General Services Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to update GSAR Part 516, Types of Contracts. GSAR part 516 has been revised to add and/or clarify policy pertaining to requirements for types of contracts.

This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council in this Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-44. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC. The FAC, including the SECG, is available via the Internet at https://regulations.gov/.

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 the summary of the rule appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-44 which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Interested parties may obtain further information regarding this rule by referring to FAC 2005-44 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at http:/ /www.regulations.gov.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have adopted, as final without change, the interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007, section 697, which requires the establishment and maintenance of a registry of disaster response contractors.

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 revise the clause at FAR 52.204-11. This interim rule does not require renegotiation of existing Recovery Act contracts that include the clause dated March 2009. This change will require first-tier subcontractors with Recovery Act funded awards of $25,000 or more, to report jobs information to the prime contractor for reporting into https://FederalReporting.gov. It also will require the prime contractor to submit its first report on or before the 10th day after the end of the calendar quarter in which the prime contractor received the award, and quarterly thereafter.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are issuing a final rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to clarify the criteria that need to be met in order to conduct a sole source Service-disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOSB) concern acquisition.

The General Services Administration (GSA), in conjunction with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, Premium Class Travel: Internal Control Weaknesses Governmentwide Led to Improper and Abusive Use of Premium Class Travel (GAO-07-1268), has issued GSA Bulletin FTR 10-05. This bulletin provides directions to Federal Agencies for reporting other than coach-class accommodations for employees on official travel. GSA Bulletin FTR 10-05 may be found at https://www.gsa.gov/federaltravelregulation.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have adopted as final, with minor changes, an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-09-10, entitled ``Initial Implementing Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,'' (the Recovery Act) with respect to publicizing contract actions. The OMB issued Memorandum M-09-15, entitled ``Updated Implementing Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,'' to supplement, amend, and clarify the initial guidance in OMB Memorandum M-09-10.

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 826 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08 NDAA). Section 826 established additional requirements in subsection (c) of 10 U.S.C. 2377. As a matter of policy, these requirements are extended to all executive agencies. Specifically, the head of the agency must conduct market research before issuing an indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) task or delivery order for a noncommercial item in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold. In addition, a prime contractor with a contract in excess of $5 million for the procurement of items other than commercial items is required to conduct market research before making purchases that exceed the simplified acquisition threshold for or on behalf of the Government.

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 the summaries of the rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-42 which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Interested parties may obtain further information regarding this rule by referring to FAC 2005-42 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at http:/ /www.regulations.gov.

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) 2005-42. 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 Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are issuing an interim rule amending the FAR to align the FAR with the revised Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board standards 412, ``Cost Accounting Standard for composition and measurement of pension cost;'' and 415, ``Accounting for the cost of deferred compensation.''

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to revise the list of articles determined to be domestically nonavailable.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have adopted as final, without change, an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to add Taiwan (known in the World Trade Organization as ``the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei))'' as a designated country, due to the accession of Taiwan to membership in the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 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 Government Property. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 17410, on April 6, 2010. No comments were received.

GSA proposes to establish a new system of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 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 concerning subcontractor requests for bonds.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide clarification to the prescription for the FAR clause at 52.249-1, Termination for Convenience of the Government (Fixed Price) (Short Form), located in FAR 49.502(a), to apprise contracting officers that there are alternative clauses that can be used for terminations up to the simplified acquisition threshold. In addition, references to the FAR clauses at 52.212-4 and 52.213-4 are added in the prescription for FAR 52.249-1 at FAR 49.502(a) and in FAR 49.002, Applicability.

GSA proposes to establish a new system of records subject to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 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 rights in data and copyrights. A notice published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 13764, on March 23, 2010. No comments were received.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), 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 notification of ownership changes. A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 9603, on March 3, 2010. No comments were received.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the Federal Management Regulation (FMR) by making changes to its policy on the replacement of personal property pursuant to the exchange/sale authority.

This final rule amends the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), by adding new terms and definitions for ``Official travel'' and ``Transit system''; clarifies reimbursement for transportation at an official station while en route to and/or from an authorized temporary duty (TDY) location; clarifies reimbursement for transportation expenses within the surrounding area of a TDY location and provisions for payment under the FTR; and clarifies when the Government contractor- issued travel charge card must be used while on official travel.

The notice, OMB Control No. 9000-0169, American Recovery and Reinvestment ActQuarterly Reporting for Prime Contractors published in the Federal Register is being withdrawn and no longer is accepting comments.

The notice, OMB Control No. 9000-0167, American Recovery and Reinvestment ActOne-time Reporting Requirements for First-tier Subcontractors published in the Federal Register is being withdrawn and no longer is accepting comments.