eFAS Executive Steering Committee
(ESC), with GSA as the managing
partner agency.
Federal Asset Sales Planning Office
(eFAS Planning Office) refers to the
office within GSA assigned
responsibility for managing the eFAS
initiative.
Holding Agency refers to the agency
in possession of personal property
eligible for sale under this part.
*
*
*
*
*
Migration Plan refers to the document
a holding agency prepares to summarize
its choice of SC(s) and its plan for
migrating agency sales to the SC(s). The
format for this document is determined
by the eFAS ESC.
*
*
*
*
*
Sales Center (SC) means an agency
that has been nominated, designated,
and approved by the eFAS ESC and the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) as an official sales solution for
Federal property. The criteria for
becoming an SC, the selection process,
and the ongoing SC requirements for
posting property for sale to the eFAS
portal and reporting sales activity and
performance data are established by the
eFAS ESC and can be obtained from the
eFAS Planning Office at GSA. The eFAS
Planning Office may be contacted via email at FASPlanningOffice@gsa.gov. SCs
may utilize (and should consider)
private sector entities as well as
Government activities and are expected
to provide exemplary asset management
solutions in one or more of the
following areas: on-line sales; off-line
sales; and sales-related value added
services. SCs will enter into agreements
with holding agencies to sell property
belonging to these holding agencies. A
holding agency may employ the services
of multiple SCs to maximize
efficiencies.
*
*
*
*
*
I 6. Revise § 102–38.40 to read as
follows:
§ 102–38.40
property?
Who may sell personal
An executive agency may sell
personal property (including on behalf
of another agency when so requested)
only if it is a designated Sales Center
(SC), or if the agency has received a
waiver from the eFAS Planning Office.
An SC may engage contractor support to
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sell personal property. Only a duly
authorized agency official may execute
the sale award documents and bind the
United States.
I 7. Amend § 102–38.45 by revising the
heading and introductory paragraph to
read as follows:
§ 102–38.45 What are an executive
agency’s responsibilities in selling personal
property?
An executive agency’s responsibilities
in selling personal property are to—
*
*
*
*
*
I 8. Amend § 102–38.50 by revising the
heading and introductory paragraph to
read as follows:
§ 102–38.50 What must we do when an
executive agency suspects violations of 40
U.S.C. 559, fraud, bribery, or criminal
collusion in connection with the disposal of
personal property?
If an executive agency suspects
violations of 40 U.S.C. 559, fraud,
bribery, or criminal collusion in
connection with the disposal of
personal property, the agency must—
*
*
*
*
*
I 9. Revise § 102–38.60 to read as
follows:
§ 102–38.60 Who is responsible for the
costs of care and handling of the personal
property before it is sold?
The holding agency is responsible for
the care and handling costs of the
personal property until it is removed by
the buyer, the buyer’s designee, or an
SC. The holding agency may request the
SC to perform care and handling
services in accordance with their
agreement. When specified in the terms
and conditions of sale, the SC may
charge the buyer costs for storage when
the buyer is delinquent in removing the
property. The amount so charged may
only be retained by the holding agency
performing the care and handling in
accordance with § 102–38.295.
§ 102–38.65
[Amended]
10. Amend § 102–38.65 in the
heading, by removing the words ‘‘we
are’’ and adding the words ‘‘we are or
the holding agency is’’ in its place; and
in the second sentence by adding the
words ‘‘or the holding agency’’ after the
word ‘‘you’’.
I
§ 102–38.70
[Amended]
11. Amend § 102–38.70 in the
heading, by removing the word ‘‘we’’
and adding the words ‘‘the holding
agency’’ in its place; and in paragraph
(a), by removing the word ‘‘you’’ and
adding the words ‘‘the holding agency’’
in its place.
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I
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12. Amend § 102–38.75 by revising
the introductory text to paragraph (a),
and paragraph (a)(12) to read as follows:
I
§ 102–38.75
property?
How may we sell personal
(a) You will sell personal property
upon such terms and conditions as the
head of your agency or designee deems
proper to promote the fairness,
openness, and timeliness necessary for
the sale to be conducted in a manner
most advantageous to the Government.
When you are selling property on behalf
of another agency, you must consult
with the holding agency to determine
any special or unique sales terms and
conditions. You must also document the
required terms and conditions of each
sale, including, but not limited to, the
following terms and conditions, as
applicable:
*
*
*
*
*
(12) Requirements to comply with
applicable laws and regulations. 41 CFR
Part 101–42 contains useful guidance
addressing many of these requirements.
You should also contact your agency’s
Office of General Counsel or
environmental office to identify
applicable Federal, State, or local
environmental laws and regulations.
*
*
*
*
*
I 13. Revise § 102–38.120 to read as
follows:
§ 102–38.120 When may we conduct
negotiated sales of personal property at
fixed prices (fixed price sale)?
You may conduct negotiated sales of
personal property at fixed prices (fixed
price sale) under this section when:
(a) The items are authorized to be sold
at fixed price by the Administrator of
General Services, as reflected in GSA
Bulletin FMR B–10 (located at https://
www.gsa.gov/fmrbulletin). You may also
contact the GSA Office of Travel,
Transportation, and Asset Management
(MT) at the address listed in § 102–
38.115 to determine which items are on
this list of authorized items;
(b) The head of your agency, or
designee, determines in writing that
such sales serve the best interest of the
Government. When you are selling
property on behalf of a holding agency,
you must consult with the holding
agency in determining whether a fixed
price sale meets this criterion; and
(c) You must publicize such sales to
the extent consistent with the value and
nature of the property involved, and the
prices established must reflect the
estimated fair market value of the
property. Property is sold on a firstcome, first-served basis. You or the
holding agency may also establish
additional terms and conditions that
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20803
must be met by the successful purchaser
in accordance with § 102–38.75.
I 14. Revise § 102–38.295 to read as
follows:
§ 102–38.295
proceeds?
May we retain sales
(a) You may retain that portion of the
sales proceeds, in accordance with your
agreement with the holding agency,
equal to your direct costs and
reasonably related indirect costs
(including your share of the
Governmentwide costs to support the
eFAS Internet portal and
Governmentwide reporting
requirements) incurred in selling
personal property.
(b) A holding agency may retain that
portion of the sales proceeds equal to its
costs of care and handling directly
related to the sale of personal property
by the SC (e.g., shipment to the SC,
storage pending sale, and inspection by
prospective buyers).
(c) After accounting for amounts
retained under paragraphs (a) and (b) of
this section, as applicable, a holding
agency may retain the balance of
proceeds from the sale of its agency’s
personal property when—
(1) It has the statutory authority to
retain all proceeds from sales of
personal property;
(2) The property sold was acquired
with non-appropriated funds as defined
in § 102–36.40 of this subchapter B;
(3) The property sold was surplus
Government property that was in the
custody of a contractor or subcontractor,
and the contract or subcontract
provisions authorize the proceeds of
sale to be credited to the price or cost
of the contract or subcontract;
(4) The property was sold to obtain
replacement property under the
exchange/sale authority pursuant to part
102–39 of this subchapter B; or
(5) The property sold was related to
waste prevention and recycling
programs, under the authority of Section
607 of Public Law 107–67 (Omnibus
Consolidated and Emergency
Supplemental Appropriations Act,
1999, Pub. L. 107–67, 115 Stat. 514).
Consult your General Counsel or Chief
Financial Officer for guidance on use of
this authority.
I 15. Amend § 102–38.300 by revising
the section heading to read as follows:
§ 102–38.300 What happens to sales
proceeds that neither we nor the holding
agency are authorized to retain, or that are
unused?
*
*
*
*
*
16. Add Subpart H, consisting of
§§ 102–38.360, 102–38.365, and 102–
38.370 to read as follows:
I
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§ 102–38.365 Is a holding agency required
to report property in ‘‘scrap’’ condition to
its selected SC?
§ 102–38.360 What must an executive
agency do to implement the eFAS program?
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with RULES
Subpart H—Implementation of the
Federal Asset Sales Program
No. Property which has no value
except for its basic material content
(scrap material) may be disposed of by
the holding agency by sale or as
otherwise provided in § 102–38.70.
However, the holding agency should
consult the SC(s) selected by the
holding agency as to the feasibility of
selling the scrap material. Agencies
selling scrap property under authority of
this subpart are still required to report
sales metrics in accordance with eFAS
ESC-approved format and content.
(a) An executive agency must review
the effectiveness of all sales solutions,
and compare them to the effectiveness
(e.g., cost, level of service, and value
added services) of the eFAS SCs.
Agencies should give full consideration
to sales solutions utilizing private sector
entities, including small businesses, that
are more effective than the solutions
provided by any eFAS-approved SC. If
the agency decides that there are more
effective sales solutions than those
solutions offered by the eFAS SCs, the
agency must request a waiver from the
milestones using the procedures and
forms provided by the eFAS Planning
Office. Waivers will be approved by the
eFAS Planning Office upon presentation
of a business case showing that
complying with an eFAS milestone is
either impracticable or inefficient.
Waiver approval will be coordinated
with GSA’s Office of Travel,
Transportation, and Asset Management.
Contact the eFAS Planning Office at
FASPlanningOffice@gsa.gov to obtain
these procedures and forms.
(b) An approved waiver for meeting
one of the eFAS milestones does not
automatically waive all milestone
requirements. For example, if an agency
receives a waiver to the migration
milestone, the agency must still (1) post
asset information on the eFAS Web site
and (2) provide post-sales data to the
eFAS Planning Office in accordance
with the content and format
requirements developed by the eFAS
ESC, unless waivers to these milestones
are also requested and approved.
Waivers to the eFAS milestones will not
be permanent. Upon expiration of the
waiver to the migration milestone, an
agency must either migrate to an
approved SC, or serve as a fully
functioning SC, as soon as practicable.
See the definition of a ‘‘Sales Center’’ at
§ 102–38.35 for an overview of how
agency sales solutions become SCs.
(c) An agency which receives a waiver
from the eFAS milestones must comply
with subparts A through G of this part
as if it were an SC.
(d) An executive agency must comply
with all eFAS milestones approved by
OMB including those regarding the
completion of an agency-wide sales
migration plan, the reporting of pre- and
post-sales data, and the migration to
approved SCs unless a waiver has been
submitted by the agency and approved
by the eFAS Planning Office. The eFAS
milestones are available for viewing at
https://www.gsa.gov/govsalesmilestones.
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§ 102–38.370 What does a holding agency
do with property which cannot be sold by
its SC?
All reasonable efforts must be
afforded the SC to sell the property. If
the property remains unsold after the
time frame agreed to between the SC
and the holding agency, the holding
agency may dispose of the property by
sale or as otherwise provided in § 102–
38.70. The lack of public interest in
buying the property is evidence that the
sales proceeds would be minimal.
Agencies selling property under
authority of this subpart are still
required to report sales metrics in
accordance with eFAS ESC-approved
format and content.
[FR Doc. E8–8314 Filed 4–16–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–14–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
42 CFR Parts 422 and 423
[CMS–4133–CN]
RIN 0938–AP25
Medicare Program; Modification to the
Weighting Methodology Used To
Calculate the Low-Income Benchmark
Amount; Correction
Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Correction of final.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This document corrects
mathematical errors that appeared in the
impact analysis accompanying the final
rule that appeared in the Federal
Register on April 3, 2008 entitled,
‘‘Modification to the Weighting
Methodology Used to Calculate the
Low-Income Benchmark Amount.’’
DATES: Effective Date: May 31, 2008.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul
Spitalnic, (410) 786–2328.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
In FR Doc.08–1088 of April 3, 2008
(73 FR 18176), there were a number of
technical errors that are identified and
corrected in the Correction of Errors
section below. The provisions in this
correction notice are effective as if they
had been included in the document
printed in the Federal Register on April
3, 2008. Accordingly, the corrections are
effective May 31, 2008.
II. Summary of Errors
This correction notice corrects the
impact estimates shown in the preamble
to the final rule, Medicare Program;
Modification to the Weighting
Methodology Used to Calculate the
Low-Income Benchmark Amount (CMS–
4133–F), which appeared in the Federal
Register on April 3, 2008. That final
rule introduced an improved weighting
method in the calculation of the lowincome benchmark premium amount
under section 1860D–14(b)(2)(A)(ii) of
the Social Security Act.
The impact estimates presented in the
final rule were affected by a
mathematical calculation error that
resulted in an overestimate of the
number of Medicare Part D enrollees
affected by the final rule and a similar
overestimate of the additional cost to
Medicare under the new policy. This
notice corrects the estimated reduction
in the future number of low-income
subsidy eligible beneficiaries who
would have to be reassigned to a
different Part D prescription drug
benefit plan. The original estimate was
850,000, and the corrected number is
580,000. Further, the additional cost of
the rule was originally estimated to total
$1.68 billion for fiscal years 2009
through 2018, and the corrected
estimated cost is $1.23 billion. The
correction of these estimation errors has
no effect on the policy adopted in the
final rule, on the Part D low-income
subsidy benchmarks previously
determined for 2008, or on
beneficiaries’’ enrollment in Part D
plans in 2008.
III. Correction of Errors
In FR Doc. 08–1088 of April 3, 2008
(73 FR 18176), make the following
corrections:
1. On page 18178, in the second
column, in the first full paragraph, in
line 27, change the number ‘‘850,000’’ to
‘‘580,000.’’
2. On pages 18180 through 18182,
section ‘‘V. Regulatory Impact
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 75 (Thursday, April 17, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 20799-20804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8314]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
41 CFR Part 102-38
[FMR Amendment 2008-05; FMR Case 2007-102-2; Docket FMR-2008-0001;
Sequence 2]
RIN 3090-AI33
Federal Management Regulation; FMR Case 2007-102-2, Sale of
Personal Property-Federal Asset Sales (eFAS) Sales Centers
AGENCY: Office of Governmentwide Policy, General Services
Administration (GSA).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The General Services Administration is amending the Federal
Management Regulation (FMR) by adding provisions for the sale of
personal property through Federal Asset Sales (eFAS) Sales Centers.
DATES: Effective Date: This rule is effective on April 17, 2008.
Compliance Date: For agencies already tasked by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to meet e-Government milestones related to
this eFAS initiative, you must comply by April 17, 2008.
All other agencies must comply with the e-Government milestones
identified in section 102-38.360 by July 17, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert Holcombe, Office of
Governmentwide Policy, Personal Property Management Policy, at (202)
501-3828, or e-mail at robert.holcombe@gsa.gov for clarification of
content. For information pertaining to status or publication schedules,
contact the Regulatory Secretariat, Room 4035, GS Building, Washington,
DC 20405, (202) 501-4755. Please cite FMR Amendment 2008-05, FMR Case
2007-102-2.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
A proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on April 3,
2007 (72 FR 15854) soliciting comments on proposed changes to 41 CFR
part 102-38. Nineteen individuals, agencies, or entities provided
comments. Many of those providing comments had multiple statements,
questions, or concerns. After reviewing the comments, and recognizing
that the milestones listed in Subpart H were inconsistent with the eFAS
e-Government milestones, that section is being revised to refer to the
eFAS initiative milestones, which have been developed between the
Office of Management and Budget, the eFAS Planning Office, and agency
representatives over the past year. These milestones are available to
the public via GSA's Web site at https://www.gsa.gov/govsalesmilestones.
The second major change from the proposed rule is to address
comments from the public that there is a perception that this e-
Government initiative will make agencies choose less effective sales
solutions in order to migrate to an approved Sales Center (SC). Section
102-38.360 is rewritten to further emphasize that agencies should
identify sales solutions which are more effective than those solutions
offered by approved Sales Centers by submitting a waiver to the eFAS
Planning Office. GSA foresees granting temporary waivers for agencies
to use these more effective solutions until either the sales solutions
are approved as Sales Centers, or the agency migrates to an approved
Sales Center as quickly as practicable. It is not the intent of the
eFAS initiative nor this regulation to make agencies migrate away from
effective sales solutions. The intent is to identify the best sales
solutions for Federal assets, and to make these assets visible to the
[[Page 20800]]
public so that prospective purchasers can find and buy Federal assets
for sale through one centralized Internet portal.
To clarify, the FMR has provisions for granting deviations to
regulations; however, this regulation will allow for waivers outside
the deviation process in FMR 102-2.60 through 102-2.110. Waivers will
be approved by the eFAS Planning Office upon presentation of a business
case showing that complying with an eFAS milestone is either
impracticable or inefficient.
This final rule recognizes different migration dates for agencies
previously tasked to comply with OMB e-Government milestones related to
this eFAS initiative and all other agencies. For agencies not tasked by
OMB to meet e-Government milestones related to this eFAS initiative,
the agencies' current sales solution(s) are considered approved eFAS
Sales Center(s) until the ``Compliance Date'' of this final rule.
The following is a summary of comments on the proposed rule, and
how they are addressed in this final rule.
Comment 1. One specific comment questioned the need to have ``a
duly authorized agency official'' sell Federal personal property
assets. Several other comments alluded to this sales function when
comparing Federal and commercial sales.
Response: Federal asset sales policies have always required a
Government representative approving each sale. This is to protect the
Government's interest and because the transfer of title to personal
property is an inherently governmental function. There are three main
reasons for this requirement: The Federal official approving the sale
is (a) obligating the Government to a course of action (committing the
expenditure of resources) for every sale; (b) obligating the Government
to the sales contract, including addressing sales disputes should
issues arise, and the transfer of title to the personal property sold;
and (c) verifying that the winning bidder(s) are not excluded from
engaging in business with the Federal Government. Finally, most of
these sales-related functions are within the realm of activities which
are ``inherently governmental'' according to Office of Federal
Procurement Policy (OFPP) Letter 92-1.
There was no change made to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
Comment 2. Eleven comments specifically addressed the concern that
the Government was competing with the private sector in the sale of
Federal assets, and/or that the Government was impacting commercial
sales or sales solutions. Other comments alluded to this concern.
Response: As mentioned in Comment 1., the sale of Federal assets
cannot be compared to commercial sales in every aspect. In addition,
under eFAS, private sector entities are the sales mechanism for many
sales currently conducted by the eFAS-approved SCs. Finally, and
perhaps most importantly, agencies that currently use or that are able
to identify private sector entities which can demonstrate a more
effective sales solution than the eFAS-approved SCs are invited and
encouraged to submit a waiver request so that, if the waiver is
approved, that agency and other agencies, in the future, may utilize
the services of these private sector sales solutions and be better
stewards of the Government's interests. GSA plans to approve waivers
where there is a business case showing when an eFAS milestone is either
impracticable or inefficient. The waiver process is discussed under
Comment 5. For background: GSA is not able to identify all activities
selling Federal personal property; therefore, GSA is not able to
identify those sales activities which are more effective than the
approved SCs. All agencies were asked to nominate effective sales
solutions for consideration as SCs in 2005. This request for SC
nominations was repeated in 2006. Only the eFAS-approved SCs were
nominated by agencies as effective providers of sales solutions. No bid
by an agency to become an SC using their current or proposed sales
solution(s) was refused, regardless of whether the solution utilized
private sector support, governmental support, or a mix of private and
governmental activities. There was no change made in this final rule as
a result of these comments.
Comment 3. Related to Comment 2., there were two comments
requesting that only private sector entities sell Federal assets.
Response: As in the response to Comment 2., there is no barrier to
private sector participation in the sales of Federal personal property.
Many private sector entities already participate with the eFAS-approved
SCs, and agencies are invited to identify new solutions which are more
effective than those approved by the eFAS initiative. See the waiver
process comments in Comment 5. There was no change made to this final
rule as a result of these comments.
Comment 4. Nine comments expressed concern that this final rule
will increase the cost of Government sales; either because the SCs will
charge higher prices because they are not as cost-effective as private
sector sellers, or because they are not incentivized to maximize
profits.
Response: Many private sector entities already participate with the
eFAS-approved SCs, and agencies are invited to identify new solutions
which are more effective than those approved by the eFAS initiative.
See the waiver process comments in Comment 5. There was no change made
to the final rule as a result of these comments.
Comment 5. Six comments related to the FMR deviation or waiver
process, either suggesting that Federal agencies be able to opt out of
the provisions of this final rule or stating that the process of
obtaining a waiver to the provisions of this final rule was not
provided.
Response: The eFAS initiative is established to utilize and
leverage the services of the best sellers of Federal assets. It would
be contrary to the eFAS initiative to allow agencies to choose sales
solutions that are less effective sellers than those identified by the
selling agencies or the eFAS Executive Steering Committee (ESC). The
general provisions for requesting a deviation to the regulation remain
in section 102-38.30. However, for waivers to the eFAS milestones (such
as migrating to an ESC-approved SC), the agency must request a waiver
in accordance with section 102-38.360. Waivers will be approved by the
eFAS Planning Office upon presentation of a business case showing that
complying with an eFAS milestone is either impracticable or
inefficient.
In summary, for this final rule, there is a waiver process for the
eFAS milestones (following policy in section 102-38.360) and a
deviation process to the regulation that is for other than eFAS
milestones (following policy in section 102-38.30). Section 102-38.360
was modified to address eFAS Planning Office waivers to the eFAS
milestones.
Comment 6. Two comments suggested that the process for an agency to
become an eFAS-approved SC was not identified.
Response: The process for an agency to become an eFAS-approved SC
is identified in section 102-38.35 under the definition of a ``Sales
Center.'' There was no change made to the final rule as a result of
these comments.
Comment 7. One comment suggested that all new SCs be approved by
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
Response: OMB has approved all SCs and will approve the designation
of any future SCs. There was no change made to this final rule as a
result of this comment.
Comment 8. One comment suggested that all SCs sit on a board which
[[Page 20801]]
governs the eFAS process, and each SC have an equal vote.
Response: All agencies identified as Business Reference Model
agencies by OMB are invited to participate in the eFAS ESC. The voting
members were identified by OMB at the beginning of the eFAS initiative
and include SC agencies and non-SC agencies. The input of the non-SC
agencies is important to obtain the perspective of the customer
agencies. There was no change made to this final rule as a result of
this comment.
Comment 9. Three responses contend that the proposed rule is in
violation of Executive Order 12866 as it will harm many small
businesses.
Response: Executive Order 12866 specifically excludes a regulation
limited to rules governing agency management practices (such as this)
from the definition of a significant regulatory action (section 3(d)).
There was no change made to this final rule as a result of these
comments.
Comment 10. One question asked if GSA will be the only seller of
surplus property held by the State Agencies for Surplus Property
(SASPs) which is not donated.
Response: As the undonated property held by the SASPs is still
Federal property, it would fall under the rules of this final rule and
must be sold through an SC such as GSA, if not disposed of in
accordance with FMR 102-37.305. There was no change made to this final
rule as a result of this comment.
Comment 11. Two comments had a concern that the Government is
inappropriately using private sector business models or will violate
patent laws by using Government developed systems.
Response: The Government must ensure that it does not violate
protected processes or tools. There was no change made to this final
rule as a result of these comments.
Comment 12. One comment had a concern that the Government will have
to invest in the development of an SC.
Response: The SCs were nominated, approved, and selected because
they have already shown expertise in selling Federal assets and have a
plan to be able to absorb an increase in sales volume if more assets
are sold through the SC. This increase in SC capacity will not be
funded by the Government. There was no change made to this final rule
as a result of this comment.
Comment 13. One comment expressed a concern that only GSA
determines who sells property under the eFAS initiative.
Response: As indicated under Comment 7., OMB makes the final
decision as to which agencies become SCs, and therefore who sells
Federal property. Prior to OMB review, the eFAS ESC reviews and
approves the recommendations of the ESC selection panel. GSA has only
one vote on the eFAS ESC. There was no change made to this final rule
as a result of this comment.
Comment 14. One comment had a concern that the eFAS activity is not
transparent and in accordance with principles of the Federal
Acquisition Regulation.
Response: This is not an acquisition for sales services--the eFAS
initiative involves the selection of agencies to sell property
belonging to the holding agency (and possibly that of other agencies).
Nevertheless, the process of approving and selecting SCs and making
significant decisions is transparent to the representatives on the eFAS
ESC, and those who represent the interests of all the agencies selling
assets. Finally, major decisions are fully explained and documented to
OMB. There was no change made to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
Comment 15. Two comments had a concern that this would violate OMB
Circular A-76 as the Circular states that a competition should be
performed before Government personnel perform an activity performed by
the private sector.
Response: As explained under Comment 1., these functions are
clearly within the scope of activities which are ``inherently
governmental'' according to OFPP Letter 92-1, and, as such, do not need
to be competed with commercial activities. There was no change made to
this final rule as a result of these comments.
Comment 16. One comment suggested that the proposed rule violates
40 U.S.C. 573 in that ``the statute does not permit GSA to retain
charges for running a Web site or collecting information not part of
the sales process.''
Response: Administering the GovSales sales Web site is a cost
associated with sales of property which GSA is allowed to do under 40
U.S.C. 573. The retention of proceeds cited in the proposed FMR 102-
38.295(a) is what all agencies (not just GSA) can retain to mitigate
costs in accordance with 40 U.S.C. 571. There was no change made to
this final rule as a result of this comment.
Comment 17. One comment observed that the vendor has attempted to
update pricing with GSA for years with no progress.
Response: GSA's contract pricing was not addressed in the proposed
rule, and is not addressed in the final rule. The comment likely refers
to a vendor's pricing on the GSA schedules. The rates charged by any
eFAS SC to sell assets for another agency is established by an
agreement between the eFAS SC and the holding agency. There was no
change made to this final rule as a result of this comment.
Comment 18. One comment asked ``How will sales work for a private
citizen that does not have access to the internet?''
Response: In addition to online sales, there will continue to be
offline sales. Also, with the continuing spread of technology, more
people will have access to the Internet through their community, work,
or friends/family. There was no change made to this final rule as a
result of this comment.
Comment 19. One comment expressed the expectation that GSA will
keep costs to the absolute minimum since agencies no longer have
approved SC options.
Response: GSA agrees with this comment. The eFAS initiative and GSA
will continually seek to find ways to ensure that GSA rates (as well as
the rates charged by all eFAS SCs) are competitive. Also, agencies that
find a sales process that provides a better value should make that
known to the eFAS Planning Office. There was no change made to this
final rule as a result of this comment.
Comment 20. One comment suggested that Real Property sales should
be left to local brokers.
Response: The proposed rule and this final rule only address sales
of Federal personal property. There was no change made to this final
rule as a result of this comment.
Comment 21. One question asked if this final rule would increase
the amount of property returned by an SC to the agency because the
property could not be sold or the sale was not conducted because it was
not feasible.
Response: The eFAS initiative does not foresee any degradation of
SC service as a result of this final rule. To the contrary, through
agencies identifying and using more effective sales solutions, the
initiative expects that service and effectiveness will improve over
time. There was no change made to this final rule as a result of this
comment.
The following comments were accepted and are incorporated in this
final rule.
Comment 22. One comment was that the policy should be clearer
regarding what agencies should do with property that is scrap, or
property that the SCs
[[Page 20802]]
could not sell, or that was otherwise eligible for disposal under the
abandonment/destruction authorities of section 102-36.305 and following
subparts.
Response: Agreed. Provisions have been added to this final rule to
address these situations (sections 102-38.365 and 102-38.370).
Comment 23. Three comments observed that this final rule could not
supersede their agency's authority given to them by another law.
Response: Agreed. It will be clear in section 102-38.20 that
agencies with sales authorities outside title 40 of the United States
Code are exempt from following this final rule.
B. Executive Order 12866
The General Services Administration (GSA) has determined that this
final rule is not a significant regulatory action for the purposes of
Executive Order 12866.
C. Regulatory Flexibility Act
This final rule is not required to be published in the Federal
Register for comment. Therefore, the Regulatory Flexibility Act does
not apply.
D. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply because the changes to
the FMR do not impose information collection requirements that require
the approval of the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C.
3501, et seq.
E. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
This final rule is exempt from Congressional review under 5 U.S.C.
801 since it relates solely to agency management and personnel.
List of Subjects in 41 CFR Parts 102-38
Government property management, Surplus Government property.
Dated: January 10, 2008.
Lurita Doan,
Administrator of General Services.
Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the
Federal Register on April 14, 2008.
0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, GSA amends 41 CFR part 102-
38 as set forth below:
PART 102-38--SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY
0
1. The authority citation for part 102-38 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 40 U.S.C. 545 and 40 U.S.C. 121(c).
0
2. Revise Sec. 102-38.20 to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.20 Must an executive agency follow the regulations of
this part when selling all personal property?
Generally, yes, an executive agency must follow the regulations of
this part when selling all personal property; however--
(a) Materials acquired for the national stockpile or supplemental
stockpile, or materials or equipment acquired under section 303 of the
Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2093) are
excepted from this part;
(b) The Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation, has
jurisdiction over the disposal of vessels of 1,500 gross tons or more
and determined by the Secretary to be merchant vessels or capable of
conversion to merchant use;
(c) Sales made by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to 10 U.S.C.
2576 (Sale of Surplus Military Equipment to State and Local Law
Enforcement and Firefighting Agencies) are exempt from these
provisions;
(d) Foreign excess personal property is exempt from these
provisions; and
(e) Agency sales procedures which are mandated or authorized under
laws other than Title 40 United States Code are exempt from this part.
Sec. 102-38.25 [Amended]
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3. Amend Sec. 102-38.25 by removing the words ``holding agency'' and
adding the words ``Sales Center'' in its place.
0
4. Revise Sec. 102-38.30 to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.30 How does an executive agency request a deviation from
the provisions of this part?
Refer to Sec. Sec. 102-2.60 through 102-2.110 of this chapter for
information on how to obtain a deviation from this part. However,
waivers which are distinct from the standard deviation process and
specific to the requirements of the Federal Asset Sales (eFAS)
initiative milestones (see Subpart H of this part) are addressed in
Sec. 102-38.360.
0
5. Amend Sec. 102-38.35 by alphabetically adding the definitions
``Federal Asset Sales (eFAS)'', ``Federal Asset Sales Planning Office
(eFAS Planning Office)'', ``Holding Agency'', ``Migration Plan'', and
``Sales Center (SC)'' to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.35 What definitions apply to this part?
* * * * *
Federal Asset Sales (eFAS) refers to the e-Government initiative to
improve the way the Federal Government manages and sells its real and
personal property assets. Under this initiative, only an agency
designated as a Sales Center (SC) may sell Federal property, unless a
waiver has been granted by the eFAS Planning Office in accordance with
Sec. 102-38.360. The eFAS initiative is governed and given direction
by the eFAS Executive Steering Committee (ESC), with GSA as the
managing partner agency.
Federal Asset Sales Planning Office (eFAS Planning Office) refers
to the office within GSA assigned responsibility for managing the eFAS
initiative.
Holding Agency refers to the agency in possession of personal
property eligible for sale under this part.
* * * * *
Migration Plan refers to the document a holding agency prepares to
summarize its choice of SC(s) and its plan for migrating agency sales
to the SC(s). The format for this document is determined by the eFAS
ESC.
* * * * *
Sales Center (SC) means an agency that has been nominated,
designated, and approved by the eFAS ESC and the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) as an official sales solution for Federal property.
The criteria for becoming an SC, the selection process, and the ongoing
SC requirements for posting property for sale to the eFAS portal and
reporting sales activity and performance data are established by the
eFAS ESC and can be obtained from the eFAS Planning Office at GSA. The
eFAS Planning Office may be contacted via e-mail at
FASPlanningOffice@gsa.gov. SCs may utilize (and should consider)
private sector entities as well as Government activities and are
expected to provide exemplary asset management solutions in one or more
of the following areas: on-line sales; off-line sales; and sales-
related value added services. SCs will enter into agreements with
holding agencies to sell property belonging to these holding agencies.
A holding agency may employ the services of multiple SCs to maximize
efficiencies.
* * * * *
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6. Revise Sec. 102-38.40 to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.40 Who may sell personal property?
An executive agency may sell personal property (including on behalf
of another agency when so requested) only if it is a designated Sales
Center (SC), or if the agency has received a waiver from the eFAS
Planning Office. An SC may engage contractor support to
[[Page 20803]]
sell personal property. Only a duly authorized agency official may
execute the sale award documents and bind the United States.
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7. Amend Sec. 102-38.45 by revising the heading and introductory
paragraph to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.45 What are an executive agency's responsibilities in
selling personal property?
An executive agency's responsibilities in selling personal property
are to--
* * * * *
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8. Amend Sec. 102-38.50 by revising the heading and introductory
paragraph to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.50 What must we do when an executive agency suspects
violations of 40 U.S.C. 559, fraud, bribery, or criminal collusion in
connection with the disposal of personal property?
If an executive agency suspects violations of 40 U.S.C. 559, fraud,
bribery, or criminal collusion in connection with the disposal of
personal property, the agency must--
* * * * *
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9. Revise Sec. 102-38.60 to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.60 Who is responsible for the costs of care and handling
of the personal property before it is sold?
The holding agency is responsible for the care and handling costs
of the personal property until it is removed by the buyer, the buyer's
designee, or an SC. The holding agency may request the SC to perform
care and handling services in accordance with their agreement. When
specified in the terms and conditions of sale, the SC may charge the
buyer costs for storage when the buyer is delinquent in removing the
property. The amount so charged may only be retained by the holding
agency performing the care and handling in accordance with Sec. 102-
38.295.
Sec. 102-38.65 [Amended]
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10. Amend Sec. 102-38.65 in the heading, by removing the words ``we
are'' and adding the words ``we are or the holding agency is'' in its
place; and in the second sentence by adding the words ``or the holding
agency'' after the word ``you''.
Sec. 102-38.70 [Amended]
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11. Amend Sec. 102-38.70 in the heading, by removing the word ``we''
and adding the words ``the holding agency'' in its place; and in
paragraph (a), by removing the word ``you'' and adding the words ``the
holding agency'' in its place.
0
12. Amend Sec. 102-38.75 by revising the introductory text to
paragraph (a), and paragraph (a)(12) to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.75 How may we sell personal property?
(a) You will sell personal property upon such terms and conditions
as the head of your agency or designee deems proper to promote the
fairness, openness, and timeliness necessary for the sale to be
conducted in a manner most advantageous to the Government. When you are
selling property on behalf of another agency, you must consult with the
holding agency to determine any special or unique sales terms and
conditions. You must also document the required terms and conditions of
each sale, including, but not limited to, the following terms and
conditions, as applicable:
* * * * *
(12) Requirements to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
41 CFR Part 101-42 contains useful guidance addressing many of these
requirements. You should also contact your agency's Office of General
Counsel or environmental office to identify applicable Federal, State,
or local environmental laws and regulations.
* * * * *
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13. Revise Sec. 102-38.120 to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.120 When may we conduct negotiated sales of personal
property at fixed prices (fixed price sale)?
You may conduct negotiated sales of personal property at fixed
prices (fixed price sale) under this section when:
(a) The items are authorized to be sold at fixed price by the
Administrator of General Services, as reflected in GSA Bulletin FMR B-
10 (located at https://www.gsa.gov/fmrbulletin). You may also contact
the GSA Office of Travel, Transportation, and Asset Management (MT) at
the address listed in Sec. 102-38.115 to determine which items are on
this list of authorized items;
(b) The head of your agency, or designee, determines in writing
that such sales serve the best interest of the Government. When you are
selling property on behalf of a holding agency, you must consult with
the holding agency in determining whether a fixed price sale meets this
criterion; and
(c) You must publicize such sales to the extent consistent with the
value and nature of the property involved, and the prices established
must reflect the estimated fair market value of the property. Property
is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. You or the holding agency
may also establish additional terms and conditions that must be met by
the successful purchaser in accordance with Sec. 102-38.75.
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14. Revise Sec. 102-38.295 to read as follows:
Sec. 102-38.295 May we retain sales proceeds?
(a) You may retain that portion of the sales proceeds, in
accordance with your agreement with the holding agency, equal to your
direct costs and reasonably related indirect costs (including your
share of the Governmentwide costs to support the eFAS Internet portal
and Governmentwide reporting requirements) incurred in selling personal
property.
(b) A holding agency may retain that portion of the sales proceeds
equal to its costs of care and handling directly related to the sale of
personal property by the SC (e.g., shipment to the SC, storage pending
sale, and inspection by prospective buyers).
(c) After accounting for amounts retained under paragraphs (a) and
(b) of this section, as applicable, a holding agency may retain the
balance of proceeds from the sale of its agency's personal property
when--
(1) It has the statutory authority to retain all proceeds from
sales of personal property;
(2) The property sold was acquired with non-appropriated funds as
defined in Sec. 102-36.40 of this subchapter B;
(3) The property sold was surplus Government property that was in
the custody of a contractor or subcontractor, and the contract or
subcontract provisions authorize the proceeds of sale to be credited to
the price or cost of the contract or subcontract;
(4) The property was sold to obtain replacement property under the
exchange/sale authority pursuant to part 102-39 of this subchapter B;
or
(5) The property sold was related to waste prevention and recycling
programs, under the authority of Section 607 of Public Law 107-67
(Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act,
1999, Pub. L. 107-67, 115 Stat. 514). Consult your General Counsel or
Chief Financial Officer for guidance on use of this authority.
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15. Amend Sec. 102-38.300 by revising the section heading to read as
follows:
Sec. 102-38.300 What happens to sales proceeds that neither we nor
the holding agency are authorized to retain, or that are unused?
* * * * *
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16. Add Subpart H, consisting of Sec. Sec. 102-38.360, 102-38.365, and
102-38.370 to read as follows:
[[Page 20804]]
Subpart H--Implementation of the Federal Asset Sales Program
Sec. 102-38.360 What must an executive agency do to implement the
eFAS program?
(a) An executive agency must review the effectiveness of all sales
solutions, and compare them to the effectiveness (e.g., cost, level of
service, and value added services) of the eFAS SCs. Agencies should
give full consideration to sales solutions utilizing private sector
entities, including small businesses, that are more effective than the
solutions provided by any eFAS-approved SC. If the agency decides that
there are more effective sales solutions than those solutions offered
by the eFAS SCs, the agency must request a waiver from the milestones
using the procedures and forms provided by the eFAS Planning Office.
Waivers will be approved by the eFAS Planning Office upon presentation
of a business case showing that complying with an eFAS milestone is
either impracticable or inefficient. Waiver approval will be
coordinated with GSA's Office of Travel, Transportation, and Asset
Management. Contact the eFAS Planning Office at
FASPlanningOffice@gsa.gov to obtain these procedures and forms.
(b) An approved waiver for meeting one of the eFAS milestones does
not automatically waive all milestone requirements. For example, if an
agency receives a waiver to the migration milestone, the agency must
still (1) post asset information on the eFAS Web site and (2) provide
post-sales data to the eFAS Planning Office in accordance with the
content and format requirements developed by the eFAS ESC, unless
waivers to these milestones are also requested and approved. Waivers to
the eFAS milestones will not be permanent. Upon expiration of the
waiver to the migration milestone, an agency must either migrate to an
approved SC, or serve as a fully functioning SC, as soon as
practicable. See the definition of a ``Sales Center'' at Sec. 102-
38.35 for an overview of how agency sales solutions become SCs.
(c) An agency which receives a waiver from the eFAS milestones must
comply with subparts A through G of this part as if it were an SC.
(d) An executive agency must comply with all eFAS milestones
approved by OMB including those regarding the completion of an agency-
wide sales migration plan, the reporting of pre- and post-sales data,
and the migration to approved SCs unless a waiver has been submitted by
the agency and approved by the eFAS Planning Office. The eFAS
milestones are available for viewing at https://www.gsa.gov/
govsalesmilestones.
Sec. 102-38.365 Is a holding agency required to report property in
``scrap'' condition to its selected SC?
No. Property which has no value except for its basic material
content (scrap material) may be disposed of by the holding agency by
sale or as otherwise provided in Sec. 102-38.70. However, the holding
agency should consult the SC(s) selected by the holding agency as to
the feasibility of selling the scrap material. Agencies selling scrap
property under authority of this subpart are still required to report
sales metrics in accordance with eFAS ESC-approved format and content.
Sec. 102-38.370 What does a holding agency do with property which
cannot be sold by its SC?
All reasonable efforts must be afforded the SC to sell the
property. If the property remains unsold after the time frame agreed to
between the SC and the holding agency, the holding agency may dispose
of the property by sale or as otherwise provided in Sec. 102-38.70.
The lack of public interest in buying the property is evidence that the
sales proceeds would be minimal. Agencies selling property under
authority of this subpart are still required to report sales metrics in
accordance with eFAS ESC-approved format and content.
[FR Doc. E8-8314 Filed 4-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-14-P