[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 121 (Thursday, June 24, 2004)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35270-35271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-14366]
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
48 CFR Parts 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, and 1833
RIN 2700-AC68
Re-Issuance of NASA FAR Supplement Subchapter E
AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
ACTION: Final Rule.
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SUMMARY: This rule adopts as final without change, the proposed rule
published in the Federal Register on March 12, 2004. This final rule
amends the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) by removing from the Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) those portions of the NFS containing
information that consists of internal Agency administrative procedures
and guidance that does not control the relationship between NASA and
contractors or prospective contractors. This change is consistent with
the guidance and policy in FAR Part 1 regarding what comprises the
Federal Acquisition Regulations System and requires publication for
public comment. The NFS document will continue to contain both
information requiring codification in the CFR and internal Agency
guidance in a single document that is available on the Internet. This
change will reduce the administrative burden and time associated with
maintaining the NFS by only publishing in the Federal Register for
codification in the CFR material that is subject to public comment.
DATES: Effective Date: June 24, 2004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celeste Dalton, NASA, Office of
Procurement, Contract Management Division (Code HK); (202) 358-1645; e-
mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
Currently the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) contains information to
implement or supplement the FAR. This information contains NASA's
policies, procedures, contract clauses, solicitation provisions, and
forms that govern the contracting process or otherwise control the
relationship between NASA and contractors or prospective contractors.
The NFS also contains information that consists of internal Agency
administrative procedures and guidance that does not control the
relationship between NASA and contractors or prospective contractors.
Regardless of the nature of the information, as a policy, NASA has
submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)
within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and published in the
Federal Register all changes to the NFS. FAR 1.101 states in part that
the ``Federal Acquisition Regulations System consists of the Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which is the primary document, and agency
acquisition regulations that implement or supplement the FAR. The FAR
System does not include internal agency guidance of the type described
in 1.301(a)(2).'' FAR 1.301(a)(2) states in part ``an agency head may
issue or authorize the issuance of internal agency guidance at any
organizational level (e.g., designations and delegations of authority,
assignments of responsibilities, work-flow procedures, and internal
reporting requirements).'' Further, FAR 1.303 states that issuances
under FAR 1.301(a)(2) need not be published in the Federal Register.
Based on the foregoing, NASA is not required to publish and codify
internal Agency guidance.
This final rule will modify the existing practice by only
publishing those regulations which may have a significant effect beyond
the internal operating procedures of the Agency or have a significant
cost or administrative impact on contractors or offerors.
The NFS will continue to integrate into a single document both
regulations subject to public comments and internal Agency guidance and
procedures that do not require public comment.
Those portions of the NFS that require public comment will continue
to be amended by publishing changes in the Federal Register. NFS
regulations that require public comment are issued as Chapter 18 of
Title 48, CFR. Changes to portions of the regulations contained in the
CFR, along with changes to internal guidance and procedures, will be
incorporated into the NASA-maintained Internet version of the NFS
through Procurement Notices (PNs). The single official NASA-maintained
version of the NFS will remain available on the Internet. NASA
personnel must comply with all regulatory and internal guidance and
procedures contained in the NFS.
This change will result in savings in terms of the number of rules
subject to publication in the Federal Register and provide greater
responsiveness to internal administrative changes.
NASA published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on March 12,
2004 (69 FR 11828). No comments were received in response to the
proposed rule. Therefore, the proposed rule is being converted to a
final rule without change.
B. Regulatory Flexibility Act
NASA certifies that this final rule does not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities with the
meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601. et seq.,
because this final rule only removes from the CFR information that is
considered internal Agency administrative procedures and guidance. The
information removed from the CFR will continue to be made available to
the public via the Internet.
C. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply because the changes do
not impose recordkeeping or information collection requirements which
require the approval of the Office of Management and Budget under 44
U.S.C. 3501, et seq.
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831,
1832, and 1833
Government Procurement.
Tom Luedtke,
Assistant Administrator for Procurement.
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Accordingly, 48 CFR Parts 1827 through 1833 are amended as follows:
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1. The authority citation for 48 CFR Parts 1827 through 1833 continue
to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(1).
PART 1827--PATENTS, DATA, AND COPYRIGHTS
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2. Amend Part 1827 by removing sections 1827.305-3, 1827.305-370,
1827.305-371, paragraphs (d), (e), (f), (g)(3)(B), (g)(3)(C),
(g)(3)(D), (h), and (i) in section 1827.404, sections 1827.405,
1827.406, 1827.408, and paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (e) in section
1827.409.
PART 1828--BONDS AND INSURANCE
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3. Amend Part 1828 by removing sections 1828.106, 1828.106-6, Subpart
1828.2, and sections 1828.307, 1828.307-1, 1828.307-2, and 1828.307-70.
PART 1829--TAXES
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4. Remove Part 1829.
[[Page 35271]]
PART 1830--COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS ADMINISTRATION
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5. Amend Part 1830 by removing Subpart 1830.2 and removing and
reserving sections 1830.7001-1, 1830.7001-2, and 1830.7001-3.
PART 1831--CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES
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6. Amend Part 1831 by removing sections 1831.205-6, 1831.205-670, and
1831.205-32, and removing the phrase ``under 1831.205-32'' in section
1831.205-70.
PART 1832--CONTRACT FINANCING
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7. Amend Part 1832 by --
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(a) Removing sections 1832.006-2, 1832.007;
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(b) Removing ``(see 1832.402)'' in paragraph (b)(6) of section
1832.202-1; and
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(c) Removing sections 1832.402, 1832.406, 1832.407, 1832.409, 1832.409-
1, 1832.409-170, 1832.410, 1832.501-2, 1832.502, 1832.502-2, 1832.503,
1832.503-5, 1832.504, 1832.702, 1832.702-70, 1832.704, 1832.704-70,
Subpart 1832.9, and sections 1832.1001, 1832.1004, paragraph (b)(2) in
section 1832.1005, and paragraph (c) in section 1832.1110.
PART 1833--PROTESTS, DISPUTES, AND APPEALS
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8. Amend Part 1833 by removing paragraph (f) in section 1833.103, and
sections 1833.104, 1833.106, 1833.209, 1833.210, and 1833.211.
[FR Doc. 04-14366 Filed 6-23-04; 8:45 am]
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