[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 58 (Monday, March 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12950-12951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-06043]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-0188; Docket No. 2018-0003; Sequence No. 1]


Information Collection; 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 revision and 
extension to an existing OMB clearance.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the 
Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB) announces the proposed extension 
of a public information collection requirement and seeks public comment 
on the provisions thereof. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
has approved this information collection requirement for use through 
April 30, 2018. OMB will be requested to extend its approval for three 
additional years.

DATES: Submit comments on or before May 25, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 9000-
0188, 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 9000-0188. Select the link ``Comment Now'' that 
corresponds with ``Information Collection 9000-0188, Combating 
Trafficking in Persons. Follow the instructions provided on the screen. 
Please include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information 
Collection 9000-0188, Combating Trafficking in Persons, on your 
attached document.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20405. 
ATTN: Ms. Mandell/IC 9000-0188, Combating Trafficking in Persons.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 9000-0188, Combating Trafficking in Persons, in all 
correspondence related to this collection. Comments received generally 
will be posted without change to regulations.gov, including any 
personal and/or business confidential information provided. To confirm 
receipt of your comment(s), please check regulations.gov, approximately 
two-to-three business days after submission to verify posting (except 
allow 30 days for posting of comments submitted by mail).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Cecelia L. Davis, Procurement 
Analyst, Acquistion Policy Division, via telephone 202-219-0202, or via 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    This is a requirement for a revision and renewal of OMB control 
number 9000-0188, Combating Trafficking in Persons.
    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.
    Contractors are required to inform the contracting officer and the 
agency Inspector General of any credible information it receives from 
any source that alleges a contractor employee, subcontractor, or 
subcontractor employee, or their agent has engaged in conduct that 
violates the policy in paragraph (b) of the clause 52.222-50. This 
requirement flows down to all subcontractors.
    Additional protections are required where the estimated value of 
the

[[Page 12951]]

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 
website. 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. Annual Reporting Burden

    Title, Associated Form, and OMB Number: Ending Trafficking in 
Persons, FAR 22.1705 and FAR 52.222-50 and 52.222-56; OMB Control 
Number 9000-0188.
    Adjustment: This information collection is revised to include 
appropriate burden hours for reporting that was initially published in 
FAR Case 2013-001 (78 FR 59317 and 80 FR 4967) for FAR clause 52.222-
50, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and provision 52.222-56, 
Certification Regarding Trafficing in Persons Compliance Plan. The full 
burden associated with this FAR Case was inadvertently omitted in the 
Paperwork Reduction Act notice published on August 20, 2014 (78 FR 
59317). The following represents current burdens associated with the 
FAR clause and provision that were published in the proposed and final 
rules.
    Affected Public: Businesses and other for-profit entities.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Reporting Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondents: 5,909.
    Responses per Respondent: 3.
    Annual Responses: 17,727.
    Hours per Response: 12.
    Total Burden Hours: 212,724.

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, telephone 202-501-4755.
    Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0188, Combating Trafficking in 
Persons, in all correspondence.

    Dated: March 20, 2018.
Lorin S. Curit,
Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, Office of Governmentwide 
Acquisition Policy, Office of Acquisition Policy, Office of 
Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-06043 Filed 3-23-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6820-EP-P