[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5444-5445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-01438]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Docket 2012-0076; Sequence 41; OMB Control No. 9000-0070]


Submission for OMB Review; Payments

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments regarding the extension of a 
previously existing OMB clearance.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the 
Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a 
previously approved information collection requirement concerning 
Payments. A notice was published in the Federal Register at 77 FR 
43080, on July 23, 2012. One respondent submitted comments.
    Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
functions of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and whether it 
will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden 
of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid 
assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

DATES: Submit comments on or before February 25, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 9000-
0070, Payments, by any of the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov.
    Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching the 
OMB control number. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that 
corresponds with ``Information Collection 9000-0070, Payments''. Follow 
the instructions provided at the ``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please 
include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information Collection 
9000-0070, Payments'' on your attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat (MVCB), 1275 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20417. ATTN: 
Hada Flowers/IC 9000-0070, Payments.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 9000-0070, Payments, in all correspondence related to this 
collection. 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: Edward Chambers, Procurement Analyst, 
Office of Acquisition Policy, GSA at (202) 501-3221 or Email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    Firms performing under Federal contracts must provide adequate 
documentation to support requests for payment under these contracts. 
The documentation may range from a simple invoice to detailed cost 
data. The information is usually submitted once, at the end of the 
contract period or upon delivery of the supplies, but could be 
submitted more often depending on the payment schedule established 
under the contract (see FAR 52.232-1 through 52.232-4, and FAR 52.232-6 
through 52.232-11). The information is used to determine the proper 
amount of payments to Federal contractors.

B. Analysis of Public Comments

    One respondent submitted public comments on the extension of the 
previously approved information collection. The analysis of the public 
comments is summarized as follows:
    Comment: The respondent commented that the extension of the 
information collection would violate the fundamental purposes of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act because of the burden it puts on the entity 
submitting the information and the agency collecting the information.
    Response: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), 
agencies can request OMB approval of an existing information 
collection. The PRA requires that agencies use the Federal Register 
notice and comment process, to extend OMB's approval, at least every 
three years. This extension, to a previously approved information 
collection, pertains to documentation necessary to support requests for 
payment under Government contracts. The documentation may range from a 
simple invoice to detailed cost data. The information is usually 
submitted once, at the end of the contract period or upon delivery of 
the supplies, but could be submitted more often depending on the 
payment schedule established under the contract (see FAR 52.232-1 
through 52.232-11). The information is used to determine the proper 
amount of payments to Federal contractors. Absent this documentation, 
which serves as the basis for contract payments, the Government would 
be prevented from making such payments.

[[Page 5445]]

    Comment: The respondent commented that the agency did not 
accurately estimate the public burden challenging that the agency's 
methodology for calculating it is insufficient and inadequate and does 
not reflect the total burden. The respondent stated the estimate of 120 
responses per respondent is understated, and proposed that the number 
of responses for many respondents, particularly large government 
contractors, exceeds 1,000 responses per year. Additionally, the 
respondent stated that the estimate of .025 hours of burden per 
response is unrealistically low given the level of documentation 
required to support requests for payment, especially on certain 
contracts, and proposed that contractors will expend an amount of 
effort more than 100 times the estimate of .025 hours. For this reason, 
the respondent provided that the agency should reassess the estimated 
total burden hours and revise the estimate upwards to be more accurate, 
as was done in FAR Case 2007-006. The same respondent also provided 
that the burden of compliance with the information collection 
requirement greatly exceeds the agency's estimate and outweighs any 
potential utility of the extension.
    Response: Serious consideration is given, during the open comment 
period, to all comments received and adjustments are made to the 
paperwork burden estimate based on reasonable considerations provided 
by the public. This is evidenced, as the respondent notes, in FAR Case 
2007-006 where an adjustment was made from the total preparation hours 
from three to 60. This change was made considering particularly the 
hours that would be required for review within the company, prior to 
release to the Government.
    The burden is prepared taking into consideration the necessary 
criteria in OMB guidance for estimating the paperwork burden put on the 
entity submitting the information. For example, consideration is given 
to an entity reviewing instructions; using technology to collect, 
process, and disclose information; adjusting existing practices to 
comply with requirements; searching data sources; completing and 
reviewing the response; and transmitting or disclosing information. The 
estimated burden hours for a collection are based on an average between 
the hours that a simple disclosure by a very small business might 
require and the much higher numbers that might be required for a very 
complex disclosure by a major corporation. Also, the estimated burden 
hours should only include projected hours for those actions which a 
company would not undertake in the normal course of business. Careful 
consideration went into assessing the estimated burden hours for this 
collection, and although, the respondent provided estimates of 
responses and burden hours, the estimates cannot be confirmed with any 
degree of certainty to totally rely on the information. However, it is 
determined that an upward adjustment is warranted at this time based 
upon consideration of the information provided in the public comment. 
The information collection requirement has been revised to reflect an 
overall increase in the total public burden hours.

C. Annual Reporting Burden

    Respondents: 80,000.
    Responses per Respondent: 120.
    Total Responses: 9,600,000.
    Hours per Response: .25.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,400,000.
    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents from the General Services 
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat (MVCB), 1275 First Street NE., 
Washington, DC 20417, telephone (202) 501-4755. Please cite OMB Control 
No. 9000-0070, Payments, in all correspondence.

    Dated: January 17, 2013.
William Clark,
Acting Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, Office of 
Governmentwide Acquisition Policy, Office of Acquisition Policy, Office 
of Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2013-01438 Filed 1-24-13; 8:45 am]
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