[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 40 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 10962-10964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-3390]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
48 CFR Parts 22, 25, and 52
[FAC 2005-24; FAR Case 2007-016; Item III]
[Docket 2008-0001; Sequence 3]
RIN 9000-AK89
Federal Acquisition Regulation; FAR Case 2007-016, Trade
Agreements--New Thresholds
AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense
Acquisition Regulations Council (the Councils) have agreed to issue an
interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to
incorporate increased thresholds for application of the World Trade
Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade
Agreements, as determined by the United States Trade Representative
(USTR).
DATES: Effective Date: February 28, 2008.
Comment Date: Interested parties should submit written comments to
the FAR Secretariat on or before April 28, 2008 to be considered in the
formulation of a final rule.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by FAC 2005-24, FAR case 2007-
016, by any of the following methods:
Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by inputting ``FAR Case
2007-016'' under the heading ``Comment or Submission''. Select the link
``Send a Comment or Submission'' that corresponds with FAR Case 2007-
016. Follow the instructions provided to complete the ``Public Comment
and Submission Form''. Please include your name, company name (if any),
and ``FAR Case 2007-016'' on your attached document.
Fax: 202-501-4067.
Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory
Secretariat (VPR), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035, ATTN: Diedra Wingate,
Washington, DC 20405.
Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite FAC 2005-24, FAR
case 2007-016, in all correspondence related to this case. All comments
received will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov.
Please include your name and company name (if any) inside the document.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For clarification of content, contact
Ms. Meredith Murphy, Procurement Analyst, at (202) 208-6925. For
information pertaining to status or publication schedules, contact the
FAR Secretariat, Room 4035, GS Building, Washington, DC 20405, (202)
501-4755. Please cite FAC 2005-24, FAR Case 2007-016.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
Every two years, the trade agreements thresholds are escalated
according to a pre-determined formula set forth in the agreements. The
USTR, in the Federal Register, at 72 FR 71166, December 14, 2007 and 72
FR 73904, December 28, 2007, specified the following new thresholds:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supply Service Construction
contract contract contract
Trade agreement (equal to or (equal to or (equal to or
exceeding) exceeding) exceeding)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WTO GPA FTAs.................................................... $194,000 $194,000 $7,443,000
Australia FTA................................................... 67,826 67,826 7,443,000
Bahrain FTA..................................................... 194,000 194,000 8,817,449
CAFTA-DR (El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, 67,826 67,826 7,443,000
and Nicaragua).................................................
Chile FTA....................................................... 67,826 67,826 7,443,000
Morocco FTA..................................................... 194,000 194,000 7,443,000
NAFTA:
--Canada.................................................... 25,000 67,826 8,817,449
--Mexico.................................................... 67,826 67,826 8,817,449
Singapore FTA................................................... 67,826 67,826 7,443,000
Israeli Trade Act............................................... 50,000
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[[Page 10963]]
This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not
subject to review under Section 6(b) of Executive Order 12866,
Regulatory Planning and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is
not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804.
B. Regulatory Flexibility Act
This interim rule is not expected to have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities within the meaning of
the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq. The dollar
threshold changes are designed to keep pace with inflation and thus
maintain the status quo. Therefore, we have not performed an Initial
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis. We invite comments from small business
concerns and other interested parties on this issue. The Councils will
also consider comments from small entities concerning the affected FAR
subparts 22, 25, and 52 in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 610. Interested
parties should submit such comments separately and should cite 5 U.S.C.
601, et seq. (FAR Case 2007-016), in correspondence.
C. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act does apply, because the interim rule
affects the prescriptions for use of the certifications at 52.225-4
(OMB Control 9000-0130), 52.225-6 (OMB Control 9000-0025), and the
clauses at 52.225-9 and 52.225-11 (OMB Control 9000-0141), which
contain information collection requirements approved under the
specified OMB control numbers by the Office of Management and Budget
under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq. However, there is no impact on the
estimated burden hours, because the threshold changes are in line with
inflation and maintain the status quo.
D. Determination To Issue an Interim Rule
A determination has been made under the authority of the Secretary
of Defense, the Administrator of General Services, and the
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
that urgent and compelling reasons exist to promulgate this interim
rule without prior opportunity for public comment. This interim rule
incorporates increased dollar thresholds for application of the World
Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade
Agreements, as determined by the USTR. This action is necessary because
the new thresholds are scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2008.
However, pursuant to Public Law 98-577 and FAR 1.501, the Councils will
consider public comments received in response to this interim rule in
the formation of the final rule.
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 22, 25, and 52
Government procurement.
Dated: February 19, 2008.
Al Matera,
Director, Office of Acquisition Policy.
0
Therefore, DoD, GSA, and NASA amend 48 CFR parts 22, 25, and 52 as set
forth below:
0
1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 22, 25, and 52 continues to
read as follows:
Authority: 40 U.S.C. 121(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 137; and 42
U.S.C. 2473(c).
PART 22--APPLICATION OF LABOR LAWS TO GOVERNMENT ACQUISITIONS
22.1503 [Amended]
0
2. Amend section 22.1503 by:
0
a. Removing from paragraph (b)(3) ``$64,786'' and adding ``$67,826'' in
its place; and
0
b. Removing from paragraph (b)(4) ``$193,000'' and adding ``$194,000''
in its place.
PART 25--FOREIGN ACQUISITION
25.202 [Amended]
0
3. Amend section 25.202 in paragraph (c) by removing ``$7,407,000'' and
adding ``$7,443,000'' in its place.
0
4. Amend section 25.402 by revising the table that follows paragraph
(b) to read as follows:
25.402 General.
* * * * *
(b) * * *
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Supply Service Construction
contract contract contract
Trade Agreement (equal to or (equal to or (equal to or
exceeding) exceeding) exceeding)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WTO GPA FTAs.................................................... $194,000 $194,000 $7,443,000
Australia FTA................................................... 67,826 67,826 7,443,000
Bahrain FTA..................................................... 194,000 194,000 8,817,449
CAFTA-DR (El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, 67,826 67,826 7,443,000
and Nicaragua).................................................
Chile FTA....................................................... 194,000 194,000 7,443,000
Morocco FTA..................................................... 25,000 67,826 8,817,449
NAFTA:
--Canada.................................................... 67,826 67,826 8,817,449
--Mexico.................................................... 67,826 67,826 7,443,000
Singapore FTA................................................... 50,000 .............. ..............
Israeli Trade Act...............................................
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25.1101 [Amended]
0
5. Amend section 25.1101 by:
0
a. Removing from paragraph (b)(1)(i)(A) ``$193,000'' and adding
``$194,000'' in its place;
0
b. Removing from paragraphs (b)(1)(iii) and (b)(2)(iii) ``$64,786'' and
adding ``$67,826'' in its place; and
0
c. Removing from paragraphs (c)(1) and (d) ``$193,000'' and adding
``$194,000'' in its place.
25.1102 [Amended]
0
6. Amend section 25.1102 by:
0
a. Removing from paragraphs (a) and (c) ``$7,407,000'' and adding
``$7,443,000'' in its place; and
0
b. Removing from paragraphs (c)(3) and (d)(3) ``$7,407,000'' and
``$8,422,165'' and adding ``7,443,000'' and ``$8,817,449'',
respectively, in its place.
PART 52--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES
0
7. Amend section 52.212-5 by revising the date of the clause and
paragraph (b)(17) to read as follows:
52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes
or Executive Orders--Commercial Items.
* * * * *
[[Page 10964]]
CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT STATUTES OR
EXECUTIVE ORDERS--COMMERCIAL ITEMS (FEB 2008)
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(17) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and
Remedies (FEB 2008) (E.O. 13126).
* * * * *
0
8. Amend section 52.213-4 by revising the date of the clause and the
first sentence in paragraph (b)(1)(i) to read as follows:
52.213-4 Terms and Conditions--Simplified Acquisitions (Other Than
Commercial Items).
* * * * *
TERMS AND CONDITIONS--SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITIONS (OTHER THAN COMMERCIAL
ITEMS) (FEB 2008)
* * * * *
(b) * * *
(1) * * *
(i) 52.222-19, Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and
Remedies (FEB 2008) (E.O. 13126).
* * * * *
0
9. Amend section 52.222-19 by:
0
a. Revising the date of the clause;
0
b. Removing from paragraph (a)(3) ``$64,786'' and adding ``$67,826'' in
its place; and
0
c. Removing from paragraph (a)(4) ``$193,000'' and adding ``$194,000''
in its place.
The revised text reads as follows:
52.222-19 Child Labor--Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies.
* * * * *
CHILD LABOR--COOPERATION WITH AUTHORITIES AND REMEDIES (FEB 2008)
* * * * *
[FR Doc. E8-3390 Filed 2-27-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-EP-P