General Services Administration June 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to update language addressing contractor qualifications. This rule is a result of the General Services Administration Acquisition Manual (GSAM) Rewrite initiative undertaken by GSA to revise the GSAM to maintain consistency with the FAR, and to implement streamlined and innovative acquisition procedures that contractors, offerors and GSA contracting personnel can utilize when entering into and administering contractual relationships. The GSAM incorporates the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) as well as internal agency acquisition policy. GSA will rewrite each part of the GSAR and GSAM, and as each GSAR part is rewritten, will publish it in the Federal Register. This is one of a series of revisions. It covers the rewrite of GSAR Part 509, Contractor Qualifications.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to revise GSAM language pertaining to requirements for contract modifications.

GSA reviewed its Privacy Act systems to ensure that they are relevant, necessary, accurate, up-to-date, covered by the appropriate legal or regulatory authority, and compliant with OMB M-07-16. This notice is an updated Privacy Act system of records notice.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (the Councils) are interested in determining if, when, and how service contractor employees' personal conflicts of interest (PCI) need to be addressed and whether greater disclosure of contractor practices, specific prohibitions, or reliance on specified principles would be most effective and efficient in promoting ethical behavior. The comment period is reopened for anadditional 30 days to provide additional time for interested parties to review and comment on the Advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require certain contractors and subcontractors to use the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) E-Verify system as the means of verifying that certain of their employees are eligible to work in the United States.

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 requirement concerning overtime. The clearance currently expires on August 31, 2008. 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 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) 2005-26. 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 proposing to amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to establish a GSA Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program. The GSA Mentor- Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program is designed to encourage GSA prime contractors to assist small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, service- disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and HUBZone small businesses in enhancing their capabilities to perform GSA contracts and subcontracts, foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between these small business entities and GSA prime contractors, and increase the overall number of small business entities that receive GSA contract and subcontract awards.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to revise GSAR language that provides requirements for transportation. This rule is a result of the General Services Administration Acquisition Manual (GSAM) Rewrite initiative undertaken by GSA to revise the GSAM to maintain consistency with the FAR, and to implement streamlined and innovative acquisition procedures that contractors, offerors and GSA contracting personnel can use when entering into and administering contractual relationships. The GSAM incorporates the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) as well as internal agency acquisition policy. GSA will rewrite each part of the GSAR and GSAM, and as each GSAR part is rewritten, will publish it in the Federal Register. This is one of the series of revisions to 48 CFR Chapter 5. It covers the rewrite of GSAR Part 547, Transportation.

The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to revise sections of the GSAR that pertains to requirements for service contracting.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule Advisory Panel (MAS Panel), a Federal Advisory Committee, will hold public meetings on the following dates: Monday, June 16, 2008; Tuesday, June 17 2008; Monday, July 21, 2008; and Monday, August 18, 2008. GSA utilizes the Schedules program to establish long-term Governmentwide contracts with responsible firms to provide Federal, State, and local government customers with access to a wide variety of supplies (products) and services. The MAS Panel was established to develop advice and recommendations on MAS program pricing policies, provisions, and procedures in the context of current commercial pricing practices. For the next 3 to 4 meeting dates, the Panel plans to focus on three areas: (1) STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATIONSwhat are our stakeholder expectations of the MAS program; what should be the purpose of the MAS program; and is it structured to serve our stakeholder needs; (2) ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESwhat should be the role and responsibilities of the GSA contracting officer and that of the ordering agency contracting officer; the need to eliminate duplication at the task order level those pricing determinations made by the GSA contracting officer; and, the management and oversight responsibilities, such as training and assuring consistency in policy; and (3) FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICE DETERMINATIONSwhat are the stakeholder expectations for schedule prices; should the GSA contracting officer or the ordering agency contracting officer make the fair and reasonable price determination; the presumption that the schedule contract negations result in fair and reasonable prices; and orders issued in compliance with FAR 8.4 ordering procedures result in best value. To that end, the Panel would like to hear from the many stakeholders of the MAS program. The MAS program stakeholders include, but not limited to, ordering agency contracting officers, customer agency contracting officer, GSA contracting officers, schedule contract holders, Congress, program managers, General Accountability Office, and agency Inspector General Offices. The panel is particularly interested in stakeholder views as to how the issues discussed above may relate differently to the purchase of goods, services, or goods and services that are configured to propose an integrated solution to an agency's needs. I. STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATIONS Discussions and presentations on STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATIONS will take place on Monday, June 16, 2008, and Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The meeting start time for each day is 9:00 a.m., and they will adjourn no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, June 16, 2008 Location & Address: The meeting will be held at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Building, 2nd Floor, 1725 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The building is located at the corner of 18th Street and New York Avenue, NW. Entrance to the building is on either 18th Street, or New York Avenue. The AIA is within walking distance from the Farragut North Metro stop. Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Location & Address: The meeting will be held at the Jury's Washington Hotel, Westbury Room, 1500 New Hampshire Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The hotel is within walking distance from the Dupont Circle Metro stop. II. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Discussions and presentations on ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES will take place on Monday, July 21, 2008. Monday, July 21, 2008 Location and Address: The meeting will be held at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Building, 2nd Floor, 1725 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The building is located at the corner of 18th Street and New York Avenue, NW. Entrance to the building is on either 18th Street, or New York Avenue. The meeting start time is 9:00 a.m., and it will adjourn no later than 5:00 p.m. The AIA is within walking distance from the Farragut North Metro stop. III. FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICE DETERMINATIONS Discussions and presentations on FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICE DETERMINATIONS will take place on Monday, August 18, 2008. Monday, August 18, 2008 Location and Address: The meeting will be held at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Building, 2nd Floor, 1725 New York Avenue, NW., Washington, DC. The building is at the corner of 18th Street and New York Avenue, NW. Entrance to the building is on either 18th Street, or New York Avenue. The meeting start time is 9:00 a.m., and it will adjourn no later than 5:00 p.m. The AIA is within walking distance from the Farragut North Metro stop. For presentations before the Panel, the following guidance is provided: Oral comments: Requests to present oral comments at this meeting must be in writing (email or fax) and received by the Designated Federal Official, Pat Brooks, at the below address ten (10) business days prior to the meeting date. Each individual or group requesting an oral presentation will be limited to a total time of five minutes. Speakers should bring at least 50 copies of their comments for distribution to the reviewers and public at the meeting. Written Comments: Written comments must be received ten (10) business days prior to the meeting date so that the comments may be provided to the Panel for their consideration prior to the meeting. Comments should be supplied to Ms. Brooks at the address/contact information noted below in the following format: one hard copy with original signature and one electronic copy via email in Microsoft Word. Subsequent meeting dates, locations, and times will be published at least 15 days prior to the meeting date.