General Services Administration July 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice provides submitters notice pursuant to Executive Order 12600 that the GSA, Public Buildings Service, Office of Leasing has received several specific FOIA requests for certain GSA real property lease documents with private sector landlords. This notice describes typical data elements contained in these lease documents, and their exemption status under FOIA in response to these specific FOIA requests.

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

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to add the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to the list of agencies that have entered into separate tax agreements with the State of New Mexico (NM). The DARPA-NM tax agreement eliminates the double taxation of Government cost-reimbursement contracts when DARPA contractors and their subcontractors purchase tangible personal property to be used in performing services in whole or in part in the State of New Mexico, and for which title to such property will pass to the United States upon delivery of the property to the contractor and its subcontractors by the vendor.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to make necessary revisions to accommodate the authorization to use time-and-materials and labor-hour contract payment requirements.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-60. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov.

The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) intends to institute a Demand Based Model (DBM) designed to assess and improve the performance of the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracts operated by GSA. GSA is proposing this operational change to enhance the performance of and modernize the MAS program in three key program areas: Small business viability, operational efficiency, and cost control. The DBM will realign suppliers under the MAS program with current Federal marketplace demands. This will result in directing suppliers, including small businesses, to where government procurement needs are; thereby having a supplier base more focused on providing innovative solutions to address the procurement needs of the government, especially under these current fiscal challenges. Operational efficiencies and cost control thus realized will restore and maintain the MAS program's value to Federal agencies as a streamlined acquisition vehicle through reduction in duplicative contracts, better contract administration support by GSA as well as other increased levels of customer support from GSA. Additionally, DBM is intended to benefit participating members of industry, including small businesses, by improving processing time for awards, modifications and contract options, and improving supplier relationship management. Implementing the DBM will allow GSA and suppliers to focus on the ongoing modernization of the Schedules aimed at adding innovative solutions, improving pricing and simplifying the buying experience.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a previously approved information collection requirement concerning Make- or-Buy Program. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary; 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.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a previously approved information collection requirement concerning Department of Commerce patent regulations. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary; 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.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a previously approved information collection requirement concerning advance payments. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (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.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a reinstatement of a previously approved information collection requirement concerning North Carolina sales tax certification. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (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.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a previously approved information collection requirement concerning Economic Purchase QuantitySupplies. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of functions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (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 DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement Governmentwide requirements in National Defense Authorization Acts that establish minimum processes and requirements for the selection, accountability, training, equipping, and conduct of personnel performing private security functions outside the United States.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act the Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a previously approved information collection requirement regarding identification of products with environmental attributes. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 77 FR 17481, on March 26, 2012. No comments were received. Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this collection of information is necessary 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; and ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.

The U.S. General Services Administration published in the Federal Register of June 13, 2012, a bulletin announcing the designation and redesignation of three Federal buildings. Inadvertently, the two-letter State ``AL'' was incorrectly identified with the city of Anchorage. This document corrects the abbreviation of the State of Anchorage to ``AK''.