Office of Procurement and Property Management – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or the Agency), an agency of the Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a proposed rule with request for comments to adopt changes from the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). These proposed changes include the merger of the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement and the Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products into one streamlined regulation, Biobased Markets (BioPreferred) Program. The plain language summary of the proposal is available on Regulations.gov in the docket for rulemaking.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is proposing to amend the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (Guidelines) to add 30 sections that will designate the product categories within which biobased products would be afforded procurement preference by Federal agencies and their contractors. These 30 product categories contain finished products that are made, in large part, from intermediate ingredients that have been proposed for designation for Federal procurement preference. USDA is also proposing minimum biobased contents for each of these product categories. Additionally, USDA is proposing to amend the existing designated product categories of general purpose de-icers, firearm lubricants, laundry products, and water clarifying agents.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Office of Procurement and Property Management's intention to request an extension of a currently approved information collection for Guidelines for the Transfer of Excess Computers or Other Technical Equipment Pursuant to Section 14220 of the 2008 Farm Bill.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending by 30 days the deadline to submit comments on the proposed rule to designate 12 product categories for federal procurement, which was published on January 13, 2017 (82 FR 4206) under the authority of section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (the 2002 Farm Bill), as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill), and further amended by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill), 7 U.S.C. 8102. The 60-day comment period in the proposed rule is scheduled to end on March 14, 2017. The extended comment period will now close on April 13, 2017. In this proposed rule, USDA is proposing to amend the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (Guidelines) to add 12 sections that will designate the product categories within which biobased products would be afforded procurement preference by Federal agencies and their contractors.

In accordance with Section 743 of Division C of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117), Department of Agriculture is publishing this notice to advise the public of the availability of the FY 2015 Services Contracts Inventory. This inventory provides information on FY 2015 service contract actions over $25,000. The information is organized by function to show how contracted resources are distributed throughout the agency. The inventory has been developed in accordance with guidance issued on November 5, 2010, by the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP). OFPP's guidance is available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/procurement /memo/ service-contract-inventories-guidance-11052010.pdf. The Department of Agriculture has posted its inventory and a summary of the inventory on the Office of Procurement and Property Management homepage at the following link: https://www.dm.usda.gov/ procurement/.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending its regulations concerning Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement to incorporate statutory changes to section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (FSRIA) that went into effect when the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm Bill) was signed into law on February 7, 2014.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces the Office of Procurement and Property Management's intention to request a revision of a currently approved information collection for Guidelines for the Transfer of Excess Computers or Other Technical Equipment Pursuant to Section 14220 of the 2008 Farm Bill (7 CFR Part 3203).

The Office of Procurement and Property Management (OPPM) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) amends the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (the ``AGAR'') by adding a new clause entitled ``Fire Suppression and Liability.'' Section 8205 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Act) provided the USDA Forest Service with permanent authority for stewardship end results contracting by adding a new section 604 to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. Section 8205 contains a requirement that the agency use a fire liability provision in all stewardship contracts and agreements that is in substantially the same form as the fire liability provisions contained in the integrated resource timber contract in Forest Service contract numbered 2400-13, part H, section H.4. This interim rule establishes a new clause in the AGAR, the USDA supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), for use in Integrated Resource Service Contracts (IRSC) subject to the FAR. This new AGAR clause addresses fire liability on stewardship contracts as requred in the 2014 Agricultural Act.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), this notice announces that the Department of Agriculture, Departmental Management, Office of Procurement and Property Management, is hereby requesting an extension for and a revision to a currently approved information collection, Voluntary Labeling Program for Biobased Products for Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is withdrawing the final rule ``Designation of Product Categories for Federal Procurement'' published April 1, 2013, at 78 FR 19393. The final rulemaking, which amended the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add eight sections to designate product categories within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, was published prematurely due to an oversight in the development process.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add eight sections to designate product categories within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (referred to in this document as ``section 9002''). USDA is also adding a new subcategory to one previously designated product category. USDA is also establishing minimum biobased contents for each of these product categories and subcategories. In addition, USDA is officially changing the term ``item'' to product category.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add 12 sections to designate product categories within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (referred to in this document as ``section 9002''). USDA is also establishing minimum biobased contents for each of these product categories.

In compliance with the February 21, 2012 Presidential Memorandum ``Driving Innovation and Creating Jobs In Rural America through Biobased and Sustainable Product Procurement,'' the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending the Guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement, to add 13 sections to designate product categories within which biobased products will be afforded Federal procurement preference, as provided for under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, as amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (referred to in this document as ``section 9002''). USDA is also establishing minimum biobased contents for each of these product categories.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is publishing technical amendments to the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation (AGAR) as a final rule. We use the direct final rule process to make non-controversial changes to the AGAR. We are amending the AGAR to update organizational references to USDA components; to update citations to statutes and to Executive Orders; to update or clarify internal procedures; and to reflect changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation through Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-24.