General Services Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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) 2005-80. 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) is issuing a final rule amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to move the definitions of words and terms from the regulatory text to the non-regulatory General Services Acquisition Manual (GSAM).

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Regulatory Secretariat Division will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of the currently approved information collection requirement regarding the Reporting and Use of Information Concerning Integrity and Performance of Recipients of Grants and Cooperative Agreements. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 79 FR 38028, July 3, 2014. No comments were received.

The General Services Administration's (GSA) annual privately owned vehicle (POV) mileage reimbursement rate reviews have resulted in new CY 2015 rates for the use of privately owned automobiles (POAs), POAs when a Government owned automobile (GOA) is authorized, privately owned motorcycles, and privately owned airplanes for official purposes. Additionally, the POV rate used in conjunction with official relocation will change. FTR Bulletin 15-02 establishes the new CY 2015 POV mileage reimbursement rates for official temporary duty and relocation travel ($0.575 for POAs, $0.23 for POAs when a GOA is authorized, $0.545 for privately owned motorcycles, $1.29 for privately owned airplanes, and $0.23 for moving purposes), pursuant to the process discussed below. This notice of subject bulletin is the only notification to agencies of revisions to the POV mileage rates for official travel and relocation other than the changes posted on GSA's Web site. GSA determines these rates by reviewing the annual standard automobile study contracted for by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as well as conducting independent automobile, motorcycle and aircraft studies that evaluate various factors, such as the cost of fuel, the depreciation of the original vehicles costs, maintenance and insurance, and/or by applying consumer price index data.

The General Services Administration (GSA) reviewed its Privacy Act systems to ensure that they are relevant, necessary, accurate, up- to-date, and covered by the appropriate legal or regulatory authority.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) that address the continuing Governmentwide statutory prohibition on the use of appropriated (or otherwise made available) funds for contracts with any foreign incorporated entity that is an inverted domestic corporation or any subsidiary of such entity.

This document is issued under the joint authority of DOD, GSA, and NASA. 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 the rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-79, which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (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 2005-79, which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Executive Order, Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors, and a final rule issued by the Department of Labor.

The GSA Labor-Management Relations Council (GLMRC) previously announced in its November 14, 2014 Federal Register notice that it planned to hold a meeting Tuesday, December 2, 2014 and Wednesday, December 3, 2014. That meeting is being cancelled. A new notice will be posted in the Federal Register announcing the date and time when rescheduled.

This document is issued under the joint authority of DOD, GSA, and NASA. 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 the rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-78, which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (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 2005-78, which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at https:// www.regulations.gov.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to clarify when to use higher- level quality standards in solicitations and contracts. The rule also updates the examples of higher-level quality standards by removing obsolete standards and adding new industry standards that pertain to quality assurance for avoidance of counterfeit items.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Streamlining Claims Processing for Federal Contractor Employees Act which amends the United States Code (U.S.C.) to transfer certain functions from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to the Department of Labor (DOL) relating to the processing of claims for the payment of workers who were not paid appropriate wages under certain provisions of the U.S.C.

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) 2005-78. 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 Commission To Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF), a Federal Advisory Committee established by the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012, will hold a meeting open to the public on Thursday, December 4, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The GSA Labor-Management Relations Council (GLMRC) plans to meet on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 and Wednesday, December 3, 2014. The meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on both days and will be held in Room 1034 of the GSA National Capitol Region Building, 301 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20407. Interested parties should contact the GLMRC at glmrc@gsa.gov with any questions and to check for any meeting changes. The Council is an advisory body composed of representatives of the Federal employee unions representing General Services Administration (GSA) employees and senior GSA officials. The Council was established consistent with Executive Order 13522, entitled, ``Creating Labor- Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services'' which instructs Federal agencies to establish department or agency-level labor-management forums to help identify problems and propose solutions to better serve the public and Federal agency missions. The Council is co-chaired by GSA's Chief Human Capitol Officer, together with two senior union officials from each of the two Federal employees' unions representing GSA employees. At its meetings, the GLMRC works toward promoting cooperative and productive relationships between labor and management, providing employees through their union representatives with pre-decisional involvement in all workplace matters to the fullest extent practicable. As a part of this, the GLMRC advises the GSA administrator on innovative ways to improve delivery of services and products to the public while cutting costs and advancing employee interests. The meeting is expected to include discussion of the GLMRC's priorities for the coming year, performance management policy, and workforce mobility and telework. The meetings are open to the public. In order to gain entry into the Federal building where the meeting is being held, public attendees who are Federal employees should bring their Federal employee identification cards, and members of the general public should bring their driver's license or a government-issued photo identification card. The manner and time prescribed for public comment at the meeting is limited, with such comment taking place at the end of the meeting. Extended public comment may be submitted to the GLMRC at glmrc@gsa.gov for its consideration prior to the meeting.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB) will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning place of performance. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 79 FR 41286 on July 15, 2014. There were two comments received.

Notice is hereby given of the appointment of new members to the General Services Administration Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board. The Performance Review Board assures consistency, stability, and objectivity in the performance appraisal process.

Notice of this meeting is being provided according to the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 10(a)(2). This notice provides the schedule and agenda for the December 10, 2014 meeting of the World War One Centennial Commission (the Commission). The meeting is open to the public.

The General Services Administration is amending the Federal Management Regulation (FMR) by changing its personal property policy. The changes include the addition of certain veterans organizations as eligible donation recipients, updating and clarifying language regarding the use of Standard Form 97, The United States Government Certificate to Obtain Title to a Vehicle (SF 97), instructing agencies to ensure against unauthorized use of blank copies of SF 97, making minor clarifying edits to existing policies, and removing and reserving certain regulations that are no longer required.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB) 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 Biobased Procurements. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 79 FR 49318 on August 20, 2014. No comments were received.

The General Services Administration (GSA) issued a proposed rule on September 10, 2014, amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to clarify and update the contracting by negotiation GSAR section and incorporate existing Federal Supply Schedule Contracting policies and procedures, and corresponding provisions and clauses. The comment period is being extended to provide additional time for interested parties to provide comments for GSAR Case 2013-G502, Federal Supply Schedule Contracting (Administrative Changes), to November 21, 2014.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is converting the proposed rule as a final rule amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to remove GSAR clause Progressive Awards and Monthly Quantity Allocations.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to remove the GSAR provision Qualifications of Offerors.

GSA is proposing to amend the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) by requiring agencies to have an internal policy for determining whether to authorize a privately owned vehicle (POV), as opposed to a rental car, in conjunction with temporary duty travel (TDY). Further, GSA proposes to specify that travelers, who have been authorized to travel via common carrier or rental car, and choose to use a POV instead, will be reimbursed at the applicable POV mileage rate. Also, this amendment proposes to add specific provisions addressing the type of rental vehicles travelers must use, as well as pre-paid refueling options and other rental car surcharges. Finally, this amendment proposes to make certain miscellaneous corrections, where applicable.

The Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities (CECANF), a Federal Advisory Committee established by the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012, Public Law 112-275, will hold a meeting open to the public on Thursday, October 23 and Friday, October 24 in Burlington, Vermont.