[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 110 (Friday, June 6, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 32276-32277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12571]


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GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

48 CFR Parts 537 and 552

[GSAR Case 2008-G510; Docket 2008-0007; Sequence 4]
RIN 3090-AI54


General Services Acquisition Regulation; GSAR Case 2008-G510; 
Rewrite of GSAR Part 537, Service Contracting

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Acquisition Officer, General Services 
Administration (GSA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The General Services Administration (GSA) is proposing to 
amend the General Services Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to revise 
sections of the GSAR that pertains to requirements for service 
contracting.

DATES: Interested parties should submit written comments to the 
Regulatory Secretariat on or before August 5, 2008 to be considered in 
the formulation of a final rule.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by GSAR Case 2008-G510 by any of 
the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by inputting ``GSAR Case 
2008-G510'' under the heading ``Comment or Submission''. Select the 
link ``Send a Comment or Submission'' that corresponds with GSAR Case 
2008-G510. Follow the instructions provided to complete the ``Public 
Comment and Submission Form''. Please include your name, company name 
(if any), and ``GSAR Case 2008-G510'' on your attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat (VPR), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4041, ATTN: Laurieann 
Duarte, Washington, DC 20405.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite GSAR Case 2008-
G510 in all correspondence related to this case. All comments received 
will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including 
any personal and/or business confidential information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT For clarification of content, contact 
Mr. Michael O. Jackson at (202) 208-4949. For information pertaining to 
the status or publication schedules, contact the Regulatory Secretariat 
(VPR), Room 4041, GS Building, Washington, DC 20405, (202) 501-4755. 
Please cite GSAR Case 2008-G510.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    The General Services Administration (GSA) is amending the General 
Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to revise 
sections of GSAR Part 537 that provide requirements for service 
contracting.
    This rule is a result of the General Services Administration 
Acquisition Manual (GSAM) rewrite initiative undertaken by GSA to 
revise the GSAM to maintain consistency with the FAR and to implement 
streamlined and innovative acquisition procedures that contractors, 
offerors, and GSA contracting personnel can utilize when entering into 
and administering contractual relationships. The GSAM incorporates the 
General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) as well 
as internal agency acquisition policy.
    GSA will rewrite each part of the GSAR and GSAM, and as each GSAR 
part is rewritten, will publish it in the Federal Register.
    This rule covers the rewrite of GSAR Part 537. The rule revises 537 
to address the text at GSAR 537.101, Definitions; 537.110 Solicitation 
provisions and contract clauses; provision 552.237-70, Qualifications 
of Offerors; and clause 552.237-73, Restriction on Disclosure of 
Information. The language in 537.101, Definitions, is removed from 
inclusion in the GSAR. This language clarifies the definition for 
``contracts for building services'' for contracting officers, therefore 
this language is being incorporated as non-regulatory GSAM language. 
GSAR clauses 552.237-71, Qualifications of Employees and 552.237-72, 
Prohibition Regarding ``Quasi-Military Armed Forces'' are retained with 
no changes.

Discussion of Comments

    There were no public comments received in response to the Advanced 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
    This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not 
subject to review under Section 6(b) of Executive Order 12866, 
Regulatory Planning and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is 
not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The General Services Administration does not expect this proposed 
rule to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of 
small entities within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 
U.S.C. 601, et seq., because the revisions are not considered 
substantive. The revisions only update and reorganize existing 
coverage. An Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis has, therefore, 
not been performed. We invite comments from small businesses and other 
interested parties. GSA will consider comments from small entities 
concerning the affected GSAR Parts 537 and 552 in accordance with 5 
U.S.C. 610. Interested parties must submit such comments separately and 
should cite 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq. (GSAR case 2008-G510), in all 
correspondence.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act does apply; however, these changes to 
the GSAR do not impose additional information collection requirements 
to the paperwork burden previously approved under OMB Control Number 
3090-0027.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 537 and 552

    Government procurement.

    Dated: May 30, 2008.
Al Matera,
Director, Office of Acquisition Policy.
    Therefore, GSA proposes to amend 48 CFR parts 537 and 552 as set 
forth below:
    1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 537 and 552 continues to 
read as follows:

    Authority:  40 U.S.C. 121(c).

PART 537--SERVICE CONTRACTING


537.101   [Removed]

    2. Remove section 537.101.

[[Page 32277]]

537.110   [Amended]

    3. Amend section 537.110 by removing from paragraph (a) 
``initiated'' and adding ``initiated with Ability One'' in its place.

PART 552--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES


552.237-70  [Amended]

    4. Amend section 552.237-70 by revising the date of the provision 
to read ``(Date)''; and removing from paragraph (a) ``In order to'' and 
adding ``To'' in its place.


552.237-73  [Amended]

    5. Amend 552.237-73 by revising the date of the clause to read 
``(Date)''; and removing from paragraph (b) ``individual'' and adding 
``entity'' in its place.
[FR Doc. E8-12571 Filed 6-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-61-S