Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 230 / Wednesday, December 1, 2004 / Notices 69897

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND 

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000–0045]

Federal Acquisition Regulation; 

Submission for OMB Review; Bid 

Guarantees, Performance and Payment 

Bonds, and Alternative Payment 

Protections

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), 

General Services Administration (GSA), 

and National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments 

regarding an extension to an existing 

OMB clearance (9000–0045).

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 bid guarantees, performance 

and payment bonds, and alternative 

payment protections. The clearance 

currently expires on October 31, 2004.

Public comments are particularly 

invited on: Whether this collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of functions of the FAR, 

and whether it will have practical 

utility; whether our estimate of the 

public burden of this collection of 

information is accurate, and based on 

valid assumptions and methodology; 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and ways in which we can 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on those who are to 

respond, through the use of appropriate 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology.

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

January 3, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments regarding 

this burden estimate or any other aspect 

of this collection of information, 

including suggestions for reducing this 

burden to the General Services 

Administration, FAR Secretariat (VR), 

1800 F Street, NW,Room 4035, 

Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB 

Control No. 9000–0045, Bid, 

Performance, and Payment Bonds, in all 

correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

Cecelia Davis, Contract Policy Division, 

GSA (202) 219–0202.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

These regulations implement the 

statutory requirements of the Miller Act 

(40 U.S.C. 3131–3134), which requires 

performance and payment bonds for any 

construction contract exceeding 

$100,000, unless it is impracticable to 

require bonds for work performed in a 

foreign country, or it is otherwise 

authorized by law. In addition, the 

regulations implement the note to 40 

U.S.C. 3132, entitled ‘‘Alternatives to 

Payment Bonds Provided by the Federal 

Acquisition Regulation,’’ which requires 

alternative payment protection for 

construction contracts that exceed 

$25,000 but do not exceed $100,000. 

Although not required by statute, under 

certain circumstances the FAR permits 

the Government to require bonds on 

other than construction contracts.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

Respondents: 11,304.

Responses Per Respondent: 5.

Total Responses: 56,520. 

Hours Per Response: .42.

Total Burden Hours: 23,738.

Obtaining Copies of Proposals:

Requesters may obtain a copy of the 

information collection documents from 

the General Services Administration, 

FAR Secretariat (VR), 1800 F Street, 

NW, Room 4035, Washington, DC 

20405, telephone (202) 501–4755. Please 

cite OMB Control No. 9000–0045, Bid, 

Performance, and Payment Bonds, in all 

correspondence.

Dated: November 24, 2004

Gerald Zaffos

Acting Director, Contract Policy Division.

[FR Doc. 04–26437 Filed 11–30–04; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6820–EP–S

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES 

ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND 

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000–0022]

Federal Acquisition Regulation; 

Submission for OMB Review; DutyFree Entry

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), 

General ServicesAdministration (GSA), 

and National Aeronautics and 

SpaceAdministration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of request for comments 

regarding an extension to an existing 

OMB clearance (9000–0022).

SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the 

Paperwork ReductionAct of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. Chapter 35), the Federal 

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 

Secretariat has submitted to the Office 

of Management and Budget (OMB) a 

request to review and approve an 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection requirement 

concerning customs and duties. A 

request for public comments was 

published in the Federal Register at 69 

FR 54654 on September 9, 2004. No 

comments were received.

Public comments are particularly 

invited on: Whether this collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of functions of the FAR, 

and whether it will have practical 

utility; whether our estimate of the 

public burden of this collection of 

information is accurate, and based on 

valid assumptions and methodology; 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and ways in which we can 

minimize the burden of the collection of 

information on those who are to 

respond, through the use of appropriate 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology.

DATES: Submit comments on or before 

January 3, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments regarding 

this burden estimate or any other aspect 

of this collection of information, 

including suggestions for reducing this 

burden to the General Services 

Administration, FAR Secretariat (V), 

1800 F Street, NW, Room 4035, 

Washington, DC 20405. Please cite OMB 

Control No. 9000–0022, Duty-Free 

Entry, in all correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

Cecelia Davis, Contract Policy Division, 

GSA (202) 219–0202.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

United States laws impose duties on 

foreign suppliesimported into the 

customs territory of the United States. 

Certain exemptions from these duties 

are available to Government agencies. 

These exemptions are used whenever 

the anticipated savings outweigh the 

administrative costs associated with 

processing required documentation. 

When a Government contractor 

purchases foreign supplies, it 

mustnotify the contracting officer to 

determine whether the supplies should 

be duty-free. In addition, all shipping 

documents and containers must specify 

certain information to assure the dutyfree entry of the supplies.

The contracting officer analyzes the 

information submitted by the contractor