00-18672. Federal Acquisition Regulation; Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program

AGENCIES:

Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) have agreed on a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) and Small Business Administration (SBA) final policy directive to provide updated guidance on the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program.

DATES:

Effective Date: July 26, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

The FAR Secretariat, Room 4035, GS Building, Washington, DC 20405, [phone], for information pertaining to status or publication schedules. For clarification of content, contact Ms. Victoria Moss, Procurement Analyst, at [phone]. Please cite FAC 97-19, FAR case 1999-012.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

This final rule amends FAR Part 19 to provide updated guidance regarding the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program (Program). The Program was originally established in 1988 by Title VII of Public Law 100-656, as amended, and subsequently implemented in the FAR. As statutory amendments were made to the Program, OFPP issued conforming modifications to its policy directive. With the enactment of Public Law 105-135, the Small Business Reauthorization Act of 1997, the Program was made permanent. The OFPP and SBA published a joint final policy directive on the Program in the Federal Register at 64 FR 29693, June 2, 1999. DoD, GSA, and NASA published a FAR interim rule in the Federal Register at 65 FR 16274, March 27, 2000. The Councils considered all comments in the development of the final rule. The Councils have agreed to convert the interim rule to a final rule without change.

This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not subject to 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 Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration certify that this final rule will not 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 rule merely makes ministerial changes to the existing language and does not change existing policy.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

The Paperwork Reduction Act (Pub. L. 104-13) does not apply because the changes to the FAR do not impose information collection requirements that require the approval of the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 19

• Government procurement

Dated: July 19, 2000.

Edward C. Loeb,

Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division.

Interim Rule Adopted as Final Without Change

Accordingly, DoD, GSA, and NASA adopt the interim rule amending 48 CFR part 19, which was published in the Federal Register at 65 FR 16274, March 27, 2000, as a final rule without change.

Authority: 40 U.S.C. 486(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 137; and 42 U.S.C. 2473(c).