[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 109 (Friday, June 5, 2020)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 34535-34536]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11747]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Acquisition Regulations System

48 CFR Parts 249 and 252

[Docket DARS-2019-0060]
RIN 0750-AK56


Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Modification 
of DFARS Clause ``Notification of Anticipated Contract Termination or 
Reduction'' (DFARS Case 2019-D019)

AGENCY: Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Department of Defense 
(DoD).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal 
Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update legal and DFARS 
citations in an existing DFARS clause, conform the clause text to the 
current DFARS convention regarding the use of dollar thresholds in 
contract clauses; and remove clause text that is no longer needed to 
implement the underlying statutory language. The rule is pursuant to 
action taken by the DoD Regulatory Reform Task Force.

DATES: Effective June 5, 2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Carrie Moore, telephone 571-372-
6093.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    DoD published a proposed rule in the Federal Register at 84 FR 
58366 on October 31, 2019, to identify the dollar thresholds of the 
implementing statute (10 U.S.C. 2501 note) for DFARS 249.70 and DFARS 
clause 252.249-7002, Notification of Anticipated Contract Termination 
or Reduction, in accordance with current DFARS drafting conventions, 
and update the clause to reflect the current statute under which 
employee and training opportunities apply under the clause. No public 
comments were received in response to the proposed rule. Minor 
editorial changes are made in the final rule to a cross-reference at 
DFARS 252.249-7002(c)(2) and the formats of the statutory references.

II. Applicability to Contracts at or Below the Simplified Acquisition 
Threshold and for Commercial Items, Including Commercially Available 
Off-the-Shelf Items

    This rule does not create any new provisions or clauses. The rule 
simply updates legal and DFARS citations in the clause and removes 
unnecessary information. This rule does not change the applicability of 
the affected clause, which does not apply to contracts valued at or 
below the simplified acquisition threshold, or commercial or 
commercially available off-the-shelf items.

III. Executive Orders 12866 and 13563

    Executive Orders (E.O.s) 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess 
all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). E.O. 
13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and benefits, 
of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting flexibility. 
This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not 
subject to review under section 6(b) of E.O. 12866, Regulatory Planning 
and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is not a major rule 
under 5 U.S.C. 804.

IV. Executive Order 13771

    This rule is not subject to E.O. 13771, because this rule is not a 
significant regulatory action under E.O. 12866.

V. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    A final regulatory flexibility analysis (FRFA) has been prepared 
consistent with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq. 
The FRFA is summarized as follows:
    The Department of Defense is amending the Defense Federal 
Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to modify the text of DFARS 
clause 252.249-7002, Notification of Anticipated Contract Termination 
or Reduction, to: (1) Update legal and DFARS citations in the clause; 
(2) remove text that is no longer necessary to implement 10 U.S.C. 2501 
note; and (3) conform the clause text to the current DFARS convention 
for referencing dollar thresholds in a clause. The objective of this 
rule is to provide accurate and up-to-date information to contractors 
and maintain consistency within the DFARS clause text. The modification 
of this DFARS text and clause is pursuant to action taken by the 
Regulatory Reform Task Force under Executive Order 13777, Enforcing the 
Regulatory Reform Agenda.
    No public comments were received in response to the initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis.
    DoD does not collect data on the number of small businesses that 
have been awarded contracts under a major defense programs and have 
also received notice of contract termination or a substantial reduction 
in funding resulting from an Appropriations Act. Senior DoD Program 
Acquisition officials estimate that such notification of the 
termination or substantial reduction in a major defense program occurs, 
on average, no more than once or twice per year. This rule is not 
expected to have a significant impact on small business entities, as it 
does not impose any new requirements or change any existing 
requirements for small business entities.
    This rule does not include any new reporting, recordkeeping, or 
other compliance requirements for small businesses.
    DoD did not identify any significant alternatives that would 
minimize or reduce the significant economic impact, because there is no 
significant impact on small entities.

VI. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35) does apply; 
however, the changes to DFARS 252.249-7002 do not impose additional 
information collection requirements to the paperwork burden previously 
approved under OMB Control Number 0704-0533, titled: DFARS Subpart 
249--Termination of Contracts.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 249 and 252

    Government procurement.

Jennifer Lee Hawes,
Regulatory Control Officer, Defense Acquisition Regulations System.

    Therefore, 48 CFR parts 249 and 252 are amended as follows:

PART 249--TERMINATION OF CONTRACTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 249 is revised to read as follows:

     Authority:  41 U.S.C. 1303 and 48 CFR chapter 1.

0
2. Amend section 249.7003 by--
0
a. In paragraph (a), removing ``Section 824'' and ``Job Training 
Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. 1661 and 1662)'' and adding ``section 824'' 
and ``Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29

[[Page 34536]]

U.S.C. Chapter 32)'' in their places, respectively;
0
b. In the paragraph (b) introductory text, removing ``to:'' and adding 
``to--'' in its place;
0
c. In paragraph (b)(1), removing ``act.'' And adding ``act; and'' in 
its place;
0
d. Revising paragraph (c).
    The revision reads as follows:


249.7003  Notification of anticipated contract terminations or 
reductions.

* * * * *
    (c) When subcontracts have been issued, the prime contractor is 
responsible for--
    (1) Providing notice of the termination or substantial reduction in 
funding to all first-tier subcontractors with a subcontract valued 
equal to or greater than $700,000; and
    (2) Requiring that each subcontractor--
    (i) Provide such notice to each of its subcontractors for 
subcontracts valued greater than $150,000; and
    (ii) Impose a similar notice and flowdown requirement in 
subcontracts valued greater than $150,000 at all tiers.

0
3. Add section 249.7004 to read as follows:


249.7004  Contract clause.

    Use the clause at 252.249-7002, Notification of Anticipated 
Contract Termination or Reduction, in all contracts under a major 
defense program.

PART 252--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES

0
4. The authority citation for part 252 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  41 U.S.C. 1303 and 48 CFR chapter 1.

0
5. Amend section 252.249-7002 by--
0
a. In the introductory text, removing ``249.7003(c)'' and adding 
``249.7004'' in its place;
0
b. Removing the clause date ``(MAY 2019)'' and adding ``(JUN 2020)'' in 
its place;
0
c. Revising paragraphs (b) and (c);
0
d. In paragraph (d)(1), removing ``225.870-4(c)(2)(i)(A)(1)'' and 
adding ``249.7003(c)(1)'' in its place;
0
e. In paragraphs (d)(2)(i) and (ii), removing ``225.870-4(c)(2)(i)(C)'' 
and adding ``249.7003(c)(2)(i)'' and ``249.7003(c)(2)(ii)'' in their 
place, respectively; and
0
f. Removing paragraph (e).
    The revisions read as follows:


252.249-7002  Notification of Anticipated Contract Termination or 
Reduction.

* * * * *
    (b) Scope. This clause implements section 1372 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1994 (Pub. L. 103-160) and 
section 824 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
1997 (Pub. L. 104-201), which are intended to help establish benefit 
eligibility under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. chapter 32) for employees of DoD contractors and subcontractors 
adversely affected by contract terminations or substantial reductions 
under major defense programs.
    (c) Notice to employees and state and local officials. (1) Within 2 
weeks after the Contracting Officer notifies the Contractor that 
contract funding will be terminated or substantially reduced, the 
Contractor shall provide notice of such anticipated termination or 
reduction to--
    (i) Each employee representative of the Contractor's employees 
whose work is directly related to the defense contract; or
    (ii) If there is no such representative, each such employee;
    (iii) The State or entity designated by the State to carry out 
rapid response activities described in the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3174(a)(2)(A)(i)); and
    (iv) The chief elected official of the unit of general local 
government within which the adverse effect may occur.
    (2) The notice provided an employee under paragraph (c)(1) of this 
clause shall have the same effect as a notice of termination to the 
employee for the purposes of determining whether such employee is 
eligible for training, adjustment assistance, and employment services 
under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. Chapter 
32).
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2020-11747 Filed 6-4-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P