General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR); Unique Item Identification (UID), 6037-6038 [2015-02119]

Agencies

• General Services Administration

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6037-6038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02119]



[[Page 6037]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

48 CFR Parts 511 and 552

[GSAR Case 2014-G504; Docket No. 2015-0003; Sequence No. 1]
RIN 3090-AJ53


General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR); 
Unique Item Identification (UID)

AGENCY: Office of Acquisition Policy, General Services Administration.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to 
amend the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) 
to remove the GSAR clause Unique Item Identification (UID).

DATES: Interested parties should submit written comments to the 
Regulatory Secretariat at one of the addressees shown below on or 
before April 6, 2015 to be considered in the formation of the final 
rule.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in response to GSAR Case 2014-G504 by any of 
the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: https://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments by searching for ``GSAR Case 2014-G504.'' Select the link 
``Comment Now'' and follow the instructions provided at the ``You are 
commenting on'' screen. Please include your name, company name (if 
any), and ``GSAR Case 2014-G504'' on your attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat (MVCB), ATTN: Hada Flowers, 1800 F Street NW., 2nd Floor, 
Washington, DC 20405.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite GSAR Case 2014-
G504, in all correspondence related to this case. All comments received 
will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including 
any personal and/or business confidential information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. James Tsujimoto, Program Analyst, 
at 202-208-3585 or james.tsujimoto@gsa.gov, for clarification of 
content. For information pertaining to status or publication schedules, 
contact the Regulatory Secretariat at 202-501-4755. Please cite GSAR 
Case 2014-G504.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    GSA is proposing to amend the GSAR to delete GSAR clause 552.211-
93, Unique Item Identification (UID), and provide other conforming 
changes.
    The Director of Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy has 
notified GSA that GSAR clause 552.211-93 is no longer needed with 
respect to serially managed supply items and supply items of $5,000 or 
more. The GSAR clause found at 552.211-93 is unnecessarily duplicative 
of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), which 
can be used directly. Because the clause only pertains to deliveries to 
military activities, GSA defers to the interpretation of the Department 
of Defense (DoD). The DFARS already includes clauses that address the 
requirements underlying GSAR clause 552.211-93. As a result, the GSAR 
clause is not needed.

II. Discussion and Analysis

    GSAR clause 552.211-93 was incorporated in Change 42 (GSAR 2007-
G507, 74 FR 66251, Dec. 15, 2009) on January 14, 2010. The clause was 
intended to implement DFARS clauses 252.211-7003 and 252.211-7007. The 
Director of Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy has since 
notified GSA that the GSAR implementation found at 552.211-93 mixes the 
two UID-related DFARS clauses and confuses the intent. DFARS 252.211-
7003 relates to UID of new items delivered on a contract, while DFARS 
252.211-7007 refers to marking and reporting of government furnished 
property and itself refers to DFARS 252.211-7003 for marking 
requirements. Inclusion of the actual DFARS clauses in lieu of 
552.211.93 will reduce confusion and streamline the acquisition 
process.
    The specific changes contained in this rule are as follows:
     GSAR Subpart 511.2, Using and Maintaining Requirements 
Documents, delete GSAR paragraph 511.204(b)(12) in its entirety.
     GSAR Subpart 552.2, Text of Provisions and Clauses, delete 
GSAR provision 552.211-93 in its entirety.
     General Services Administration Acquisition Manual (GSAM), 
GSAM Subpart 552.3, Provision and Clause Matrixes, delete the row 
corresponding to GSAR number 552.211-93 in the table.

III. Executive Orders 12866 and 13563

    Executive Orders (E.O.s) 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess 
all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). E.O. 
13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and benefits, 
of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting flexibility. 
This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not 
subject to review under section 6(b) of E.O. 12866, Regulatory Planning 
and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is not a major rule 
under 5 U.S.C. 804.

IV. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    GSA does not expect this proposed rule to have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities within the 
meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., 
because the deletion of the clause will not substantively change the 
reporting, recordkeeping, or compliance requirements for contractors.
    Therefore, an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis has not been 
performed. GSA invites comments from small business concerns and other 
interested parties on the expected impact of this rule on small 
entities.
    GSA will also consider comments from small entities concerning the 
existing regulations in subparts affected by the rule in accordance 
with 5 U.S.C. 610. Interested parties must submit such comments 
separately and should cite 5 U.S.C. 610 (GSAR Case 2014-G504), in 
correspondence.

V. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The proposed rule does not contain any information collection 
requirements that require the approval of the Office of Management and 
Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 511 and 552

    Government procurement.

    Dated: January 22, 2015.
Jeffrey A. Koses,
Senior Procurement Executive, Office of Acquisition Policy, Office of 
Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration.

    Therefore, GSA proposes to amend 48 CFR parts 511 and 552 as set 
forth below:

0
1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 511 and 552 continues to 
read as follows:

    Authority: 40 U.S.C. 121(c).

PART 511--DESCRIBING AGENCY NEEDS


511.204  [Amended]

0
2. Amend section 511.204 by removing paragraph (b)(12).

[[Page 6038]]

PART 552--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES


552.211-93  [Removed and Reserved]

0
3. Remove and reserve section 552.211-93.

[FR Doc. 2015-02119 Filed 2-3-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-61-P