General Services Administration August 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, (5 U.S.C. Appendix, as amended), the Sunshine in the Government Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 552b, as amended), and 41 CFR 102-3.65, the U.S. General Services Administration gives notice that it intends to renew the Small Business Advisory Committee (SBAC), as a discretionary Federal advisory committee. The Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU) has responsibility for overseeing the General Services Administration's (GSA) best efforts to achieve the small business procurement goals set by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Several procurement preference program goals (HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran, Women-Owned) have proven to be difficult for GSA and the Federal government as a whole to reach. Other procurement issues such as subcontracting, size standards, and availability of small manufacturers, impact the government beyond procurement goals. As the Federal government's primary contracting agency, GSA's procurement practices and policies to a large extent affect all other Federal agencies. The GSA Small Business Advisory Committee (SBAC) was established by the OSBU to solicit the ideas and experience of association executives and small business owners in the hopes that their recommendations would serve to make the GSA small business program more effective in the future, and in turn, the entire Federal government's program. Committee members will represent a cross-section of various socio- economic groups and chambers of commerce. One member will be appointed from a chamber of commerce from each of the following socio-economic groups: African American, Asian American / Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Native American / Alaska Native, Veteran / Service-Disabled Veteran, and Women-owned businesses. Additional members may be selected based on their expertise in government contracting, doing business with the Federal government, and small business knowledge in general.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Office of Federal Procurement Policy's (OFPP) and the General Services Administration's (GSA) intention to initiate a new information collection to conduct two surveys on Online Procurement Services. The results from these surveys will be incorporated into a report to Congress. A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 19884, on April 20, 2007. No comments were received. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The attached bulletin announces the redesignations of (6) Federal Buildings.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in order to be consistent with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Interim Final Guidance, and to improve clarity of the regulation through improved use of plain language and compliance with FAR drafting conventions.

This document is issued under the joint authority of the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005- 19 which amend the FAR. An asterisk (*) next to a rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2005-19 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

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 104 of the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005. Section 104 requires that entities that operate any business on any premises owned or controlled by the United States be capable of accepting and dispensing $1 coins on and after January 1, 2008.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed to adopt the interim rule published in the Federal Register at 71 FR 36935, June 28, 2006, as a final rule without change. This final rule amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Dominican RepublicCentral AmericaUnited States Free Trade Agreement with respect to El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

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 Dominican RepublicCentral AmericaUnited States Free Trade Agreement with respect to the Dominican Republic. The rule also adds Bulgaria and Romania to the list of World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement countries.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed to adopt the interim rule published in the Federal Register at 71 FR 38247 on July 5, 2006, as a final rule with changes. The final rule amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide a single reference to acquisition flexibilities that may be used to facilitate and expedite acquisitions of supplies and services during emergency situations.

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 address the acquisition of products and services for personal identity verification that comply with requirements in Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12, ``Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors,'' and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) 201, ``Personal Identity Verification of Federal Employees and Contractors.''

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning reporting purchases from sources outside the United States. The clearance currently expires on November 30, 2007. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the FAR, and whether it will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

The General Services Administration's (GSA's) annual per diem review has resulted in lodging and meal allowance rate changes for locations within the continental United States (CONUS) to provide for the reimbursement of Federal employees' authorized travel expenses covered by per diem. Per Diem Bulletin 08-01 updates the standard CONUS lodging per diem rate as well as the maximum per diem amounts for existing non-standard areas (NSAs) located within CONUS. The standard CONUS lodging rate will increase to $70. All CONUS per diem rates prescribed in Bulletin 08-01 may be found at https://www.gsa.gov/ perdiem. GSA based the lodging per diem rates, including the updated standard CONUS lodging rate, on average daily rate information that the lodging industry reports. The use of such data in the per diem rate setting process enhances the Government's ability to obtain policy compliant lodging where it is needed. In addition to the annual lodging study, GSA identified two new redefined non-standard areas (NSA's), which prompted an out of cycle meal survey for these areas. For a complete listing of pertinent information that must be submitted through a Federal executive agency for GSA to restudy a location if a CONUS or standard CONUS per diem rate is insufficient to meet necessary expenses, please review numbers 4 and 5 of our per diem Frequently Asked Questions at (https://www.gsa.gov/perdiemfaqs).

The General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP), continually reviews and adjusts policies as a part of its ongoing mission to provide policy assistance to the Government agencies subject to the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR). Accordingly, GSA created the Governmentwide Relocation Advisory Board (GRAB), consisting of Government and private industry relocation experts, to examine Government relocation policy. To allow for the use of private industry expertise in the rulemaking and possible legislative actions, the GRAB was chartered through the Federal Advisory Committee Act on July 9, 2004. The GRAB submitted a final report of its findings on September 15, 2005. If implemented, the 100 plus recommendations of the GRAB would keep Government relocation practices aligned with private sector best practices, as well as improve the overall management of Government relocation programs and reduce costs. This proposed rule transforms many of the GRAB's recommendations into FTR policy. The GRAB Findings and Recommendations and corresponding documents may be accessed at GSA's Web site at http:/ /www.gsa.gov/grab.