[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15167-15168]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-7826]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION


Federal Supply Service; Revisions to 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 invites comments on GSA's revised plan to increase 
the CHAMP shipment surcharge from $45 to $145 instead of $105 as 
proposed in our January 20, 1999, Federal Register notice published for 
comment (64 FR 3131). Further evaluation of the program's funding 
status has clearly demonstrated that this action is necessary to 
increase CHAMP funding to a level that will enable GSA to defray the 
program's expenses. This notice supersedes the January 20, 1999 Federal 
Register notice.

DATES: Please submit your comments by April 29, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to the Transportation Management Division 
(FBF), General Services Administration, Washington, DC 20406, Attn: 
Federal Register Surcharge Increase Notice. GSA will consider your 
comments prior to implementing the proposed increase.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GSA's CHAMP receives no Congressional 
funding and must depend on a shipment surcharge, currently $45, to 
defray its costs. The shipment surcharge has been in effect since 1996 
and no longer fully funds program expenses. GSA published a notice for 
comment in the Federal Register on January 20, 1999 (64 FR 3131) 
announcing its plan to increase the shipment surcharge from $45 to 
$105, and to revise the Household Goods Tender of Service ``shipment 
definition'' for the purpose of assessing the surcharge on each 
component of a shipment (i.e.,

[[Page 15168]]

households, privately owned vehicle (POV), and unaccompanied baggage) 
to allow us to recoup program costs.
    Agency/industry comments GSA received on the proposed changes and 
our own programmatic concerns suggest it is time for GSA to change the 
way CHAMP industrial funding fees are collected. We plan to work with 
our Federal agency and industry partners to develop and implement an 
alternative funding strategy by November 1, 1999. In the interim it is 
necessary for us to increase the shipment surcharge. Our ongoing 
analysis of the program's financial status clearly indicates that $105 
would not adequately cover program expenses even with cost cutting 
measures we have identified and are proceeding to implement. Indeed, 
our in-depth analysis indicates we must increase the surcharge to $145 
to adequately cover our expenses of maintaining this valuable program.
    We do, however, withdraw the January 20th proposal to add the 
surcharge to POV and unaccompanied baggage shipments. Moreover, instead 
of a line-haul transportation rate increase to cover the $145 
surcharge, GBL issuers are to include the surcharge as a separate line 
item on the GBL. Carriers then will bill Federal agencies for the 
surcharge as a separate line item on the SF-1113.
    GSA is committed to providing a program that meets the needs of 
Federal agencies. The funding increase will be used to pay for 
personnel who directly support the program and activities associated 
with the development of program enhancements. Moreover, we are looking 
forward to working with our customer agency counterparts and industry 
partners to devise by November 1, 1999, a satisfactory approach to 
handling future funding for this important program.

    Dated: March 25, 1999.
Barbara Vogt,
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Office of Transportation and Property 
Management.
[FR Doc. 99-7826 Filed 3-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-24-P