Agencies and Commissions March 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to preclude a possible scenario where a contracting officer has to unnecessarily reevaluate proposals already eliminated from a competition.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement Section 814 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. Section 814 required the harmonization of the thresholds for cost or pricing data. Specifically, Section 814 required alignment of the threshold for cost or pricing data on non-commercial modifications of commercial items with the Truth In Negotiation Act (TINA) threshold for cost and pricing data.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Federal Food Donation Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-247) which encourages executive agencies and their contractors, in contracts for the provision, service, or sale of food, to the maximum extent practicable and safe, to donate apparently wholesome excess food to nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to food-insecure people in the United States.

This document makes amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation in order to make editorial changes.

This final rule amends the Federal Labor Relations Authority's (FLRA) rules by setting out procedures for requesters to follow when making demands on or requests to an employee of the FLRA, the General Counsel of the FLRA (General Counsel) or the Federal Service Impasses Panel (Panel) to produce official records or provide testimony relating to official information in connection with a civil legal proceeding in which the FLRA is not named as a party. The final rule establishes procedures to respond to such demands and requests in an orderly and consistent manner. The final rule promotes uniformity in decisions, protects confidential information, provides guidance to requesters, and reduces the potential for both inappropriate disclosures of official information and wasteful allocation of agency resources.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (hereinafter the ``Corporation''), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) (44 U.S.C. Sec. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY-TDD) may call (202) 565-2799 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday. Currently, the Corporation is soliciting comments concerning its proposed renewal of its Disaster Response Database (DRD). The DRD is a data collection tool that allows the Corporation to collect information from its programs and grantees on disaster response activities across the country. This tool serves as a central repository of information on Corporation disaster response activities for reporting to the public. Copies of the information collection request can be obtained by contacting the office listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

This final regulation governs the procedures the ODNI will follow for the acceptance of service of process upon the ODNI and its employees in their official, individual or combined official and individual capacities.

This document completes the most essential remaining actions necessitated by the delay in the DTV transition deadline. In the DTV Delay Act, Congress extended the DTV transition deadline from February 17, 2009, to June 12, 2009, in an effort to provide consumers additional time to prepare for the transition from analog to digital broadcasting. The Act directed the Commission to take any actions ``necessary or appropriate to implement the provisions, and carry out the purposes'' of the Act, and to do so within 30 days. This document implements procedures and prescribes timing for stations to transition early, while providing viewers who are not prepared with a lifeline of analog service and both on-air and off-air educational information about the transition. The document also adjusts the consumer education requirements placed on broadcasters to eliminate any unnecessary burden after the transition while ensuring that on the most meaningful information is provided to viewers before they transition, and addresses other issues.

The Commission is adding a new product identified as Express Mail & Priority Mail Contract 5 to the Competitive Product List. This action is consistent with changes in a recent law governing postal operations and a recent Postal Service request. Republication of the lists of market dominant and competitive products is also consistent with new requirements in the law.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has terminated a waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for PSC 3930, Warehouse Trucks and Tractors, Self-Propelled based on SBA's recent discovery of small business manufacturers. Terminating this waiver will require recipients of contracts set aside for small businesses, service-disabled veteran- owned small businesses, or participants in SBA's 8(a) Business Development (BD) Program to provide the products of small business manufacturers or processors on such contracts.

This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of Texas dated: 03/10/2009. Incident: Bastrop County Wildland Fire. Incident Period: 02/28/2009 and continuing. Effective Date: 03/10/2009. Physical Loan Application Deadline Date: 5/11/2009. Economic Injury (EIDL) Loan Application Deadline Date: 12/10/2009.