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[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 19 (Thursday, January 29, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 4806-4807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-01432]

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Defense Acquisition Regulations System

48 CFR Part 252

RIN 0750-AI25

Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Electronic 
Submission of Technical Reports (DFARS Case 2014-D001)

AGENCY: Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Department of Defense 
(DoD).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal 
Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to require that scientific 
and technical reports be submitted in electronic format.

DATES: Effective January 29, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Veronica Fallon, telephone 571-372-
6098.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    DoD published a proposed rule in the Federal Register at 79 FR 
51293 on August 28, 2014, to require submission of scientific and 
technical reports online in electronic media to the Defense Technical 
Information Center.

II. Discussion and Analysis

    There were no public comments submitted in response to the proposed 
rule. No changes were made to the proposed rule.

III. Executive Orders 12866 and 13563

    Executive Orders (E.O.s) 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess 
all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). E.O. 
13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and benefits, 
of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting flexibility. 
This is not a significant regulatory action and, therefore, was not 
subject to review under section 6(b) of E.O. 12866, Regulatory Planning 
and Review, dated September 30, 1993. This rule is not a major rule 
under 5 U.S.C. 804.

IV. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    A final regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared 
consistent with the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., 
and is summarized as follows:
    This rule amends the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 
Supplement (DFARS) to require electronic submission of scientific and 
technical reports (vice paper). Electronic submission of the report is 
required by DoD Instruction 3200.12, DoD Scientific and Technical 
Information Program. The rule revises DFARS clause 252.235-7011, Final 
Scientific or Technical Report, by requiring the contractor to submit 
an electronic copy of the approved final scientific or technical 
report. This change will lend efficiency to the submission process by 
no longer requiring the electronically initiated report to be printed 
for submission. It will also allow the report to be submitted in the 
same format as it was created, thereby streamlining and modernizing the 
report submission process.
    No public comments were submitted in response to the initial 
regulatory flexibility analysis.
    According to the Federal Procurement Data System, in fiscal year 
2013 DoD made approximately 469,593 contract awards to small 
businesses, of which approximately 4,143 (less than one percent), were 
awarded as research, development, test and evaluation contracts. DoD 
does not expect this rule to have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities because it is not revising any 
report submission requirements, it is only modernizing the submission 
process.
    This rule does not impose any new reporting requirements. This rule 
does not impose any new requirements on small entities, and since the 
rule only changes the mode of submission of the reports from paper to 
electronic means, this change is expected to have only a negligible 
impact on small entities.

V. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C chapter 35) does apply; 
however, these changes to the DFARS do not impose additional 
information collection requirements to the paperwork burden previously 
approved under OMB Control Number 0704-0188, entitled ASSIST Database, 
which expires on August 31, 2016.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 252

    Government procurement.

Manuel Quinones,
Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations System.

    Therefore, 48 CFR part 252 is amended as follows:

PART 252--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES

0
1. The authority citation for 48 CFR part 252 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority:  41 U.S.C. 1303 and 48 CFR chapter 1.

0
2. Section 252.235-7011 is revised to read as follows:

252.235-7011  Final scientific or technical report.

    As prescribed in 235.072(d), use the following clause: FINAL 
SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL REPORT (JAN 2015)

    The Contractor shall--

[[Page 4807]]

    (a) Submit an electronic copy of the approved final scientific 
or technical report, not a summary, delivered under this contract to 
the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) through the web-
based input system at http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/submit/ as required 
by DoD Instruction 3200.12, DoD Scientific and Technical Information 
Program (STIP). Include a completed Standard Form (SF) 298, Report 
Documentation Page, in the document, or complete the web-based SF 
298.
    (b) For instructions on submitting multi-media reports, follow 
the instructions at http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/submit.
    (c) Email classified reports (up to Secret) to TR@DTIC.SMIL.MIL. 
If a SIPRNET email capability is not available, follow the 
classified submission instructions at http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/submit/.

(End of clause)

[FR Doc. 2015-01432 Filed 1-28-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P
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