General Services Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule amends the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) coverage on construction contracts, including provisions and clauses for solicitations and resultant contracts, to clarify, update, and incorporate existing construction contract administration procedures. This final rule includes new information collection requirements that will be submitted to OMB for review and approval.

This notice announces the availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), which examines the potential impacts of a proposal by the GSA, to reconfigure and expand the existing San Ysidro Land Port of Entry (LPOE) located at the United States (U.S.)-Mexico border in the City of San Diego community of San Ysidro, in San Diego County, California. The Final SEIS describes the reason the project is being proposed; the alternatives considered; the potential impacts of each of the alternatives on the existing environment; and the proposed avoidance, minimization, and/or mitigation measures related to those alternatives. As the lead agency for this undertaking, GSA is acting on behalf of its major tenant at this facility, the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection.

This direct final rule amends the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to remove the GSAR subpart GSA Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program and associated clauses that are duplicative of the Small Business Administration (SBA) governmentwide Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] program, and to remove several subcontracting provisions that are duplicative of the requirements in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause pertaining to the Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division 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 the Transfer OrderSurplus Personal Property and Continuation Sheet, Standard Form (SF) 123.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a new information collection requirement regarding OMB Control No. 3090-0308, Construction Contract Administration.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to terminate previously approved information collection requirements under OMB Control Number 3090-0286, GSA Mentor Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement an act to enhance whistleblower protection for contractor employees. The rule would make permanent the protection for disclosure of certain information. It also would clarify that the prohibition on reimbursement for certain legal costs applies to subcontractors, as well as contractors.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2019-01. 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.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an existing OMB emergency clearance notice regarding violations of arms control treaties or agreements with the United States.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division 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 authorized negotiators and integrity of unit prices.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of an existing OMB emergency clearance notice regarding the use of products and services of Kaspersky Labs.

The purpose of this notice is to inform Federal agencies that FTR Bulletin 19-02, pertaining to travel, transportation, and relocation allowances impacted by recent changes to Federal tax law, has been published and is now available online at www.gsa.gov/ ftrbulletin.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division 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 consent to subcontract, advance notification, and Contractors' purchasing system review.

Pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations, the GSA Public Buildings Service NEPA Desk Guide, and the FHWA Policy Guide, GSA, PBS, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and MaineDOT, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard and in coordination with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announce the availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) assessing the potential impacts of a proposed new U.S. Land Port of Entry (LPOE) in Madawaska, Maine and an International Bridge project between Madawaska and Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada (the ``Proposed Action'').

GSA issued a Record of Decision (ROD) for the 2018 Master Plan for the Consolidation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the Federal Research Center at White Oak, located in Silver Spring, Maryland, on November 14, 2018. The ROD was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations, and the GSA Public Buildings Service NEPA Desk Guide.

This notice announces the availability, and opportunity for public review and comment, of a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), which examines the potential impacts of a proposal by GSA to provide structural enhancement improvements to the existing Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building and United States Courthouse. The Draft EA describes the reason the project is being proposed; the alternatives being considered; the potential impacts of each of the alternatives on the existing environment; and the proposed avoidance, minimization, and/or mitigation measures related to those alternatives.

This agenda announces the proposed regulatory actions that GSA plans for the next 12 months and those that were completed since the spring 2018 edition. This agenda was developed under the guidelines of Executive Orders (E.O.) 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review,'' as amended, Executive Order 13771, ``Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,'' and Executive Order 13563, ``Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.'' GSA's purpose in publishing this agenda is to allow interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rulemaking process. GSA also invites interested persons to recommend existing significant regulations for review to determine whether they should be modified or eliminated. Published proposed and final rules may be reviewed in their entirety at the Government's rulemaking website at https://www.regulations.gov. The complete Unified Agenda will be available online at www.reginfo.gov. Because publication in the Federal Register is mandated for the regulatory flexibility agendas required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602), GSA's printed agenda entries include only: (1) Rules that are in the Agency's regulatory flexibility agenda, in accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, because they are likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities; and (2) Any rules that the Agency has identified for periodic review under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. Printing of these entries is limited to fields that contain information required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act's Agenda requirements. Additional information on these entries is available in the Unified Agenda published on the internet. In addition, for fall editions of the Agenda, the entire Regulatory Plan will continue to be printed in the Federal Register, as in past years, including GSA's regulatory plan.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division 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 small business subcontracting plans.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is issuing a proposed rule amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to adopt an additional project delivery method for construction, construction manager as constructor (CMc). The private sector prevalently uses this type of construction project delivery method, which allows for early industry engagement by the construction contractor to provide reduced cost growth, reduced schedule growth and administrative savings. The current Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and GSAR lack detailed coverage differentiating various construction project delivery methods. GSA's policies on CMc have been previously issued through other means. By incorporating CMc into the GSAR and differentiating for various construction methods, the GSAR will provide centralized guidance that eases the burden for industry to understand and execute CMc construction contracts. Centralized guidance will also ensure consistent application of construction project principles across GSA. Additionally, integrating these requirements into the GSAR will allow industry to provide public comments through the rulemaking process.

This notice advises users that the FY 2019 Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Reissue will be available for download at https:// www.acquisition.gov/browsefar.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division 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 travel costs.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the FAR Council invites the public to comment upon a renewal concerning labor-related requirements.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the General Services Administration 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 Environmental Conservation, Occupational Safety, and Drug- Free Workplace.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve a previously approved information collection requirement regarding the collection of personal data for background investigations for child care workers accessing GSA owned and leased controlled facilities.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve revisions to the currently approved information collection requirement regarding the pre-award registration requirements for federal Prime Grant Recipients. These revisions will enable non-Federal entities to complete governmentwide certifications and representations for Federal financial assistance at the time of registration in the System for Award Management (SAM).