2018-00001. Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR), Simplified Acquisition Procedures

AGENCY:

Office of Acquisition and Logistics, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Office of Acquisition and Logistics, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before February 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

Submit written comments on the collection of information through www.Regulations.gov, or to Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Attn: VA Desk Officer; 725 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20503 or sent through electronic mail to [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0393” in any correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cynthia Harvey-Pryor, Enterprise Records Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, [phone] or email [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0393” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501-21.

Title: Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Part 813, Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0393.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: This request for an extension covers the competitive acquisition of commercial and non-commercial goods or services conducted under the simplified acquisition procedures of FAR Part 13 and VAAR Part 813 that exceed $25,000. The collection of procurement information is an integral part of the Federal acquisition process. VA cannot award contracts, issue purchase orders, or enter into blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) or other contract actions without the collection of information. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contains PRA control numbers for the collection of information under FAR Parts 14, Sealed Bidding, and 15, Contracting by Negotiation. All VA invitations for bids (IFB) (i.e., sealed bids) and requests for proposals (RFPs) (i.e., negotiated) acquisitions exceeding $150,000 (or exceeding $7 million for commercial items) are conducted in accordance with FAR Parts 14 or 15 and are covered by the FAR PRA control numbers. In addition, many of VA's commercial item acquisitions between $150,000 and $7 million are also conducted in accordance with FAR Parts 14 or 15. Therefore, the OMB PRA control numbers assigned to the FAR already cover VA acquisition activities under FAR Parts 14 and 15 and VAAR Parts 814 and 815. There are no separate collections of information in VAAR Parts 814 and 815 that are over and above those already required by the FAR. However, the FAR does not have an OMB PRA control number for Part 13. Thus, this VAAR PRA number 2900-0393 covers VA's acquisition activities conducted under FAR Part 13 and under VAAR Part 813, since those activities are not covered by a PRA number assigned to the FAR.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published at 82 FR 47080 on October 10, 2017, page 47080.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.

Estimated Annual Burden: VAAR Part 813—20,845 Burden Hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: VAAR Part 813—1 Hour.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents: VAAR Part 813—20,845.

By direction of the Secretary.

Cynthia Harvey-Pryor,

Department Clearance Officer, Office of Quality, Privacy and Risk, Department of Veterans Affairs.