[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 1289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00169]


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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

13 CFR Parts 121, 124, 125, 126, 127, and 134

RIN 3245-AG94


Consolidation of Mentor Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Programs and Other 
Government Contracting Amendments; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is extending the 
comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register 
on November 8, 2019. The comment period is scheduled to close on 
January 17, 2020. SBA is extending the comment period an additional 21 
days in response to the significant level of interest generated by the 
proposed rule and requests from multiple stakeholders for an extension. 
Given the scope of the proposed rule and the nature of the issues 
raised by the comments received to date, SBA believes that affected 
businesses need more time to review the proposal and prepare their 
comments.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published on November 
8, 2019 (84 FR 60846) is extended to February 7, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 3245-AG94 by any 
of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail, for paper, disk, or CD/ROM submissions: Brenda 
Fernandez, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Policy, 
Planning and Liaison, 409 Third Street SW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 
20416.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Brenda Fernandez, U.S. Small 
Business Administration, Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, 409 
Third Street SW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20416.
    SBA will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. If you 
wish to submit confidential business information (CBI) as defined in 
the User Notice at http://www.regulations.gov, please submit the 
information to Brenda Fernandez, U.S. Small Business Administration, 
Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, 409 Third Street SW, 8th Floor, 
Washington, DC 20416, or send an email to [email protected]. 
Highlight the information that you consider to be CBI and explain why 
you believe SBA should hold this information as confidential. SBA will 
review the information and make the final determination of whether it 
will publish the information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Fernandez, U.S. Small Business 
Administration, Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, 409 Third 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20416; (202) 205-7337; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the rule published on November 8, 2019 
(84 FR 60846), SBA proposed revisions to its regulations to remove 
duplicative functions within SBA, reduce unnecessary or excessive 
burdens on 8(a) Participants, and clarify SBA's intent in other related 
regulatory provisions to eliminate confusion among small businesses and 
procuring activities. Specifically, the rule would merge the 8(a) 
Business Development (BD) Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program and the 
All Small Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program. This rule would also 
eliminate the requirement that 8(a) Participants seeking to be awarded 
an 8(a) contract as a joint venture submit the joint venture agreement 
to SBA for review and approval prior to contract award. In addition, 
except for orders and Blanket Purchase Agreements issued under the 
General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule Program, the 
rule would require a business concern to recertify its size and/or 
socioeconomic status for all set-aside orders under unrestricted 
multiple award contracts (MACs). The rule would also require a business 
concern to recertify its socioeconomic status for all set-aside orders 
where the required socioeconomic status for the order differs from that 
of the underlying set-aside MAC contract (e.g., HUBZone set-aside order 
against a small business set-aside MAC). Finally, except for orders or 
Blanket Purchase Agreements issued under any Federal Supply Schedule 
contract, the rule would permit size and/or socioeconomic protests at 
the order level for set-aside orders issued against unrestricted MACs, 
or for set-aside orders based on a different socioeconomic status from 
the underlying set-aside MAC.

    Dated: January 3, 2020.
Barbara E. Carson,
Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Government Contracting and 
Business Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-00169 Filed 1-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P