National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to further implement the statute which requires an adjustment every five years of statutory acquisition- related thresholds for inflation. The adjustment uses the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers, and does not apply to the Construction Wage Rate Requirements statute (Davis-Bacon Act), Service Contract Labor Standards statute, and trade agreements thresholds. DoD, GSA, and NASA are also proposing to use the same methodology to adjust nonstatutory FAR acquisition-related thresholds in 2020.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, is announcing an opportunity for public comment on a new proposed collection of information by the Agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Federal Agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments on new collection proposed by the Agency.

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.

The Cube Quest (CQ) Challenge is scheduled and teams that wish to compete in the in-space competition may now register. New teams are responsible for securing a launch provider for their candidate CubeSat. Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to stimulate innovation in technologies of interest and value to NASA and the nation. The Cube Quest Challenge is a prize competition designed to encourage development of new technologies or application of existing technologies in unique ways to advance CubeSat communication and propulsion systems. NASA is providing the prize purse.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement statutory and regulatory changes regarding joint ventures made by the Small Business Administration (SBA) in its final rule published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2016, and to clarify that 8(a) joint ventures are not certified into the 8(a) program and that 8(a) joint venture agreements need only be approved by the SBA prior to contract award.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which requires examples of failure to make good faith efforts to comply with a small business subcontracting plan.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC).

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.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are considering amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to update the list of domestically nonavailable articles under the Buy American statute. DoD, GSA, and NASA are seeking information that will assist in identifying domestic capabilities and for evaluating whether some articles on the list of domestically nonavailable articles are now mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of a satisfactory quality.

This document makes amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in order to make needed editorial changes.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 to make inflation adjustments of statutory acquisition-related thresholds applicable to existing contracts and subcontracts in effect on the date of the adjustment that contain the revised clauses in this rulemaking.

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) 2020-06. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), follows this FAC.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, DoD, GSA, and NASA invite the public to comment on a revision and renewal concerning acquisition of Helium. DoD, GSA, and NASA invite comments on: Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of Federal Government acquisitions, including whether the information will have practical utility; the accuracy of the estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. OMB has approved this information collection for use through July 31, 2020. DoD, GSA, and NASA propose that OMB extend its approval for use for three additional years beyond the current expiration date.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Regulatory and Policy Committee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). This Committee reports to the NAC.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Human Explorations and Operations Committee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). This Committee reports to the NAC.

On March 31, 2020, DoD, GSA, and NASA published a rule proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to incorporate recent revisions and updates to accessibility standards issued by the U.S. Access Board pursuant to section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. DoD, GSA, and NASA are making editorial changes to correct amendatory instructions.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces that the planned meeting on April 15, 2020, of the Regulatory and Policy Committee of the NASA Advisory Council is being postponed until further notice. This meeting was announced in the Federal Register Vol. 85, No. 60, Friday, March 27, 2020, Notices, page 17369. NASA will announce the new dates for this meeting in a future Federal Register notice.

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 review and approve a revision and renewal of a previously approved information collection requirement regarding examination of records by Comptroller General and contract audit.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a section of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, which requires agencies to provide a notice along with the solicitation to prospective bidders and offerors regarding definitization of requests for an equitable adjustment related to change orders under construction contracts.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Regulatory and Policy Committee of the NASA Advisory Council. This Committee reports to the NAC.

NASA hereby gives notice of its intent to grant a partially exclusive patent license in the United States to practice the invention described and claimed in U.S. Patent Application entitled, ``Disruptive Tuned Mass System and Method'', MFS-33317-1, to Linc Research, Inc., having its principal place of business in Huntsville, AL. The fields of use will be limited to smokestacks, helicopters, and jitter dampers. The patent rights in these inventions have been assigned to the United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA has not yet made a determination to grant the requested license and may deny the requested license even if no objections are submitted within the comment period.

This final rule incorporates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) existing internal policy and procedures relating to the issuance of guidance documents into the Code of Federal Regulations.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Technology, Innovation and Engineering Committee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). This Committee reports to the NAC. This meeting was announced in the Federal Register on March 2, 2020 (see reference above).

With this interim final rule, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is amending its regulations to add a new part that will implement the provisions of the TREAT Astronauts Act. The new regulations will provide for the medical monitoring and diagnosis of conditions that are potentially spaceflight-associated and treatment of conditions that are spaceflight-associated for former U.S. Government astronauts and payload specialists.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is publishing this notice to announce and describe its Web Portal that contains the Agency's guidance documents that is accessible to the public.