[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 176 (Thursday, September 11, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53634-53635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-23096]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[OMB Control No. 2900-0422]


Proposed Information Collection Activity: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management, Department of 
Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management (OA&MM), 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is announcing an opportunity for 
public comment on the proposed collection of certain information by the 
agency. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Federal 
agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register 
concerning each proposed collection of information, including each 
revision of a currently approved collection, and allow 60 days for 
public comment in response to the notice. This notice solicits comments 
on information needed to administer contracts.

DATES: Written comments and recommendations on the proposed collection 
of information should be received on or before November 10, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the collection of information to 
Cathy I. Dailey, Office of Acquisition and Materiel Management (95A), 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 
20420 or e-mail [email protected]. Please refer to ``OMB Control 
No. 2900-0422'' in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathy I. Dailey at (202) 273-8774.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA of 1995 (Public Law 104-13; 44 
U.S.C., 3501-3521), Federal agencies must obtain approval from the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of 
information they conduct or sponsor. This request for comment is being 
made pursuant to Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA.
    With respect to the following collection of information, OA&MM 
invites comments on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information 
is necessary for the proper performance of OA&MM's functions, including 
whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy 
of OA&MM's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of 
the collection of information on respondents, including through the use 
of automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of 
information technology.
    Titles:
    a. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
72, Performance of Work by the Contractor.
    b. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
81, Work Coordination. (This Clause will be renumbered as ``Alternate 
1'' to VAAR Clause 852.236-80.)
    c. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
82, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction Contracts (without NAS), 
including Supplement 1 (which will be renamed as ``Alternate 1'').
    d. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
83, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction Contracts (with NAS), 
including Supplement 1 (which will be renamed as ``Alternate 1'').
    e. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
84, Schedule of Work Progress.
    f. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-
88, Contract Changes, Supplements FAR Clause 52.243-4, Changes.
    g. Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.224-
70, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
    OMB Control Number: 2900-0422.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Abstract: The information contained VAAR clauses 852.236-72, 
852.236-81, 852.236-82, 852.236-83, 852.236-84, 852.236-88 and 852.22-
70 is necessary for the VA to administer construction contracts, and to 
carry out its responsibility to construct, maintain and repair real 
property for the Department. The information is also necessary for VA 
to award and administer contracts involving healthcare that may involve 
equipment, supplies, or services for the Department.
    a. VAAR Clause 852.236-72, Performance of Work by the Contractor, 
requires contractors awarded a construction contract containing Federal 
Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.236-1, to submit a statement 
designating the branch or branches of contract work to be performed by 
the contractor's own forces. The VAAR clause implements the FAR clause 
by requiring the contractor to provide information to the contracting 
officer on how the contractor intends to fulfill this contractual 
obligation. The contracting officer uses this information to ensure 
that the contractor complies with the contract requirements.
    b. VAAR Clause 852.236-81, Work Coordination. (This Clause will be 
renumbered as ``Alternate 1'' to VAAR Clause 852.236-80), requires 
construction contractors, on contracts involving complex mechanical-
electrical work, to furnish coordination drawings showing the manner in 
which

[[Page 53635]]

utility lines will fit into available spaces and relate to each other 
and to the existing building elements. The information is used by the 
contracting officer and the VA engineer assigned to the project to 
resolve any problems relating to the installation of utilities on 
construction contract.
    c. VAAR Clause 852.236-82, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction 
Contracts (without NAS), requires construction contractors to submit a 
schedule of costs for work to be performed under the contract. If the 
contract includes guarantee period services, Supplement I (which will 
be renamed as ``Alternate 1''), requires contractor to submit 
information on the total and itemized costs of the guarantee period 
services and to submit a performance plan/program. The information is 
needed to allow the contracting officer to determine the correct amount 
to pay the contractor as work progresses and to properly proportion the 
amount paid for guarantee period services.
    d. VAAR Clause 852.236-83, Payments Under Fixed-Price Construction 
Contracts (with NAS), requires construction contractors to submit a 
schedule of costs for work to be performed under the contract. If the 
contract includes guarantee period services, Supplement I (which will 
be renamed as ``Alternate 1''), requires contractor to submit 
information on the total and itemized costs of the guarantee period 
services and to submit a performance plan/program. The information is 
needed to allow the contracting officer to determine the correct amount 
to pay the contractor as work progresses and to properly proportion the 
amount paid for guarantee period services. The difference between this 
clause and the one above 852.236-82 is that this clause requires the 
contractor to use a computerized Network Analysis System (NAS) to 
prepare the cost estimate.
    e. VAAR Clause 852.236-84, Schedule of Work Progress, requires 
construction contractors, on contracts that do not require the use of a 
NAS, to submit a progress schedule. The information is used by the 
contracting officer to track the contractor's progress under the 
contract and to determine whether or not the contractor is making 
satisfactory progress.
    f. VAAR Clause 852.236-88, Contract Changes, Supplements FAR Clause 
52.243-4, Changes. FAR Clause 52.243-4 authorizes the contracting 
officer to order changes to a construction contract but does not 
specifically require the contractor to submit cost proposals for those 
changes. VAAR Clause 852.236-88 requires contractors to submit cost 
proposal for changes ordered by the contracting officer or for changes 
proposed by the contractor. This information is needed to allow the 
contracting officer and the contractor to reach a mutually acceptable 
agreement on how much to pay the contractor for the proposed changes to 
the contract. It is also used by the contracting officer to determine 
whether or not to authorize the proposed changes or whether or not 
additional or alternate cost proposals for changes are needed.
    g. VAAR Clause 852.224-70, Health Insurance Portability and 
Accountability Act of 1996, requires contractors, involved with the 
design, development, maintenance, operation or use of any system for 
the creation, gathering, use, disclosure, storage, transmission, or 
deposition of any protected health information (PHI) to accomplish an 
Agency function or involve the release of protected health information 
to the vendor for the purposes of conducting business with VA under the 
contract to protect the PHI under the regulations issued by HIPPA.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit; Individuals and 
households; and Not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 14,745 hours.
    Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 1.1 hours.
    Frequency of Response: On occasion.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 12,868.
    Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 13,418.

    Dated: September 3, 2003.

    By direction of the Secretary:
Denise McLamb,
Program Analyst, Records Management Service.
[FR Doc. 03-23096 Filed 9-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P