[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 76 (Monday, April 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19312-19313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10193]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[OMB Control No. 9000-0113]
Proposed Collection; Comment Request Entitled Acquisition of
Helium
AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of request for public comments regarding an extension to
an existing OMB clearance (9000-0113).
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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a currently
approved information collection requirement concerning Acquisition of
Helium.
DATES: Comment Due Date: June 20, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect
of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing
this burden, should be submitted to: FAR Desk Officer, OMB, Room 10102,
NEOB, Washington, DC 20503, and a copy to the General Services
Administration, FAR Secretariat, 1800 F Streets, NW., Room 4037,
Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB Control No. 9000-0113 in all
correspondence.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Klein, Office of Federal
Acquisition Policy, GSA (202) 501-3755.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Purpose
The Helium Act (Pub. L. 86-777) (50 U.S.C. 167a, et seq.) and the
Department of the Interior's implementing regulations (30 CFR Parts 601
and 602) require Federal agencies to procure all major helium
requirements from the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the
Interior.
It has been the Department of the Interior's policy, consistent
with Congressional intent that Government helium be used in Government
contracts, and that all Government contracts involving the use of
significant amounts of helium require that Government helium be used in
performing the contract. The appropriate vehicle for the establishment
of requirements pertaining to Government procurement is the Federal
Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
Current FAR coverage on the subject references 30 CFR Parts 601 and
602. These are Department of the Interior regulations dealing with
helium sales and helium distribution. However, the FAR contains no
substantive guidance on procurement of helium and does not require
submission of information that will permit the Bureau of Mines to
ascertain whether Federal agencies are using Government helium and are
requiring in their contracts that Government helium be used in
contracted-for work.
The new FAR coverage provides an appropriate level of guidance on
the subject, including a requirement that offerors responding to
contract solicitations provide information as to their forecast of
helium required for performance of the contract.
Such information will facilitate enforcement of the requirements of
the Helium Act and the contractual provisions requiring the use of
Government helium by agency contractors, in that it will permit
corrective action to be taken if the Bureau of Land Management, after
comparing helium sales data against helium requirement forecasts,
discovers apparent serious discrepancies.
The information is used in administration of certain Federal
contracts to ensure contractor compliance with contract clauses.
Without the information, the required use of Government helium cannot
be monitored and enforced effectively.
B. Annual Reporting Burden
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is
estimated to average .5 hours per response, including the time for
reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and
maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information.
The annual reporting burden is estimated as follows: Respondents:
50; responses per respondent: 1; total annual responses: 50;
preparation hours per response: 5; and total response burden hours: 25.
C. Annual Recordkeeping Burden
The annual recordkeeping burden is estimated as follows:
Recordkeepers: 50; hours per recordkeeper: .5; and total recordkeeping
burden hours: 25.
[[Page 19313]]
Obtaining Copies of Proposals
Requester may obtain a copy of the justification from the General
Services Administration, FAR Secretariat (VRS), Room 4037, 1800 F
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20405, telephone (202) 501-4755. Please
cite OMB Control No. 9000-0113, Acquisition of Helium, in all
correspondence.
Dated: April 15, 1997.
Sharon A. Kiser,
FAR Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 97-10193 Filed 4-18-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-34-P