[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 161 (Wednesday, August 20, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 49317]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19812]



[[Page 49317]]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-00XX: Docket 2014-0055; Sequence 26]


Federal Acquisition Regulation; Submission for OMB Review; 
Combating Trafficking in Persons

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

ACTION: Notice of request for public comments regarding a new OMB 
information collection.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 
chapter 35), the Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB) will be 
submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request to 
review and approve a new information collection requirement regarding 
Combating Trafficking in Persons. A notice was published in the Federal 
Register at 78 FR 59317 on September 26, 2013. Three comments were 
received.

DATES: Submit comments on or before September 19, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 9000-
00XX, Combating Trafficking in Persons 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 9000-00XX. Select the link ``Comment Now'' that 
corresponds with ``Information Collection 9000-00XX, Combating 
Trafficking in Persons. Follow the instructions provided on the screen. 
Please include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information 
Collection 9000-00XX, Combating Trafficking in Persons, on your 
attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20405. 
ATTN: Ms. Flowers/IC 9000-00XX, Combating Trafficking in Persons.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 9000-00XX, Combating Trafficking in Persons, 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: Ms. Marissa Petrusek, Procurement 
Analyst, Acquistion Policy Division, via telephone 202-510-3069 or via 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    Executive Order (E.O.) 13627, entitled Strengthening Protections 
Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts, dated September 
25, 2012 (77 FR 60029, October 2, 2012) and Title XVII of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Pub. L. 112-239, 
enacted January 2, 2013) strengthen the long standing zero-tolerance 
policy of the United States regarding Government employees and 
contractor personnel engaging in any form of trafficking in persons.
    Additional protections are required where the estimated value of 
the supplies (other than commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) 
items) to be acquired outside the United States, or the services to be 
performed, outside the United States has an estimated value that 
exceeds $500,000. These protections include the following: (a) The 
contractor is required to implement and maintain a compliance plan 
during the performance of the contract that includes an awareness 
program, a process for employees to report activity inconsistent with 
the zero-tolerance policy, a recruitment and wage plan, a housing plan, 
and procedures to prevent subcontractors from engaging in trafficking 
in persons; and (b) The contractor is required to submit a 
certification to the contracting officer prior to receiving an award, 
and annually thereafter, asserting that it has the required compliance 
plan in place and that there have been no abuses, or that appropriate 
actions have been taken if abuses have been found. The compliance plan 
must be provided to the contracting officer upon request, and relevant 
portions of it must be posted at the workplace and on the contractor's 
Web site. Additionally, contractors are required to flow these 
requirements down to any subcontracts where the estimated value of the 
supplies acquired or the services required to be performed outside the 
United States exceeds $500,000.

B. Analysis of Public Comments

    Three respondents submitted public comments on the new information 
collection. The analysis of the public comments is summarized as 
follows:
    Comment: Several respondents commented that the four hour estimate 
per contract to prepare and submit an annual certification 
underestimates the burden because it does not take into consideration 
the time required to monitor, detect and terminate any agent 
subcontractors or subcontractor employees who have engaged in 
trafficking in persons at all tiers.
    Response. The Councils performed a detailed analysis and believe 
that the certification process should require minimal additional 
attention if a company is taking the time required to maintain a sound 
compliance plan. Therefore, the Councils have not increased the 
estimated number of burden hours.
    Comment. One respondent commented that the 24 hour estimate to 
prepare the compliance plan underestimates the burden.
    Response. The Councils performed detailed analysis taking into 
account many factors. The estimated burden associated with writing the 
compliance plan takes into consideration that this is one-time, to be 
updated, as necessary, to align with the size, scope and complexity of 
later procurements. The Councils have not increased the estimate.

C. Annual Reporting Burden

    Respondents: 120.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Total Responses: 120.
    Hours per Response: 1.
    Total Burden Hours: 120.
    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents from the General Services 
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202-501-4755. Please cite OMB 
Control No. 9000-00XX, in all correspondence.

    Dated: August 15, 2014.
Karlos Morgan,
Acting Director, Office of Government-Wide Acquisition Policy, Office 
of Acquisition Policy, Office of Government-Wide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2014-19812 Filed 8-19-14; 8:45 am]
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