[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8149-8150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3914]


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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 changes to the MMS Statement of work (SOW).

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SUMMARY: This notice announces changes GSA has made to the MMS SOW as a 
result of: (1) Comments solicited and received on our April 2, 1999 
Federal Register notice (64 FR 15976); (2) subsequent meetings with the 
licensed-broker, carrier, and forwarder industries and GSA customer 
agencies; and (3) comments solicited and received on GSA's December 13, 
1999, posting on the Electronic Posting Service (EPS) of a revised 
draft MMS SOW. The SOW provides for the transition of licensed-broker-
provided MMS from GSA's CHAMP to the Governmentwide Employee Relocation 
Services Schedule as a separate line item. The transition is necessary 
to comply with statutory authority (49

[[Page 8150]]

U.S.C. 13712). Comments received on the April 2, 1999, Federal Register 
notice; deliberations with the licensed-broker, carrier, and forwarder 
industries and our customers; and comments received on the December 13, 
1999, EPS posting of the revised SOW were all carefully considered and 
resulted in the changes announced in this notice.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GSA published a notice in the Federal 
Register on April 2, 1999 (64 FR 15976-15978) soliciting comments on 
the SOW to be used in transitioning licensed-broker-provided MMS from 
CHAMP to the Governmentwide Employee Relocation Services Schedule as a 
separate line item. GSA carefully reviewed the comments received and 
met with our customers and household goods industry representatives to 
determine how best to accommodate, within the context of the 
recommended changes, the affected parties. First and foremost our 
customer agencies want flexibility and choice. Based on the outcome of 
our deliberations we revised the SOW and posted it for comment on the 
EPS on December 13, 1999. We are instituting the following changes to 
satisfy the expressed wishes of our customers and to accommodate 
industry to the maximum extent possible.
     Carriers/forwarders will continue to provide MMS under 
CHAMP's Household Goods Tender of Service (HTOS).
     We will solicit two rate levels under the HTOS:

--One for general transportation; and
--One for MMS included in the rate.
     MMS contractor commissions assessed to carriers will be 
prohibited under the HTOS.
     We will transition licensed brokers to the Governmentwide 
Employee Relocation Services Schedule.
     Agencies may specify on a shipment-by-shipment basis, or 
on an up-front overall shipment basis, whether they want the schedule 
MMS contractor to use a CHAMP carrier and rate or whether they will 
accept the contractor's commercial arrangement(s) with a carrier(s).
     When a CHAMP carrier and rate are used, pricing will be on 
a flat fee basis with commissions prohibited.
     When an agency specifies use of a contractor's commercial 
arrangement(s), it will not be restricted to using a CHAMP carrier and 
rate and may instead use the contractor's supplier network and pricing 
options.
     Commissions will not be prohibited when an agency 
specifies use of a contractor's commercial arrangement(s).
     (GSA will have a 2-tiered industrial funding fee (IFF):
     If an agency selects use of a CHAMP carrier and rate, both 
a $145 IFF (embedded in the CHAMP carrier's rate under the Household 
Goods Tender of Service) and a 1% IFF (embedded in MMS pricing under 
the schedule) will apply; or
     If an agency uses the contractor's commercial arrangement, 
a 1% IFF (embedded in MMS pricing under the schedule) will apply. GSA 
plans to issue the refreshed solicitation for the relocation services 
multiple award schedule (MAS) within this first calendar year quarter. 
Since this is an MAS, each offer will be evaluated on its own merits. 
Contractors already on schedule will have the option of continuing to 
do business under their current award as is or to submit an offer on 
the new special item number (SIN).
    The comments GSA received on the April 2, 1999, Federal Register 
notice and on the December 13, 1999, EPS posting of the revised SOW 
will be reconciled in a forthcoming EPS posting. The EPS may be 
accessed on the Internet at http://www.eps.gov. Click on ``EPS for 
Vendors'' and ``Posted Dates'' for GSA.

    Dated: February 15, 2000.
Allan Zaic,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Transportation and Property 
Management.
[FR Doc. 00-3914 Filed 2-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-24-P