[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53708-53709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21557]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-0183;Docket No. 2014-0055; Sequence 13]


Submission for OMB Review; Preventing Personal Conflicts of 
Interest for Contractor Employees Performing Acquisition Functions

AGENCY: 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 (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 an extension of a currently approved information collection 
requirement regarding Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest for 
Contractor Employees Performing Acquisition Functions. This request for 
extension relates to FAR case 2013-022, Extension of Limitations on 
Contractor Employee Personal Conflicts of Interest, proposed rule, 
which published updated burden hours in the Federal Register at 79 FR 
18503 on April 2, 2014. A notice was published in the Federal Register 
at 79 FR 33557 on June 11, 2014. No comments were received.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 10, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 9000-
0183, Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest for Contractor 
Employees Performing Acquisition Functions 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 9000-0183. Select the link ``Comment Now'' that 
corresponds with ``Information Collection 9000-0183, Preventing 
Personal Conflicts of Interest for Contractor Employees Performing 
Acquisition Functions''. Follow the instructions provided on the 
screen. Please include your name, company name (if any), and 
``Information Collection 9000-0183, Preventing Personal Conflicts of 
Interest for Contractor Employees Performing

[[Page 53709]]

Acquisition Functions'' on your attached document.
     Fax: 202-501-4067.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20405-
0001. ATTN: Ms. Flowers/IC 9000-0183.

Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 9000-0183, Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest for 
Contractor Employees Performing Acquisition Functions, 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. Cecelia L. Davis, Procurement 
Analyst, Acquisition Policy Division, GSA 202-219-0202 or email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Purpose

    This is a request for an extension of an existing information 
collection requirement concerning the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) Control Number 9000-0183, Preventing Personal Conflicts of 
Interest for Contractor Employees Performing Acquisition Functions. The 
request uses the burden hours provided in the proposed FAR rule (2013-
022).
    The proposed rule expands the coverage and proposes to amend the 
FAR by implementing section 829 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Pub. L. 112-239) to extend the limitations on 
contractor employee personal conflicts of interest. The limits on 
personal conflicts of interest are being extended to: (1) The 
performance of all functions that are closely associated with 
inherently governmental functions (not just acquisition functions) and 
(2) contracts for personal services (to the extent such contracts are 
authorized by law, e.g., legal or medical services).
    In the current information collection, Section 841(a) requires the 
Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to develop and issue a 
standard policy to prevent personal conflicts of interest by contractor 
employees performing acquisition functions. The policy is related to 
inherently governmental functions, and an associated personal 
conflicts-of-interest clause or set off clauses.
    Contractors are required to notify contracting officers whenever 
they become aware of any personal conflict of interest violations by a 
covered employee. The objective of the notification requirement is to 
emphasize the critical importance of integrity in contracting and 
reduce the occurrence of personal conflict-of-interest violations by 
contractor employees performing acquisition-related functions.
    In addition, contractors have the opportunity, in exceptional 
circumstances, to request mitigation or waiver of the personal 
conflict-of-interest standards. The information is used by the 
Government to evaluate the requested mitigation/waiver.

B. The Annual Reporting Burden Estimated as Follows

    Respondents: 188.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Total Responses: 188.
    Hours per Response: 30.
    Total Burden Hours: 5640.
    The annual recordkeeping burden is estimated as follows:
    Recordkeepers: 9,361.
    Hours per recordkeeper: 59.
    Total recordkeeping hours: 552,299.

C. Public Comments

    Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
functions of the 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.
    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 20405-0001 telephone 202-501-4755. Please cite OMB 
Control No. 9000-0183, Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest for 
Contractor Employees Performing Acquisition Functions, in all 
correspondence.

    Dated: September 4, 2014.
Edward Loeb,
Acting Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, Office of 
Government-wide Acquisition Policy, Office of Acquisition Policy, 
Office of Government-wide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2014-21557 Filed 9-9-14; 8:45 am]
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