[Federal Register: November 16, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 220)]
[Notices]               
[Page 63712]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16no98-51]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-0136]

 
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Entitled Commercial 
Item Acquisitions

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of request for an extension to an existing OMB 
clearance.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 
Secretariat has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
a request to review and approve an extension of a currently approved 
information collection requirement concerning Commercial Item 
Acquisitions.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before December 16, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other 
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for 
reducing this burden, to: FAR Desk Officer, OMB, Room 10102, NEOB, 
Washington, DC 20503, and a copy to the General Services 
Administration, FAR Secretariat (MVRS), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, 
Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0136, Commercial 
Item Acquisitions in all correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victoria Moss, Federal Acquisition 
Policy Division, GSA (202) 501-4764.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 included Title 
VIII, entitled Commercial Items. The title made numerous additions and 
revisions to both the civilian agency and Armed Service acquisition 
statutes to encourage and facilitate the acquisition of commercial 
items and services by Federal Government agencies.
    To implement these changes, DOD, NASA, and GSA amended the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation to include streamlined/simplified procedures for 
the commercial items. As part of the steamlined procedures, a new 
solicitation provision was developed to take the place of the multitude 
of certifications and representations used in Government solicitations. 
This new provision is significantly shorter and collects less 
information than the corresponding provisions used in non-commercial 
acquisitions.
    The new estimated number of respondents is based on FY 97 FPDS 
data. In reviewing the burden associated with this clearance, it became 
clear that the majority of burden hours previously requested actually 
related to requirements in other FAR parts and was already approved 
under existing clearances. This clearance now addresses only 
information collections required by FAR Part 12, Commercial Item 
Acquisitions. This information collection is centered in the provision 
at 52.212-3. It is possible that this clearance still double counts 
responses approved under other clearances. A review is underway to 
identify and correct any such double counting.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average 18.7 minutes per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and 
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the 
collection of information.
    The annual reporting burden is estimated as follows: Respondents, 
118,000; responses per respondent, 12.1 total annual responses, 
1,427,800; preparation hours per response, .312; and total response 
burden hours, 445,450.

Obtaining Copies of Proposals

    Requester may obtain a copy of the justification from the General 
Services Administration, FAR Secretariat (MVRS), Room 4035, Washington, 
DC 20405, telephone (202) 501-4755. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-
0136 regarding Commercial Item Acquisitions in all correspondence.

    Dated: November 9, 1998.
Edward C. Loeb,
Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 98-30486 Filed 11-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-34-P