97-6309. Federal Acquisition Circular 90-46; Introduction  

  • [Federal Register Volume 62, Number 51 (Monday, March 17, 1997)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Pages 12690-12691]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 97-6309]
    
    
    
    [[Page 12689]]
    
    _______________________________________________________________________
    
    Part II
    
    Department of Defense
    
    General Services Administration
    
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    _______________________________________________________________________
    
    
    
    48 CFR Chapter I, Part 3, et al.
    
    
    
    Federal Acquisition Circular 90-46, Introduction and Federal 
    Acquisition Regulations; Final Rules
    
    Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 51 / Monday, March 17, 1997 / Rules 
    and Regulations
    
    [[Page 12690]]
    
    
    
    DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
    
    GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
    
    NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
    
    48 CFR Chapter 1
    
    
    Federal Acquisition Circular 90-46; Introduction
    
    AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
    (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
    
    ACTION: Summary presentation of final and interim rules.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    SUMMARY: This document summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation 
    (FAR) rules issued by the FAR Council in this Federal Acquisition 
    Circular (FAC) 90-46. Each rule follows this document in the order 
    listed below. A companion document, the Small Entity Compliance Guide, 
    follows this FAC and may be located on the internet at http://
    www.gsa.gov/far/SECG.
    
    DATES: For effective dates and comment dates, see separate documents 
    which follow.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The analyst whose name appears (in the 
    table below) in relation to each FAR case or subject area. For general 
    information, contact Beverly Fayson, Room 4037, GS Building, 
    Washington, DC 20405, (202) 501-4755. Please cite FAC 90-46 and 
    specific FAR case number(s).
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal Acquisition Circular 90-46 amends 
    the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) as specified below:
    
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Item              Subject          FAR  Case         Analyst    
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I..................  Gratuities.......  96-300          Linfield.       
    II.................  Electronic         91-104          DeStefano.      
                          Contracting.                                      
    III................  Office of Federal  94-008          O'Neill.        
                          Procurement                                       
                          Policy Letter 93-                                 
                          1, Management                                     
                          Oversight of                                      
                          Service                                           
                          Contracting.                                      
    IV.................  Performance        93-603          DeStefano.      
                          Incentives for                                    
                          Fixed-Price                                       
                          Contracts.                                        
    V..................  Federal            92-054B         Linfield.       
                          Compliance with                                   
                          Right-to-Know                                     
                          Laws and                                          
                          Pollution                                         
                          Prevention                                        
                          Requirements                                      
                          (Interim).                                        
    VI.................  Buy American Act-- 91-119          Linfield.       
                          Construction                                      
                          (Grimberg                                         
                          Decision).                                        
    VII................  Collection of      95-306          Klein.          
                          Historically                                      
                          Black Colleges                                    
                          and Universities/                                 
                          Minority                                          
                          Institutions                                      
                          Award Data.                                       
    VIII...............  Allowability of    95-021          DeStefano.      
                          Foreign Selling                                   
                          Costs.                                            
    IX.................  Independent        95-024          Olson.          
                          Research and                                      
                          Development/Bid                                   
                          and Proposal                                      
                          Costs in                                          
                          Cooperative                                       
                          Agreements.                                       
    X..................  Prompt Payment...  91-091          Olson.          
    XI.................  Attorneys' Fees    96-016          O'Neill.        
                          in GAO Protests.                                  
    XII................  Contractors'       94-605          Klein.          
                          Purchasing                                        
                          Systems Reviews.                                  
    XIII...............  Performance-Based  96-005          Olson.          
                          Payments.                                         
    XIV................  Technical          ..............  ................
                          Corrections.                                      
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    Item I--Gratuities (FAR Case 96-300)
    
        The interim rule published as Item III of Federal Acquisition 
    Circular (FAC) 90-40 is converted to a final rule without change. The 
    rule amended FAR 3.202 and 52.203-3 to exempt solicitations and 
    contracts which do not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold from 
    the prescribed use of the ``Gratuities'' clause.
    
    Item II--Electronic Contracting (FAR Case 91-104)
    
        The interim rule published as Item II of FAC 90-29 is converted to 
    a final rule with amendments in Parts 5, 14, 15, and 52. The rule 
    facilitates the use of electronic data interchange in Government 
    contracting and complements the rule published as Item II of FAC 90-40 
    pertaining to the Federal Acquisition Computer Network.
    
    Item III--Office of Federal Procurement Policy Letter 93-1, Management 
    Oversight of Service Contracting (FAR Case 94-008)
    
        This final rule amends FAR 37.000 and 37.102, and adds a new 
    Subpart 37.5, to implement OFPP Policy Letter 93-1, Management 
    Oversight of Service Contracting. The policy letter provides 
    Governmentwide guiding principles which are intended to improve the 
    acquisition, management, and administration of service contracts. This 
    rule also amends FAR 9.505-3 and 35.017-2 to remove references to OMB 
    Circular A-120, Guidelines for the Use of Advisory and Assistance 
    Services, which was rescinded by OMB on November 19, 1993.
    
    Item IV--Performance Incentives for Fixed-Price Contracts (FAR Case 93-
    603)
    
        This final rule amends FAR Parts 16 and 52 to permit the use of 
    award-fee provisions as performance incentives in fixed-price 
    contracts.
    
    Item V--Federal Compliance With Right-To-Know Laws and Pollution 
    Prevention Requirements (FAR Case 92-054B)
    
        This interim rule adds a new FAR Subpart 23.10, and a new clause at 
    52.223-5 to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 12856 of August 3, 1993, 
    Federal Compliance with Right-To-Know Laws and Pollution Prevention 
    Requirements. The E.O. requires that a contract performed on a Federal 
    facility shall provide that the contractor supply information on its 
    use of certain hazardous or toxic substances in the performance of the 
    contract. This information is required to enable Federal facilities to 
    comply with the reporting and emergency planning requirements of the 
    Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 and the Emergency Planning and 
    Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986.
    
    Item VI--Buy American Act--Construction (Grimberg Decision) (FAR Case 
    91-119)
    
        This final rule amends FAR Subpart 25.2 and the associated clauses 
    at 52.225-5 and 52.225-15 to add guidance on exceptions to the Buy 
    American Act, both pre-award and post-award. The rule adds two new 
    solicitation provisions at 52.225-12 and 52.225-13 for use in 
    solicitations for construction in the United States. These solicitation 
    provisions set forth procedures by which offerors may request 
    determinations regarding the inapplicability of the Buy American Act. 
    The rule also adds a new section at 25.206, which provides guidance 
    regarding instances of noncompliance with the Buy American Act.
    
    [[Page 12691]]
    
    Item VII--Collection of Historically Black Colleges and Universities/
    Minority Institutions Award Data (FAR Case 95-306)
    
        This final rule adds a new FAR Subpart 26.3 and a new solicitation 
    provision at 52.226-2 to implement Executive Order 12928, which 
    requires agencies to provide periodic reporting on the progress made in 
    award of contracts to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and 
    Minority Institutions.
    
    Item VIII--Allowability of Foreign Selling Costs (FAR Case 95-021)
    
        This final rule revises FAR 31.205-38(c)(2) by removing the ceiling 
    on allowable foreign selling costs. The rule also amends 31.205-1, 
    Public relations and advertising costs, by deleting reference to the 
    ceiling limitation, and further revises 31.205-38(c)(2) by deleting 
    obsolete language.
    
    Item IX--Independent Research and Development/Bid and Proposal Costs in 
    Cooperative Agreements (FAR Case 95-024)
    
        This final rule amends the cost principle at FAR 31.205-18, 
    Independent research and development (IR&D) and bid and proposal costs, 
    by removing from paragraph (e) the prohibition against treatment of 
    contractor IR&D contributions under NASA cooperative arrangements as 
    allowable indirect costs.
    
    Item X--Prompt Payment (FAR Case 91-091)
    
        This final rule amends FAR 32.102, Subpart 32.9, and related 
    clauses at 52.212-4, 52.232-5, 52.232-8, 52.232-25, 52.232-26, and 
    52.232-27 in order to implement changes made in OMB Circular A-125 
    (Revised), dated December 12, 1989, to comply with the Prompt Payment 
    Act Amendments of 1988 (Public Law 100-496). The rule also contains 
    amendments to clarify and simplify the FAR text and clauses.
    
    Item XI--Attorneys' Fees in GAO Protests (FAR Case 96-016)
    
        This final rule amends FAR 33.104 to clarify that the $150 hourly 
    cap on attorneys' fees applies only to those protests filed on or after 
    October 1, 1995. Protests filed with the General Accounting Office 
    prior to October 1, 1995, are not subject to the hourly cap on 
    attorneys' fees, in accordance with Sections 10001 and 10002 of the 
    Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-355).
    
    Item XII--Contractors' Purchasing Systems Reviews (FAR Case 94-605)
    
        This final rule amends FAR 44.302 to (1) add a requirement for the 
    cognizant contract administration agency to determine the need for a 
    contractor purchasing system review (CPSR) based on, but not limited 
    to, the past performance of the contractor and volume, complexity, and 
    dollar value of the contractor's subcontracting activity; and (2) 
    delete the requirement for a CPSR to be performed initially and at 
    least every 3 years thereafter, for contractors exceeding a certain 
    sales level. Also, FAR sections 44.303 through 44.307 are amended to 
    conform to amendments at 44.302.
    
    Item XIII--Performance-Based Payments (FAR Case 96-005)
    
        This final rule amends FAR 52.232-32, Performance-Based Payments, 
    by adding paragraphs (f)(6) and (7) to address title to residual 
    material and liability for Government-furnished property, for 
    consistency with paragraphs (d)(6) and (7) of FAR 52.232-16, Progress 
    Payments.
    
    Item XIV--Technical Corrections
    
        Corrections have been made to Federal Acquisition Circular 90-44, 
    which appeared in the Federal Register at 61 FR 69286, December 31, 
    1996, to correct clause dates to correspond with the effective dates of 
    the rules, and Federal Acquisition Circular 90-45, published in the 
    Federal Register at 62 FR 224, January 2, 1997, to replace a reference 
    inadvertently omitted in the original document.
    
        Dated: March 7, 1997.
    Edward C. Loeb,
    Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division.
    [FR Doc. 97-6309 Filed 3-14-97; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6820-EP-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
03/17/1997
Department:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Summary presentation of final and interim rules.
Document Number:
97-6309
Dates:
For effective dates and comment dates, see separate documents which follow.
Pages:
12690-12691 (2 pages)
PDF File:
97-6309.pdf
CFR: (2)
48 CFR None
48 CFR None