[Federal Register: April 3, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 64)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 17758-17760]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03ap01-18]
[[Page 17758]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
48 CFR Parts 9, 14, 15, 31, and 52
[FAR Case 2001-014]
RIN 9000-AJ10
Federal Acquisition Regulation; Contractor Responsibility, Labor
Relations Cost, and Costs Relating to Legal and Other Proceedings--
Revocation
AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Proposed rule with request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Acquisition Regulations Council (FAR Council)
published in the Federal Register at 65 FR 80255, December 20, 2000, a
final rule addressing contractor responsibility and costs incurred in
legal and other proceedings. The FAR Council is reconsidering its
position and requests public comments on this proposed rule revoking
the December 20, 2000, final rule. In an interim FAR rule (under FAR
Case 1999-010, Contractor Responsibility, Labor Relations Costs, and
Costs Relating to Legal and other Proceedings, that is being published
today) the FAR Council is staying the final rule.
DATES: Interested parties should submit comments in writing on or
before June 4, 2001 to be considered in the formulation of a final
rule.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to: General Services Administration,
FAR Secretariat (MVP), 1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, ATTN: Laurie
Duarte, Washington, DC 20405.
Submit electronic comments via the Internet to: farcase.2001-
014@gsa.gov
Please submit comments only and cite FAR case 2001-014 in all
correspondence related to this case.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The FAR Secretariat, Room 4035, GS
Building, Washington, DC 20405, at (202) 501-4755 for information
pertaining to status or publication schedules. For clarification of
content, contact Mr. Ralph De Stefano, Procurement Analyst, at (202)
501-1758. Please cite FAR case 2001-014.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
1. The Final Rule
The FAR Council published a proposed rule amending FAR Parts 9 and
31 in the Federal Register at 64 FR 37360, July 9, 1999. In response to
the proposed rule, the Councils received more than 1500 letters. After
reviewing the public comments, the FAR Council decided to republish the
proposed rule with certain changes.
The FAR Council published a revised proposed rule amending FAR
parts 9, 14, 15, 31, and 52 in the Federal Register at 65 FR 40830,
June 30, 2000. Over 300 public comments were received.
The final rule, which was published in the Federal Register at 65
FR 80255 on December 20, 2000, had an effective date of January 19,
2001, 30 days from date of publication.
The final rule included the following revisions:
FAR Part 9
Added language stating that a satisfactory record of integrity and
business ethics includes satisfactory compliance with the law including
tax, labor and employment, environmental, antitrust, and consumer
protection laws (FAR 9.104-1(d)).
Required contracting officers to consider all relevant credible
information but stated that the greatest weight must be given to
offenses adjudicated within the past three years.
FAR Part 14 and 15
Directed contracting officers to notify offerors if the offerors
were excluded based on a nonresponsibility determination.
FAR Part 31
At FAR 31.205-21, made unallowable those costs incurred for
activities that assist, promote, or deter unionization.
At FAR 31.305-47, made unallowable those costs incurred in civil or
administrative proceedings brought by a government where the contractor
violated, or failed to comply with a law or regulation.
FAR Part 52
At FAR 52.209-5, amended the previous certification to require
offerors to certify to additional violations (violations of tax, labor
and employment, environmental, antitrust, or consumer protection laws)
adjudicated within the last three years. It was a check-the-box
certification. An offeror would have to provide additional detailed
information only upon the request of the contracting officer.
At 52.212-3(h), made an equivalent change for the certification for
commercial items.
2. The Stay
In the interim rule published today, under FAR case 1999-010, the
FAR Council is staying the final rule. The FAR Council determined that
the 30-day effective date did not give contractors, and the Government,
sufficient time to meet the new obligations and responsibilities
imposed by the final rule.
The FAR Council intends the stay will last for 270 days from April
3, 2001 or until finalization of this proposed rule, whichever, is
sooner.
3. Reconsideration
The FAR Council is reconsidering its position and requests public
comments on this proposed rule that revokes the December 20, 2000,
final rule.
The FAR Council realizes that there was strong controversy about
the merits of the two proposed rules (there were 1800 comments). The
typical FAR rule generates about one percent of that amount. The two
proposed rules were the most controversial ever published by the FAR
Council. Adverse comments were made by individuals within the
Government itself, as well as by the public.
After the publication of the final rule, the FAR Council has
continued to receive information that the rule is not in the best
interests of industry or the Government, the way it was written. The
FAR Council wants to be responsive to the needs of the contracting
community, and is therefore continuing a dialog about the rule.
The FAR Council is reassessing the advantages and disadvantages of
the changes made by the December 20, 2000, final rule, to determine if
the benefits of the rule are outweighed by the burdens imposed by the
rule. In this regard, it is not clear to the FAR Council that there is
a justification for including the added categories of covered laws in
the rule and its implementing certification, that the rule provides
contracting officers with sufficient guidelines to prevent arbitrary or
otherwise abusive implementation, or that the final rule is justified
from a cost benefit perspective.
The rule has only been in effect since January 19, 2001. There has
not been time for the public to be in a position of reliance upon the
rule's existence.
The requirement that contractors must be responsible is statutory.
Offerors must have a satisfactory record of
[[Page 17759]]
integrity and business ethics. Contracting officers will continue to
have the authority and duty to make responsibility decisions. Agency
debarring officials will continue to have the authority and duty to
make determinations whether to suspend and debar a contractor.
The final rule was one way the Government could assure itself that
its contractors will have integrity. There are other ways to arrive at
the assurance. For example, the agencies responsible for enforcement of
the specific laws cited in the final rule may cite a pattern of
violation as cause for debarring or suspending the violator.
The FAR Council is inviting comments on two rules. On this proposed
rule, FAR case 2001-014, comments are invited on the revocation of the
December final rule. On the interim rule, FAR case 1999-010 (also
published today), comments are requested on the length of the stay.
This is a significant rule and was subject to Office of Management
and Budget review under Section 6(b) of Executive Order 12866,
Regulatory Planning and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is
not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804.
B. Regulatory Flexibility Act
The FAR Council does not expect this proposed rule to have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities
within the meaning of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et
seq., because the proposed rule will eliminate FAR revisions
implemented under FAR Case 1999-010 published in the Federal Register
on December 20, 2000, (65 FR 80255), that did not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Therefore,
an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required. We invite
comments from small businesses and other interested parties. We will
consider comments from small entities concerning the affected FAR parts
in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 610. Small entities must submit such
comments separately and should cite 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq. (FAR case
2001-014).
C. Paperwork Reduction Act
The Paperwork Reduction Act (Pub. L. 104-13) applies because the
FAR changes to Parts 9 and 52 decrease the information collection
requirements that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved
under OMB Control Number 9000-0094.
The FAR Council estimates that the annual reporting burden for OMB
Control Number 9000-0094 applies to only 89,995 respondents, of which
approximately 50,000 would be affected by the modified certification
requirement. The 39,995 subcontractors that respond to inquiries from
the prime contractor regarding debarment, suspension, or proposed
debarment are not affected by the modified certification requirements.
The total estimated responses of 500,000 per year is not affected by
the modified certification requirements.
The FAR Council estimates that the modified certification
requirement would reduce the total burden by 505,000 hours, changing
the total from 596,667 to 91,667. This is based on an estimate of
50,000 respondents and 500,000 responses per year. The FAR Council
estimates that the modified certification would take an average of 1
hour less for each of the 50,000 initial responses and .3 hours less
for each of the 450,000 subsequent responses that year, for a total of
185,000 hours less to respond to the modified certification
requirements. The FAR Council further estimates that in many
acquisitions, the contracting officer only would have requested
additional information if the otherwise apparently successful offeror
had certified affirmatively. However, the FAR Council estimates, in
some source selections, the contracting officer would have requested
such information from all offerors in the competitive range that
certified affirmatively. Therefore, we estimate a reduced burden of
140,000 hours for providing additional information. This is based on a
burden estimate of 4 hours per initial response and 1 hour per
subsequent response, for a total of 140,000 hours for providing
additional information. The FAR Council further estimates an additional
reduction of 180,000 annual recordkeeping hours based on an estimated
average of 6 hours per year for recordkeeping for each of the 30,000
respondents to respond to the request for additional information.
The revised annual reporting burden is estimated as follows:
Respondents: 89,995.
Responses per respondent: 12.22.
Total annual responses: 1,100,000.
Average hours per response: .083.*
Total burden hours: 91,667 hours.
* Average hours per response is calculated by dividing total
burden hours by total annual responses.
The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply to FAR Part 31 cost
principles changes because the changes do not impose information
collection requirements that require Office of Management and Budget
approval under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.
D. Request for Comments Regarding Paperwork Burden
Submit comments, including suggestions for reducing this burden,
not later than June 4, 2001 to: FAR Desk Officer, OMB, Room 10102,
NEOB, Washington, DC 20503, and a copy to the General Services
Administration, FAR Secretariat (MVR), 1800 F Street, NW., Room 4035,
Washington, DC 20405.
Public comments are particularly invited on 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.
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 9, 14, 15, 31, and 52
Government procurement.
Dated: March 29, 2001.
Al Matera.
Director, Acquisition Policy Division.
Therefore, DoD, GSA, and NASA propose that 48 CFR parts 9, 14, 15,
31, and 52 as stayed effective April 3, 2001 be further amended as set
forth below:
1. The authority citation for 48 CFR parts 9, 14, 15, 31, and 52
continues to read as follows:
Authority: 40 U.S.C. 486(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 137; and 42
U.S.C. 2473(c).
PART 9--CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS
9.103 [Amended]
2. Amend section 9.103 in paragraph (b) by removing the third
sentence; and removing paragraph (c) and redesignating paragraph (d) as
paragraph (c).
3. In section 9.104-1, revise paragraph (d); remove paragraph (e);
and redesignate paragraphs (f), (g), and (h) as (e), (f), and (g) to
read as follows:
9.104-1 General standards.
* * * * *
(d) Have a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics;
* * * * *
9.104-3 [Amended]
4. In section 9.104-3, remove paragraph (c); and redesignate
paragraphs (d) and (e) as (c) and (d) respectively.
[[Page 17760]]
PART 14--SEALED BIDDING
5. Revise section 14.404-2(i); remove paragraph (j); and
redesignate paragraphs (k), (l), and (m) as (j), (k), and (l),
respectively, to read as follows:
14.404-2 Rejection of individual bids.
* * * * *
(i) Low bids received from concerns determined to be not
responsible pursuant to subpart 9.1 shall be rejected (but if a bidder
is a small business concern, see 19.6 with respect to certificates of
competency).
* * * * *
PART 15--CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION
6. Revise section 15.503(a)(1); remove paragraph (a)(2); and
redesignate paragraph (a)(3) as (a)(2) to read as follows:
15.503 Notification to unsuccessful offerors.
(a) Preaward notices--(1) Preaward notices of exclusion from
competitive range. The contracting officer shall notify offerors
promptly in writing when their proposals are excluded from the
competitive range or otherwise eliminated from the competition. The
notice shall state the basis for the determination and that a proposal
revision will not be considered.
* * * * *
PART 31--CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURE
31.205-21 [Amended]
7. Amend section 31.205-21 by removing the paragraph designation
``(a)'', and by removing paragraph (b) in its entirety.
8. Amend section 31.205-47 in paragraph (a) by adding, in
alphabetical order, the definition ``Fraud'' (which was removed in the
December 20, 2000, final rule (65 FR 80255) and stayed effective April
3, 2001; and by removing paragraph (b)(3) and redesignating paragraphs
(b)(4) through (b)(6) as (b)(3) through (b)(5), respectively; and
revising paragraph (b)(2); to read as follows:
31.205-47 Costs related to legal and other proceedings.
(a) Definitions.
* * * * *
Fraud, as used in this subsection, means--
(1) Acts of fraud or corruption or attempts to defraud the
Government or to corrupt its agents,
(2) Acts which constitute a cause for debarment or suspension under
9.406-2(a) and 9.407-2(a) and
(3) Acts which violate the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C., sections
3729-3731, or the Anti-Kickback Act, 41 U.S.C., sections 51 and 54.
(b) * * *
(2) In a civil or administrative proceeding, either a finding of
contractor liability where the proceeding involves an allegation of
fraud or similar misconduct or imposition of a monetary penalty where
the proceeding does not involve an allegation of fraud or similar
misconduct;
* * * * *
PART 52--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES
52.209-5 [Amended]
9. In section 52.209-5--
a. Revise the date of the provision to read ``(Mar 1996)'';
(b) In paragraph (a)(1)(i)(B), remove ``the three-year'' and add
``a three-year'' in its place; and add ``and'' at the end of the
paragraph;
c. In paragraph (a)(1)(i)(C), at the end of the paragraph, remove
``; and'' and add a period in its place; and
d. Remove paragraphs (a)(1)(i)(D) and (E); remove paragraph
(a)(1)(ii), and redesignate paragraph (a)(1)(iii) as (a)(1)(ii).
10. In section 52.212-3--
a. Revise the date of the provision;
b. Revise paragraph (h); and
c. Remove paragraph (i). The revised text reads as follows:
52.212-3 Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items.
* * * * *
Offeror Representations and Certifications--Commercial Items (Oct.
2000)
* * * * *
(h) Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension or Ineligibility
for Award (Executive Order 12549). The offeror certifies, to the best
of its knowledge and belief, that--
(1) The offeror and/or any of its principals [ ] are, [ ] are not
presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared
ineligible for the award of contracts by any Federal agency; and
(2) [ ] Have, [ ] have not, within a three-year period preceding
this offer, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against
them for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with
obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a Federal, state or
local government contract or subcontract; violation of Federal or state
antitrust statutes relating to the submission of offerors; or
commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or
destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion, or
receiving stolen property; and [ ] are, [ ] are not presently
indicted for, or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a
Government entity with, commission of any of these offenses.
(End of provision)
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 01-8124 Filed 3-30-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-EP-M