[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 245 (Monday, December 22, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 71056-71057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31407]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

48 CFR Parts 1819 and 1822 Through 1825

RIN 2700-AC84


Re-Issuance of NASA FAR Supplement Subchapter D

AGENCY: National Aeronautics And Space Administration.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This proposed rule would amend the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) 
by removing from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) those portions 
of the NFS containing information that consists of internal Agency 
administrative procedures and guidance that does not control the 
relationship between NASA and contractors or prospective contractors. 
This change is consistent with the guidance and policy in FAR part 1 
regarding what comprises the Federal Acquisition Regulations System and 
requires publication for public comment. The NFS document will continue 
to contain both information requiring codification in the CFR and 
internal Agency guidance in a single document that is available on the 
Internet. This change will reduce the administrative burden and time 
associated with maintaining the NFS by only publishing in the Federal 
Register for codification in the CFR material that is subject to public 
comment.

DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before February 20, 2004, to 
be considered in formulation of the final rule.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should submit written comments to Celeste 
Dalton, NASA, Office of Procurement, Contract Management Division (Code 
HK), Washington, DC 20546 or via the Internet at 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Celeste Dalton, NASA, Office of 
Procurement, Contract Management Division (Code HK); (202) 358-1645; e-
mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    Currently the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) contains information to 
implement or supplement the FAR. This information contains NASA's 
policies, procedures, contract clauses, solicitation provisions, and 
forms that govern the contracting process or otherwise control the 
relationship between NASA and contractors or prospective contractors. 
The NFS also contains information that consists of internal Agency 
administrative procedures and guidance that does not control the 
relationship between NASA and contractors or prospective contractors. 
Regardless of the nature of the information, as a policy, NASA has 
submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) 
within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and published in the 
Federal Register all changes to the NFS. FAR 1.101 states in part that 
the ``Federal Acquisition Regulations System consists of the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which is the primary document, and agency 
acquisition regulations that implement or supplement the FAR. The FAR 
System does not include internal agency guidance of the type described 
in 1.301(a)(2).'' FAR 1.301(a)(2) states in part ``an agency head may 
issue or authorize the issuance of internal agency guidance at any 
organizational level (e.g., designations and delegations of authority, 
assignments of responsibilities, work-flow procedures, and internal 
reporting requirements).'' Further, FAR 1.303 states that issuances 
under FAR 1.301(a)(2) need not be published in the Federal Register. 
Based on the foregoing, NASA is not required to publish and codify 
internal Agency guidance.
    This proposed rule will modify the existing practice by only 
publishing those regulations which may have a significant effect beyond 
the internal operating procedures of the Agency or have a significant 
cost or administrative impact on contractors or offerors.

[[Page 71057]]

    The NFS will continue to integrate into a single document both 
regulations subject to public comments and internal Agency guidance and 
procedures that do not require public comment. Those portions of the 
NFS that require public comment will continue to be amended by 
publishing changes in the Federal Register. NFS regulations that 
require public comment are issued as chapter 18 of title 48 CFR. 
Changes to portions of the regulations contained in the CFR, along with 
changes to internal guidance and procedures, will be incorporated into 
the NASA-maintained Internet version of the NFS through Procurement 
Notices (PNs). The single official NASA-maintained version of the NFS 
will remain available on the Internet. NASA personnel must comply with 
all regulatory and internal guidance and procedures contained in the 
NFS.
    This change will result in savings in terms of the number of rules 
subject to publication in the Federal Register and provide greater 
responsiveness to internal administrative changes.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This proposed rule is not expected to have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities with the meaning of 
the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., because this rule 
would only remove from the CFR information that is considered internal 
Agency administrative procedures and guidance. The information removed 
from the CFR will continue to be made available to the public via the 
Internet.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply because the changes do 
not impose recordkeeping or information collection requirements which 
require the approval of the Office of Management and Budget under 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 1819 and 1822 Through 1825

    Government procurement.

Tom Luedtke,
Assistant Administrator for Procurement.

    Accordingly, 48 CFR parts 1819, and 1822 through 1825 are amended 
as follows:
    1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 1819, and 1822 through 
1825, continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 2473(c)(1).

PART 1819--SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS

    2. Amend part 1819 by removing paragraphs (c), (d), and (f) in 
section 1819.201, subparts 1819.5, 1819.6, sections 1819.705-2, 
1819.705-4, 1819.705-470, subpart 1819.8, sections 1819.7000, and 
1819.7002.

PART 1822--APPLICATION OF LABOR LAWS TO GOVERNMENT ACQUISITIONS

    3. Amend part 1822 by--
    (a) Removing sections 1822.000-70, 1822.101, 1822.101-1, 1822.101-
3, 1822.101-4, 1822.101-70, 1822.103, 1822.103-4, subparts 1822.3, 
1822.4, 1822.6, 1822.8, 1822.10, 1822.13, 1822.14, and 1822.15; and
    (b) Revising section 1822.103-5 to read as follows:


1822.103-5  Contract clause.

    Insert the clause at 52.222-1, Notice to the Government of Labor 
Disputes, in all solicitations and contracts that exceed the simplified 
acquisition threshold.

PART 1823--ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE 
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, AND DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

    4. Amend part 1823 by--
    (a) Removing sections 1823.203, 1823.270, and subparts 1823.3 and 
1823.4;
    (b) Amending section 1823.570 by deleting subsection header 
``1823.570-1 Scope.'' and ``Section 1823.570 to 1823.570-4 set'' from 
the beginning of the text following the header, and adding ``This 
section sets'';
    (c) Redesignating sections 1823.570-2 through 1823.570-4 as 
1823.570-1 through 1823.570-3, respectively;
    (d) In the first paragraph of the redesignated section 1823.570-1, 
remove ``1823.570-4'' and add ``1823.570-3'' in its place; and
    (e) Removing subpart 1823.7 and section 1823.7102.

PART 1824--PROTECTION OF PRIVACY AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

    5. Amend part 1824 by removing subpart 1824.2.

PART 1825--FOREIGN ACQUISITION

    6. Amend part 1825 by--
    (a) In section 1825.103, removing paragraph (a)(i) and 
redesignating paragraphs (a)(ii) and (a)(iii) as (a)(i) and (a)(ii), 
respectively; and
    (b) Removing section 1825.903, and subparts 1825.10 and 1825.70.

[FR Doc. 03-31407 Filed 12-19-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-01-P