National Aeronautics and Space Administration January 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 a reinstatement of a previously approved information collection requirement concerning Request for Authorization of Additional Classification and Rate, Standard Form 1444. A notice published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 68608, on November 8, 2010. No comments were received.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a meeting of the Audit, Finance and Analysis Committee of the NASA Advisory Council.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended, (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and NASA's NEPA policy and procedures (14 CFR part 1216, subpart 1216.3), NASA prepared and issued the Final EIS for the proposed MSL Mission. A ROD was issued on December 27, 2006 indicating NASA's decision to prepare and launch the MSL Mission in 2009. A copy of the Final EIS and ROD are available at the following Web site: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/msl/. NASA was unable to finish preparation of the MSL Mission in time for the 2009 launch opportunity, and NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Associate Administrator issued a modified ROD indicating NASA's decision to complete preparation and launch the MSL mission in 2011. The full text of the modified ROD is provided below.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement section 3010 of Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010. Section 3010 requires that the information in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), excluding past performance reviews, shall be made publicly available. This interim rule notifies contractors of this new statutory requirement for public access to FAPIIS and creates a new FAR clause to support the posting of information in FAPIIS consistent with section 3010. All information posted in FAPIIS on or after April 15, 2011, except for past performance reviews, will be publicly available.

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 to a currently approved information collection requirement concerning contract financing. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 29547 on May 26, 2010. One comment was 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.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announces a meeting of the Commercial Space Committee to the NASA Advisory Council.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announce a forthcoming meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel.

NASA is issuing a final rule to revise the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to update Agency-level, property-related provisions, clauses, prescriptions and procedures to be consistent with changes made to Part 45 and Part 52.245 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-17. FAC 2005-17 significantly rewrote FAR Part 45, Government Property, and changed property related definitions, provisions and clauses which are required to be used in all solicitations and contracts issued after the effective date of 14 June, 2007.

Each Federal agency is required by the Privacy Act of 1974 to publish a description of the systems of records it maintains containing personal information when a system is substantially revised, deleted, or created. In this notice, NASA provides the required information for a new Agency-wide Privacy Act system of records generated in the process of complying with NASA's anti-harassment procedural requirements governing the reporting, fact-finding and resolution of allegations of harassment reported to NASA by its employees and contractors. This new system of records will assist NASA in fulfilling its obligations pursuant to the Supreme Court cases of Burlington Industries v. Ellerth, 524 U.S. 742 (1998), and Faragher v. City of Boca Raton, 524 U.S. 775 (1998): (1) To prevent harassment before it becomes severe or pervasive; (2) to conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into allegations of harassing conduct; and (3) to take immediate and appropriate corrective action when the Agency determines that harassing conduct has occurred.