[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11865-11866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6234]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

48 CFR Part 806

RIN 2900-AI99


VA Acquisition Regulations: Sealed Bidding and Competitive 
Proposals

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This document proposes to amend the Department of Veterans 
Affairs Acquisition Regulations (VAAR) at 48 CFR 806.401 to delete the 
provisions which currently state that contracting officers must solicit 
sealed bids for contracts expected to exceed the small purchase 
limitation. The term ``small purchase limitation'' has been superseded 
in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) with the term ``simplified 
acquisition threshold.'' Also, the monetary limits for determining when 
sealed bids are required have been changed in the FAR. The FAR now 
allows the use of the simplified acquisition procedures of FAR Part 13 
for acquisitions of non-commercial items not exceeding $100,000 and for 
acquisitions of commercial items not exceeding $5,000,000. With respect 
to the proposed changes, there appears to be no reason for having a 
VAAR threshold requiring sealed bids for contracts at lower monetary 
amounts than the FAR provides. Under the proposal, the FAR provisions 
would apply instead of the removed VAAR provisions. The authority to 
issue solicitations for commercial items under the provisions in the 
FAR at 48 CFR 13.601 and 13.602 is scheduled to expire January 1, 2000. 
If the solicitation authority under these provisions expires, the 
remaining provisions of the FAR would apply.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 11, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver written comments to: Director, Office 
of Regulations Management (02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 
Vermont Ave., NW, Room 1154, Washington, DC 20420. Comments should 
indicate that they are submitted

[[Page 11866]]

in response to ``RIN 2900-AI99.'' All written comments will be 
available for public inspection at the above address in the Office of 
Regulations Management, Room 1158, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Kaliher, Acquisition Policy Team 
(95A), Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management, Department of 
Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420, (202) 
273-8819.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Secretary hereby certifies that the adoption of the proposed 
rule would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities as they are defined in the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612. The adoption of the proposed rule 
would have only a minuscule effect on the activities of those small 
entities that would be affected by the provisions of the proposed rule. 
Therefore, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 605(b), this proposed rule is exempt 
from the initial and final regulatory flexibility analyses requirements 
of sections 603 and 604.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 806

    Government procurement.

    Approved: March 5, 1998.
Togo D. West, Jr.,
Acting Secretary.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 48 CFR part 806 is 
proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 806--COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS

    1. The authority citation for part 806 continues to read as 
follows:
    Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501 and 40 U.S.C. 486(c).


Sec. 806.401  [Amended]

    2. Section 806.401 is amended by removing ``expected to exceed the 
small purchase limitation or''.

[FR Doc. 98-6234 Filed 3-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-U