[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 23, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28494-28495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13051]


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GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE


Commercial Activities Panel

AGENCY: General Accounting Office.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: Section 832 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2001 requires the Comptroller General of the United States 
to convene a panel of experts to study the transfer of commercial 
activities currently performed by government employees to federal 
contractors, a procedure commonly known as ``contracting out'' or 
``outsourcing.'' This notice announces the first of three public 
hearings to be held by the Commercial Activities Panel (``the Panel''). 
For the first hearing, the Panel is interested in hearing views on the 
principles and policies that should govern decisions concerning whether 
particular functions should be performed by the public sector or the 
private sector.

[[Page 28495]]


DATES: The Commercial Activities Panel will hold a public hearing on 
June 11, 2001, beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Walsh-Reckord Hall of 
States at One Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC. Individuals or 
groups that wish to attend or participate in the hearing should notify 
the Panel and submit written summaries of their statements by June 4, 
2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit requests to attend or participate in the hearing, 
written summaries of oral statements, and any other relevant materials 
via E-mail to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fabbcdcc8a9b949f96ba9d9b95d49d958c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5011676620313e353c1037313f7e373f26">[email protected]</span></a> or to the General Accounting Office, 
Office of the General Counsel, Room 7476, 441 G St., NW, Washington, DC 
20548. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for other information about 
electronic filing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William T. Woods, Project Director, 
(202) 512-8214; E-mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ee9981818a9d99ae898f81c0898198"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="87f0e8e8e3f4f0c7e0e6e8a9e0e8f1">[email protected]</span></a>

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 832 of the Floyd D. Spence National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, Public Law 106-398, 
Oct. 30, 2000, directs the Comptroller General of the United States to 
convene a panel of experts to study the policies and procedures 
governing the transfer of commercial activities for the federal 
government from government personnel to a federal contractor. The 
Panel's study is to include a review of: (1) procedures for determining 
whether functions should continue to be performed by government 
personnel; (2) procedures for comparing the costs of performing 
functions by government personnel with the costs of performing those 
functions by federal contractors; (3) implementation by the Department 
of Defense of the Federal Activities Inventory Reform (FAIR) Act of 
1998 (Pub. L. 105-270, 112 Stat. 2382, 31 U.S.C. 501 note); and (4) 
procedures of the Department of Defense for public-private competitions 
under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-76. Formation of 
the Panel was announced in the Federal Register on April 17, 2001 (66 
FR 19786). By May 1, 2002, the Comptroller General must submit to 
Congress a report of the Panel on the results of the study, including 
recommended changes with regard to implementing policies and enactment 
of legislation.
    During the course of its work, the Panel will hold several public 
hearings. Interested parties are invited to attend these hearings to 
provide their perspectives on sourcing issues. The first public hearing 
will be held on June 11, 2001, in the Walsh-Reckord Hall of States at 
One Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. The hearing will begin at 
9:00 a.m. The focus of this first hearing will be the principles and 
policies underlying outsourcing. Specifically, the Panel is interested 
in hearing views on the principles and policies that should govern 
decisions concerning whether particular functions should be performed 
by the public sector or by the private sector. Future hearings will 
focus on other aspects of outsourcing.
    Any party who would like to attend the hearing or make a 
presentation should contact William T. Woods at (202) 512-8214 or 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0e7961616a7d794e696f6120696178"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="15627a7a7166625572747a3b727a63">[email protected]</span></a>. Those who wish to make presentations at the hearing 
should submit written summaries of their oral statements via E-mail or 
regular mail as indicated in the ADDRESSES section by 5:30 p.m. on June 
4, 2001. The Panel will attempt to accommodate all interested parties 
who respond before the deadline. Each presenter will have 3 to 5 
minutes to make an oral statement at the hearing. Interested parties 
who would like to make electronic presentations during the hearing must 
indicate their desire to do so by the June 4 deadline. More detailed 
guidance on hearing procedures will be provided to presenters by E-mail 
in advance of the hearing. Any interested party may submit full 
statements for inclusion in the hearing record by 5:30 p.m. on June 15. 
The hearing will be transcribed.
    Two additional hearings currently are planned outside of 
Washington, DC. A public hearing will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, 
on August 8, 2001, which will focus on alternatives to the public/
private competitions conducted pursuant to OMB Circular A-76. Another 
public hearing will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on August 15, 2001, 
and will address current processes under OMB Circular A-76 and the FAIR 
Act. Further information, including the exact locations and times of 
these hearings, will be announced in a later Federal Register notice. 
In addition, a notice was issued on March 23, 2001 (66 FR 16245), 
seeking submission of public comments identifying significant sourcing 
issues, as well as references to or copies of written materials related 
to these issues. The Panel will continue to consider all such 
information received at any time.

Electronic Access and Filing

    This notice is available on GAO's website at http://www.gao.gov 
under ``Commercial Activities Panel.'' Requests to participate in the 
hearing, electronic presentations, written summaries of oral 
statements, full statements, and other submissions regarding 
outsourcing issues may be sent via E-mail to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b5a2c2d6b7a757e775b7c7a74357c746d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d4c3a3b7d6c6368614d6a6c62236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>.

    Dated: May 18, 2001.
Jack L. Brock, Jr.,
Managing Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management, General 
Accounting Office.
[FR Doc. 01-13051 Filed 5-22-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1610-02-P


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