2018-00002. Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR), Buy American Act

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. 2900-0622” 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. 2900-0622” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

Title: Department Of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) Clause 852.236-89, Buy American Act.

OMB Control Number: 2900-0622.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.

Abstract: The Buy American Act requires that only domestic construction material shall be used to perform domestic Federal contracts for construction, with certain exceptions. VA policy is to not accept foreign construction material. However, if a bidder chooses to submit a bid that includes foreign material, VA will consider such bids if the material is specifically identified and the price of the material is provided. VAAR clause 852.236-89, Buy American Act, advises bidders of these provisions and requires bidders who want to offer foreign construction material to list the material and its price. Bidders who do not intend to offer foreign material do not need to submit any information under this clause. The information is required to allow VA to make an informed decision as to whether or not to accept a bid that includes foreign construction material. In actual practice, very few bidders ever offer foreign materials and, when they do, very few of those offers are accepted.

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 142 on July 26, 2017, pages 34747 and 34748.

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

Estimated Annual Burden: VAAR clause 852.236-89, Buy American Act—22 hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: VAAR clause 852.236-89, Buy American Act—30 minutes.

Frequency of Response: On occasion.

Estimated Number of Respondents: VAAR clause 852.236-89, Buy American Act—43.

By direction of the Secretary.

Cynthia Harvey-Pryor,

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