[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 137 (Friday, July 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38653-38654]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19107]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Federal Supply Service; Move Management Services (MMS) and the 
General Services Administration's (GSA's) Centralized Household Goods 
Traffic Management Program (CHAMP)

AGENCY: Federal Supply Service, GSA.

ACTION: Notice of proposed program changes for comment.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces GSA's plan to continue providing MMS 
under the Household Goods Tender of Service (HTOS) until October 31, 
1999, with the expectation of adding MMS to the Governmentwide Employee 
Relocation Services Schedule as a separate service during the next open 
season scheduled for Spring 1999. Under this plan GSA will continue to 
be able to meet customer needs while transitioning MMS to a FAR 
contract procurement method. This notice supersedes two previous 
Federal Register notices published for comment on this subject (62 FR 
64225, December 4, 1997, and 63 FR 30496, June 4, 1998).

DATES: Please submit your comments by September 15, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to the Travel and Transportation Management 
Division (FBT), General Services Administration, Washington, DC 20406, 
Attn: Federal Register Notice. GSA will consider your comments prior to 
implementing this proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Larry Tucker, Senior Program Expert, Travel and Transportation 
Management Division, FSS/GSA, 703-305-5745.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GSA has been exploring for almost a year 
alternative procurement strategies for providing MMS to Federal 
agencies, two of which were published in the Federal Register for 
comment (see references under SUMMARY paragraph above). It was our hope 
to offer GSA customers access to a full spectrum of MMS through an 
alternative approach by expiration of the current household goods rates 
on October 31, 1998.
    While exploring alternatives, we have continued to meet with 
customer agencies and household goods industry representatives. 
Dialogue from these meetings, coupled with reaction to the two previous 
Federal Register notices, have led us to conclude that the 
Governmentwide Employee Relocation Services Schedule offers a viable 
long-term strategy for providing MMS to agencies. We can fully 
transition to providing MMS as a separate service under the schedule 
during the next

[[Page 38654]]

open season scheduled for Spring 1999. In the interim, we plan to 
incorporate MMS in the current schedule as an add-on or ``enhanced 
service'' as announced previously in the Federal Register. To use the 
add-on (i.e., ``enhanced service''), however, a customer agency would 
be required to purchase MMS as part of a total relocation services 
package, and would be limited to the three vendors now on schedule. 
While such an approach would meet the needs of a small number of 
Federal activities that buy the entire package of relocation services 
(real estate services, mortgage assistance, etc.) customers interested 
in acquiring only MMS would not have access to the services.
    After having carefully weighed all the issues, we have concluded 
that for the immediate future we can best satisfy customer needs and 
meet industry concerns by continuing to provide MMS through the HTOS 
until October 31, 1999, with the clear expectation of adding MMS to the 
Governmentwide Employee Relocation Services Schedule as a separate 
service during the next open season scheduled for Spring 1999.
    Under this plan, agencies that currently produce MMS under the HTOS 
will enjoy uninterrupted service, and agencies that wish to procure a 
more comprehensive package of relocation services, including MMS, will 
be able to do so in the very near future under the schedule. Carrier 
and non-schedule-broker MMS providers will be able to continue offering 
service under the HTOS until the next open season when they will have 
opportunity to compete and transition to the schedule. The broker MMS 
providers currently on schedule also will be able to continue offering 
service under the HTOS until the open season when MMS will become a 
separate procurement item on the schedule.
    As stated in the SUMMARY paragraph above, this inclusive approach 
will allow GSA to continue meeting customer needs and address concerns 
raised by interested industry representatives while we transition MMS 
to a FAR contract procurement method.
    In anticipation of favorable reaction to this inclusive plan and in 
an effort to keep the household goods program on target, we plan to 
immediately proceed with issuance of an RFO allowing both general 
transportation and MMS providers to file new rates for November 1, 
1998, implementation (or as soon thereafter as realistically possible). 
Under the described plan, the new rates would be effective until 
October 31, 1999.

    Dated: July 13, 1998.
Janice Sandwen,
Director, Travel and Transportation Management Division.
[FR Doc. 98-19107 Filed 7-16-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-24-M