[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 36 (Friday, February 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12316-12318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-04110]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-0159; Docket 2012-0076; Sequence 17]


Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Central 
Contractor Registration

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

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments regarding an extension to 
an 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 the 
Central Contractor Registration database. A notice was published in the 
Federal Register at 77 FR 24713, on April 25, 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 Regulation (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 April 23, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 9000-
0159, Central Contractor Registration, by any of the following methods:
     Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit 
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by inputting ``Information 
Collection 9000-0159, Central Contractor Registration'' under the 
heading ``Enter Keyword or ID'' and selecting ``Search''. Select the 
link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds with ``Information

[[Page 12317]]

Collection 9000-0159, Central Contractor Registration''. Follow the 
instructions provided at the ``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please 
include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information Collection 
9000-0159, Central Contractor Registration'' 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 9000-0159, Central Contractor Registration.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 9000-0159, Central Contractor Registration, 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: Mr. Curtis E. Glover, Sr., Procurement 
Analyst, Office of Governmentwide Policy, GSA, (202)501-1448, or via 
email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Purpose

    Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 4.11 prescribes 
policies and procedures for requiring contractor registration in the 
Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database. The CCR is the primary 
vendor database for the U.S. Federal Government. CCR collects, 
validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of agency 
acquisition missions.
    Both current and potential Federal Government vendors are required 
to register in CCR in order to be awarded contracts by the Federal 
Government. Vendors are required to complete a one-time registration to 
provide basic information relevant to procurement and financial 
transactions. Vendors must update or renew their registration at least 
once per year to maintain an active status.
    CCR validates the vendor information and electronically share the 
secure and encrypted data with Federal agency finance offices to 
facilitate paperless payments through electronic funds transfer. 
Additionally, CCR shares the data with Federal Government procurement 
and electronic business systems.

II. 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 Required Act (PRA), 
agencies can request an OMB approval of an existing information 
collection. The PRA requires that agencies use the Federal Register 
notice and comment process, to extend the OMB's approval, at least 
every three years. This extension, to a previously approved information 
collection, pertains to FAR Subpart 4.11--Central Contractor 
Registration. The purpose of this part is to prescribe the policies and 
procedures for requiring contractor registration in the Central 
Contractor Registration (CCR) database, a part of the business partner 
Network (BPN) to--
    (a) Increase visibility of vendor sources (including their 
geographical locations) for specific supplies and services; and
    (b) Establish a common source of vendor data for the Government.
    The Government must ensure that contractors are registered in the 
CCR database prior to award of a contract or agreement, except in 
certain cases. Clause 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration, is 
mandatory except in certain cases. Not granting this extension would 
consequently eliminate the Government's ability to gather information 
about its vendor base which is used in the procurement process, and to 
facilitate electronic payment to vendors.
    Comment: The respondent commented that the Agencies did not 
accurately estimate the public burden an extension of the information 
collection requirement would create. The respondent indicated that CCR 
requires extensive information about the registrant, for example 
executive compensation, and the time required is estimated time per 
response is 50 to 100 times greater than the estimate of .4526 hours 
per response.
    Response: The Federal Procurement Data System shows 193,397 unique 
vendors received awards in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. For FY 2011, it is 
estimated that 168,646 current Government vendors received new awards, 
and 24,751 new vendors were awarded contracts. These vendors are 
required to input information in CCR in order to receive awards. In 
consideration of the public comment, it is estimated that for current 
CCR vendors, an average of 1 hour is needed to update the information 
in the system. For new CCR registrants, it is estimated that 3 hours 
will be required for each respondent to fill out the documentation in 
the system. An overall average of 1.2559 hours is required to review 
and update the documentation for current registrants and to review, 
prepare, and complete the registration for new registrants. This is an 
increase from the estimated average of .4526 hours per response. There 
are other OMB information collection requirements that account for the 
data collected in CCR. For example, OMB Control Number 9000-0177 
accounts for the reporting of executive compensation. A notice was 
published in the Federal Register at 77 FR 22766, on April 17, 2012.
    Comment: The respondent commented that the collective burden of 
compliance with the information collection requirement greatly exceeds 
the Agencies estimate and outweighs any potential utility of the 
extension.
    Response: The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) was designed to improve 
the quality and use of Federal information to strengthen decision-
making, accountability, and openness in government and society. Central 
to this process is the solicitation of comments from the public. This 
process incorporates an enumerated specification of targeted 
information and provides interested parties a meaningful opportunity 
for comment on the relevant compliance cost. This process has led to 
decreases in the overall collective burden of compliance for the 
information collection requirement in regards to the public. Based on 
OMB estimates, in FY 2010, the public spent 8.8 billion hours 
responding to information collections. This was a decrease of one 
billion hours, or ten percent from the previous fiscal year. In effect, 
the collective burden of compliance for the public is going down as the 
Government publishes rules that make the process less complex, more 
transparent, and reduces the cost of federal regulations to both the 
Contractor community and Government.
    Comment: The respondent commented that the Government's response to 
the Paperwork Reduction Act waiver for Far Case 2007-006 is instructive 
on the total burden for respondents.
    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

[[Page 12318]]

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 an upward adjustment is being to the estimated burden 
hours.

III. Annual Reporting Burden

    Respondents: 193,397.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 193,397.
    Hours per Response: 1.2559.
    Total Burden Hours: 242,887.
    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 
Number 9000-0159, Central Contractor Registration, in all 
correspondence.

    Dated: February 15, 2013.
William Clark,
Acting Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, Office of 
Governmentwide Acquisition Policy, Office of Acquisition Policy, Office 
of Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2013-04110 Filed 2-21-13; 8:45 am]
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