[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 71 (Monday, April 14, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18053-18054]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9471]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

48 CFR Part 1401

RIN 1090-AA60


Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation; Regulatory 
Streamlining

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: In the interests of streamlining processes and improving 
relationships with contractors, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is 
issuing this final rule which amends 48 CFR Chapter 14 by revising and 
updating the Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation (DIAR).

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 14, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Mary L. McGarvey at (202) 208-
3158, Department of the Interior, Office of Acquisition and Property 
Management, 1849 C. Street N.W. (MS5522 MIB), Washington, D.C. 20240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

    Under the auspices of the National Performance Review, a thorough 
review of the DIAR was conducted. The review revealed unnecessary and 
outdated regulations, and some excessively burdensome procedures.
    In the interests of streamlining processes and improving 
relationships with contractors, essential portions of the DIAR are 
being revised, retained and/or removed in 48 CFR, where appropriate. 
The review identified four Sections in Subpart 1401.3 to be removed 
from 48 CFR. Specifically, Sections 1401.301 Policy; 1401.301-70 
Definitions; 1401.302 Limitations; and 1401.304 Agency control and 
compliance procedures were removed from 48 CFR. In Subpart 1401.6 
Contracting Authority and Responsibilities all ten sections are being 
removed from 48 CFR. We changed titles, rewrote language, and 
eliminated redundant FAR material from the Sections and retained them 
in the Department of the Interior Acquisition Regulation. Subpart 
1401.1 Purpose, Authority, Issuance including section 1401.106 OMB 
approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act and Section 1401.303 
Publication and codification of Subpart 1401.3 Agency Acquisition 
Regulations are revised and retained in 48 CFR Chapter 14.

Required Determinations

    The Department believes that public comment is unnecessary because 
the revised material implements standard Government operating 
procedures. Therefore, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the 
Department finds good cause to publish this document as a final rule. 
This rule was not subject to Office of Management and Budget review 
under Executive Order 12866. This rule does not contain a collection of 
information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq). In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 
U.S.C. 601 et seq.), the Department determined that this rule will not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities because no requirements are being added for small businesses 
and no protections are being withdrawn. The Department has determined 
that this rule does not constitute a major Federal action having a 
significant impact on the human environment under the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The Department has certified that 
this rule meets the applicable standards provided in Sections 3(a) and 
3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 1401

    Government procurement, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: April 4, 1997.
Mary Ann Lawler,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Policy, Management and Budget.

    Chapter 14 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations is 
amended as follows:
    1. The authority citation for 48 CFR part 1401 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390; 40 U.S.C. 486(c), and 5 
U.S.C. 301.

    2. Subpart 1401.1 is revised to read as follows:

[[Page 18054]]

Subpart 1401.1--Purpose, Authority, Issuance


1401.106  OMB approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

    The information collection and recordkeeping  requirements have 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as required 
by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). The 
following OMB control numbers apply:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             OMB control
                        DIAR segment                             No.    
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1452.225-70................................................    1084-0018
1452.226-70................................................    1084-0019
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    3. Subpart 1401.3 is revised to read as follows:

Subpart 1401.3--Agency Acquisition Regulations


1401.303  Publication and codification.

    (a)(1) Implementing and supplementing regulations issued under the 
DIAR System are codified under Chapter 14 in Title 48, Code of Federal 
Regulations and shall parallel the FAR in format, arrangement, and 
numbering system.
    (2)(i) Departmentwide regulations are assigned parts 1401 through 
1499 under 48 CFR, Chapter 14.
    (ii) Where material in the FAR requires no implementation, there 
will be no corresponding number in the DIAR. Thus, there are gaps in 
the DIAR sequence of numbers where the FAR, as written, is deemed 
adequate. Supplementary material shall be numbered as specified in FAR 
1.303.
    (3)(i) Bureauwide regulations are authorized for codification in 
Appendices to Chapter 14 as assigned by the Director, PAM.
    (ii) Regulations implementing the FAR or DIAR are numbered using 
parts 1401 through 1479. Supplementary material is numbered using parts 
1480 through 1499. Numbers for implementing or supplementing 
regulations by bureaus/offices are preceded by a prefix to the number 
14 (indicating Chapter 14--DIAR) for the organization indicated by 
lettered appendices as follows:

(A) Bureau of Indian Affairs--BIA
(B) Bureau of Reclamation--WBR
(C) Interior Service Center--ISC
(D) Bureau of Land Management--LLM
(E) U.S. Geological Survey--WGS
(F) Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement--LSM
(G) U.S. Minerals Management Service--LMS
(H) National Park Service--FNP
(I) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service--FWS

(e.g., FAR 1.3 then DIAR 1401.3 [Department level] then in Appendix A, 
BIA 1401.3 [Bureau level])
    (b) [Reserved]

Subpart 1401.6--[Removed]

    4. Subpart 1401.6 is removed.

[FR Doc. 97-9471 Filed 4-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-RF-M