The part also implements and supplements controlling legislation, applicable provisions of the Federal Property Management Regulations, and Departmental policies and guidelines. It is intended to promote cost efficiencies in the management of the Service's Motor Vehicle Program. This part also provides a basic reference source containing policies, procedures, and standards governing the acquisition, preparation, utilization, and disposal of Service held motor vehicles, and related supplies and services.

1.2 Scope and Applicability. The policies and procedures contained in 320 FW are mandatory for all personnel engaged in the Motor Vehicle Program. The provisions of this part apply to all motor vehicles whether Government owned or leased, including motor vehicles obtained from the General Services Administration (GSA) Interagency Fleet Management System (referred to herein as the fleet management system(s), and/or center(s)). To the extent that 320 FW implements provisions of the Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR), appropriate references to the FPMR have been included for project leaders who have a need to cite or reference the basic regulations.

1.3 Authority.

A. General Services Administration. The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1948, as amended, authorizes the Administrator of GSA to prescribe Government-wide policies and methods of supply of personal property and non-personal services. The Administrator has established the Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR) which are developed in cooperation with all Federal agencies and are published in the Federal Register and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations as 41 CFR Chapter 101, Federal Property Management Regulations. The FPMR has been adopted by the Department for mandatory use by all of its bureaus.

B. Department.

(1) The authority to issue regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of the FPMR is vested in the Secretary pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 301 and 40 U.S.C. 486(c).

(2) The authority to issue amendments and additions to the material in the Code of Federal Regulations has been delegated to the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget under 209 DM 4.1A.

1.4 Responsibilities.

A. The Director shall:

(1) Administer a Motor Vehicle Program in accordance with Departmental policies, standards, procedures and guidelines issued by the Director, Property and Acquisition Management (PAM).

(2) Periodically ensure that program performance is evaluated to confirm compliance with Departmental and Service policies, standards, and procedures.

B. The Assistant Director - Policy, Budget and Administration shall be responsible for the management of the motor vehicle program and shall:

(1) Evaluate all aspects of the Motor Vehicle Program.

(2) Serve as the focal point for the dissemination of technical advice and coordination on the motor vehicle fuel energy conservation program.

(3) Approve Regional requests for the assignment or reassignment of motor vehicles to individual employees. (Only Service-owned motor vehicles may be reassigned.)

(4) Conduct fleet management cost studies.

(5) Maintain an effective motor vehicle replacement and utilization program.

(6) Maintain motor vehicle fleet records to provide required data for agency reports.

(7) Institute measures to safeguard against misuse of motor vehicles.

(8) Forward suggested changes in policies and procedures to the Department's Director, PAM.

(9) Manage and operate the motor vehicle program in compliance with the provisions of this part and any supplemental guidance issued.

(10) Exercise management and technical supervision, and develop policy and procedures as necessary, to ensure effective and efficient management and use of Government vehicles.

(11) Include motor vehicle management as a component of the Service's internal control program.

(12) Establish a central registry of U.S. Government, District of Columbia, and State and territory license tags issued for use on motor vehicles, in accordance with the requirements of this part.

C. Regional Director. The Service's Regional Directors are designated as Property Administrators and are responsible for the management of their Regional motor vehicle programs. They are responsible for:

(1) The overall administration, coordination, and control of Regional property management programs, and ensuring that required records are maintained and required reports are submitted.

(2) The implementation of policy and procedures, and providing formal training and guidance to subordinate or serviced organizational elements within their area of control.

(3) Ensuring that all actions are taken to ensure the integrity of the motor vehicle management program, and that Government motor vehicles are managed in such a manner that provides optimum protection against fraud, waste, and abuse.

(4) Providing oversight of and dissemination of technical advice and information and coordination on the motor vehicle fuel energy conservation program to subordinate or serviced organizational components.

(5) Establishment of a Regional motor vehicle replacement and utilization program based on replacement and utilization standards identified within this part.

D. Managers of Service Field Installations and Activities shall:

(1) Establish local procedures for the assignment and use of vehicles in conformance with the policies, procedures, and forms contained herein.

(2) Ensure that operational procedures are flexible to meet changing requirements.

(3) Establish local procedures for the most economical use of motor vehicles.

(4) Ensure the collection of accurate utilization and operational and maintenance data.

(5) Provide and ensure proper training of personnel in the use of motor vehicles.

(6) Ensure the safety, security, proper care, and use of vehicles.

(7) Provide for rotation of vehicles where practical and economical to equalize usage and to assure attainment of life cycle utilization goals within the life expectancy of the vehicle.

(8) Ensure that vehicles are operated in accordance with State, local, and applicable Federal Highway Administration regulations.

(9) Ensure that vehicles are removed from functions not meeting established utilization standards.

E. Motor Vehicle Operators shall:

(1) Operate motor vehicles in a safe and prudent manner.

(2) Report to their supervisor motor vehicles that are in unsafe operating condition.

(3) Record daily operations and maintenance costs in the Operator's Record DI-120.

(4) Comply with motor vehicle operator regulations of local, State, and Federal governments.

1.5 Definitions. As used throughout 320 FW, the following terms are defined as follows:

A. Accountable Officers are Service employee(s) designated by the Property Administrator as responsible for ensuring establishment and maintenance of property accountability records, and to provide for effective control over property assigned to a particular organizational entity (e.g., hatchery, refuge, project, or division/office). The Accountable Officer is a Division Chief, Branch Chief, Refuge Manager, or comparable position. It may be appropriate for an organizational unit to have more than one Accountable Officer if the geographic location of the property to be accounted for is of such size as to preclude regular review and inspection of the property by one Accountable Officer. Program guidance is provided to the Accountable Officer by the Property Management Officer, through the Property Administrator. The Accountable Officer for Government property in the custody of contractors, grantees, concessionaires, cooperators, or other authorized non-Government entities, shall be the Contracting Officer, Grant Officer, or other management official administering the contract, grant, or legal instrument which authorizes the custody of the Government property. If a field station has only a few employees, the Accountable Officer does not have to appoint a Custodial Officer.

B. Acquired means purchased or leased for a period of 60 continuous days or more, but does not include motor vehicles obtained on assignment from the Fleet Management System.

C. Clear and Present Danger means those highly unusual circumstances which present a threat to the physical safety of the employee's person or property under circumstances where:

(1) The danger is real, not imaginative, and immediate or imminent, not merely potential; and

(2) A showing is made that the use of a Government passenger carrier would provide protection not otherwise available.

D. Compelling Operational Considerations means those circumstances where the provision of home-to-work transportation to an employee is essential to the conduct of official business or would substantially increase the Service's efficiency and economy. Home-to-work transportation may be justifiable if other available alternatives would involve substantial additional costs to the Government or expenditures of employee time. These circumstances need not be limited to emergency or life and death situations.

E. Emergency means those circumstances which exist whenever there is an immediate, unforeseeable, temporary need to provide home-to-work transportation for those employees who are necessary for the uninterrupted performance of the Service's mission. An emergency may occur where there is a major disruption of available means of transportation to or from a work site, an essential Government service must be provided, or when there is no other way to transport those employees.

F. Field Work means official work performed by an employee whose job requires the employee's presence at various locations that are at a distance from the employee's place of employment (itinerant-type travel involving multiple stops within the accepted local commuting area, or use outside that area) or at a remote location that is more accessible by Government-provided transportation. The designation of a work site as a field office does not, of itself, permit the use of a Government passenger carrier for home-to-work transportation.

G. GSA Vehicle means any motor vehicle obtained from the Fleet Management System.

H. Law Enforcement Vehicle means any sedan, station wagon, or light truck (4x4 or 4x2) designed or retrofitted to be used directly in law enforcement work. Motor vehicles used for administrative purposes in support of law enforcement work or operations shall not be regarded as law enforcement vehicles.

I. Lease refers to a contract or other arrangement under which a motor vehicle is leased from a commercial firm for a period of 60 continuous days or more.

J. Light Truck means any truck described in Federal Standard No. 292 or 307, and rated at 3,856 Kilograms (8,500 lbs.) Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) or less.

K. Motor Equipment means any item of equipment which is self-propelled or drawn by mechanical power, which is designated to be principally operated off highways. The term "motor equipment" includes construction and maintenance equipment, materials handling equipment, forestry and agricultural equipment, vessels, aircraft, and aircraft ground support equipment.

L. Motor Vehicle means any vehicle, self-propelled or drawn by mechanical power, which is designed to be principally operated on highways or to transport property or passengers. The term "motor vehicle" includes motorcycles, sedans, station wagons, carryalls, ambulances, buses, truck tractors and trucks, including trucks with specialized mounted equipment and truck chassis with special purpose bodies (e.g., fire trucks, garbage trucks, etc.).

M. Passenger Carrying Vehicle means sedans and station wagons as described in Federal Standard No. 122.

N. Preventive Maintenance means the routine and scheduled inspection and servicing of motor vehicles and motor equipment in accordance with the manufacturer-specified warranty maintenance requirements. Preventive maintenance includes periodic oil changes, tune ups, lubrications, fluid replenishment, filter changes, etc. The term "preventive maintenance" means the same as "scheduled maintenance."

O. Property Administrator. The senior management official at a major organizational element (e.g., Region) who is responsible for the control and administration of personal property for a major organizational or geographic area. The Property Administrator is responsible for dissemination and implementation of supplemental policy and procedures to subordinate activities.

P. Property Management Officer (PMO). The Assistant Director - Policy, Budget and Administration is responsible for the overall administration, coordination, and control of the personal property management program of the Service.

Q. Regional Property Officer. The Chiefs, Division of Contracting and General Services are designated as Regional Property Officers for their respective Regions, and shall:

(1) Monitor the Regional motor vehicle program.

(2) Carry out policy guidance on all matters pertaining to motor vehicle management and develop any supplemental procedures necessary to carry out this guidance for the signature of the Property Administrator.

(3) Be responsible for establishing and maintaining Regional motor vehicle records.

R. Rental refers to a contract or other arrangement under which a motor vehicle is obtained from a commercial firm for a period of less than 60 days.

S. Tag means the official U.S. Government motor vehicle identification plate, District of Columbia license plate, or license plate of any State, territory, or possession of the United States.

T. Unscheduled Maintenance means maintenance or repairs required to correct an unanticipated malfunction or failure of a motor vehicle/equipment system or component.

U. Vehicle Jacket refers to a file which is maintained for each motor vehicle at the location where the vehicle is assigned. The vehicle jacket shall contain all pertinent vehicle information including a DI Form 120, all in-house inspection and maintenance records, vehicle acquisition and receipt documents, manufacturer's certificate of origin, vehicle disposal documents, and copies of all correspondence pertaining to the motor vehicle.

1.6 Forms. Information regarding the acquisition of the various forms identified in this part may be acquired through your servicing CGS office.