General Services Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 prescription for use of clauses for the use of EPA-designated products and toxic chemical release reporting.

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 implement section 702 of the Emergency Supplemental Act, 2002, as amended by section 3003 of the 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act for Further Recovery From and Response to Terrorist Attacks on the United States. The law permits subcontracts awarded to Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) and Indian tribes to be counted towards a contractor's goals for subcontracting with small business (SB) and small disadvantaged business (SDB) concerns.

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 22 U.S.C. 7104(g). This statute requires that contracts must include a provision that authorizes the department or agency to terminate the contract, if the contractor or any subcontractor engages in trafficking in persons. This interim rule contains a clause to be used in all contracts.

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 57362, September 28, 2006, as a final rule without change. This final rule amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to address the record retention policy where the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA) is used to submit an offeror's representations and certification.

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 termination settlement proposal forms (Standard Forms 1435 through 1440). A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 19188, on April 17, 2007. No comments were received. This OMB clearance expires on August 31, 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.

In furtherance of FMR Bulletin 2006-B4, this notice announces the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 release of the new version of the Federal Real Property Profile (FRPP) Summary Report, which provides an overview of the U.S. Government's owned and leased real property as of September 30, 2006. The FY 2006 FRPP Summary Report is now available.

This notice provides preliminary information to Federal agencies on the US-EU Open Skies Agreement.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to create a Federal Emergency Travel Guide in the event of evacuation, catastrophic event or natural disaster. The guide is intended to prepare the Federal Government to continue official travel operations in an emergency situation while safeguarding Federal employees officially away from their official or temporary duty stations. The guide, non-regulatory in nature, will serve as a supplement to the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) (41 CFR chapters 300-304).

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 the rule appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-18 which amends the FAR. An asterisk (*) next to the rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding this rule by referring to FAC 2005-18 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at http:/ /www.regulations.gov.

This document contains the rules of procedure of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (Board), which will govern all proceedings before the Board. The Board was established within GSA by section 847 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 to hear and decide contract disputes between Government contractors and Executive agencies (other than the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the United States Postal Service, the Postal Rate Commission, and the Tennessee Valley Authority) under the provisions of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 and regulations and rules issued thereunder. Effective January 6, 2007, boards of contract appeals that existed at the General Services Administration and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs were terminated, and their cases were transferred to the new Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. The Board has jurisdiction as provided by section 8(d) of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978, 41 U.S.C. 607(d). In addition, the Board will conduct proceedings as required or permitted under other statutes or regulations. The Board intends to issue final, revised rules after considering all comments on the interim rule.

The General Services Administration (GSA) announces its intent to distribute a Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42 USC 4321-4347 (NEPA) to assess the potential impacts of the construction of a New Border Station Facility in Derby Line, Vermont (the ``Proposed Action''). At the request of Customs andBorder Protection (CBP), the GSA is proposing to construct a new border station facility which meets their needs, and the design requirements of the GSA. The existing facilities are undersized and obsolete, and consequently incapable of providing the level of security now required. The Proposed Action has been defined and includes: (a) identification of land requirements, including acquisition of adjoining land; (b) demolition of existing government structures at the border station; (c) construction of a main administration building and ancillary support buildings; and (d) consequent potential alterations to secondary roads. Studied alternatives have identified alternative locations for the components of the border station including the main administration and ancillary support buildings, the associated roadway network and parking. A No Action alternative has also been studied and evaluates the consequences of not constructing the new border station facility. This alternative has been included to provide a basis for comparison to the action alternatives described above as required by NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1002.14(d)).

The General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Governmentwide Policy (OGP), plans to establish the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Standard Mileage Rate for moving purposes as the rate at which agencies will reimburse an employee for using a privately owned vehicle (POV) for relocation. The FTR and any corresponding documents may be accessed at GSA's website at https://www.gsa.gov/ftr.

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 a revision of a currently approved information collection requirement concerning rights in data and copyrights. A request for public comments was published in the Federal Register at 72 FR 10178, on March 7, 2007. No comments were received. This OMB clearance expires on June 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 Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to simplify procedures, clarify language, and eliminate obsolete requirements related to the management and disposition of Government property in the possession of contractors. FAR parts are amended to implement a policy that improves the management of Government property while fostering efficiency, flexibility, innovation and creativity by adopting property practices typically used in the commercial arena while continuing to protect the Government's interest. In addition, the rule simplifies requirements on contractors by reducing the number of FAR clauses from nineteen clauses to three overarching clauses. The final rule specifically impacts contracting officers, property administrators, and contractors responsible for the management of Government property.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to revise a currently approved information collection requirement concerning Government Property. This OMB clearance expires on February 28, 2010. 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 is proposing to amend the Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR) by revising coverage on the hazardous and certain categories of personal property and moving it into the Federal Management Regulation (FMR) addressing all types of property requiring special handling. A cross-reference is added to the FPMR to direct readers to the coverage in the FMR. The FMR coverage is written in plain language to provide agencies with updated regulatory material that is easy to read and understand.

The General Services Administration (GSA), as the lead agency, and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), as a cooperating agency, intend to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with the following project: Transformation of Facilities and Infrastructure for the Non-Nuclear Production Activities Conducted at the NNSA Kansas City Plant. The proposed action is for GSA to procure the construction of new facilities to house NNSA's non-nuclear component procurement and manufacturing operations. The new facilities would be located approximately 8 miles south of the existing plant on a currently undeveloped site at the northwest corner of Missouri Highway 150 and Botts Road in Kansas City, Missouri. GSA would lease the facilities to NNSA, which would relocate its non-nuclear operations from the existing Kansas City Plant in the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, Missouri, to the new facilities and conduct future operations in the new facilities. The relocation would involve moving approximately two- thirds of the existing capital and process equipment to the new facilities. Disposition activities of the existing NNSA facilities at the Kansas City Plant are not part of the current proposed action, and will be addressed in appropriate future environmental analyses. The Kansas City Plant is collocated on the Bannister Federal Complex with GSA and disposition activities will require coordination between both agencies. The proposed facilities would cover more than 1 million square feet and provide over 2,000 surface parking spaces. The current facilities are approximately 3 million square feet. The proposed facilities would meet current and future production requirements for NNSA in a modern, cost effective, and flexible manner through reductions in the current facility footprint while significantly reducing operational, maintenance, security, and energy costs. The EA also will evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with alternatives to the proposed action, including: No Action, i.e., continuing NNSA's non-nuclear operations in the existing Bannister Federal Complex facilities. Renovate the existing GSA office and warehouse space at the Bannister Federal Complex, relocate NNSA's non-nuclear operations to the renovated facilities, and conduct future operations in the renovated facilities. Renovate the existing GSA office space, demolish existing GSA warehouse space, and construct and operate a new manufacturing facility on the GSA portion of the Bannister Federal Complex. Demolish existing GSA office and warehouse space. Construct and operate new office and manufacturing facilities on GSA's portion of the Bannister Federal Complex. Concurrent with the preparation of the Environmental Assessment, GSA and NNSA will determine the applicability of floodplain management and wetland protection requirements (10 CFR Part 1022) and will publish a notice of proposed floodplain and/or wetland action as appropriate.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is announcing a public meeting of the GSA Small Business Advisory Committee (the Committee).

The attached bulletin announces the redesignation of a Federal Building.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to revise the definition of ``cost or pricing data''; change the term ``information other than cost or pricing data'' to ``data other than certified cost or pricing data''; add a definition of ``certified cost or pricing data'' to make the terms and definitions consistent with 10 U.S.C. 2306a and 41 U.S.C. 254b and more understandable to the general reader; change terminology throughout the FAR; and clarify the need to obtain data other than certified cost or pricing data when there is no other means to determine fair and reasonable pricing during price analysis.

The attached bulletin announces the redesignation of a Federal Building.

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Secretariat 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 concerning subcontractor requests for bonds. The clearance currently expires on July 31, 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.

This rule updates the Federal, State, and Puerto Rico tax tables for calculating the relocation income tax (RIT) allowance, to reflect changes in Federal, State, and Puerto Rico income tax brackets and rates. The Federal, State, and Puerto Rico tax tables contained in this rule are for use in calculating the 2007 RIT allowance to be paid to relocating Federal employees.

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 Notification of Ownership Changes. A request for public comments was published at 71 FR 67341, November 21, 2006. 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.