Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2003/12/01/03-29819/federal-acquisition-regulation-excluded-parties-system-enhancement
Timestamp: 2017-09-24 09:49:08
Document Index: 734419443

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 2', 'arts 2', 'arts 2', 'art 9', 'art 9', 'arts 9']

Federal Register :: Federal Acquisition Regulation; Excluded Parties System Enhancement
Federal Acquisition Regulation; Excluded Parties System Enhancement
A Proposed Rule by the Defense Department, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on 12/01/2003
Interested parties should submit comments in writing on or before January 30, 2004 to be considered in the formulation of a final rule.
68 FR 67353
03-29819
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 2, 9, 22, 28, 44, and 52
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/03-29819 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/03-29819
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 67354
The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) are proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to curtail the publication and obviate the need to publish the hardcopy publication of the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs (List of Parties) produced by the Government Printing Office (GPO), and publish an electronic list of parties excluded from doing business with the Federal Government online identified as the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). The new electronic list will enable agencies to input their data directly to the EPLS; improve the reliability of the content by allowing content owners to directly input entries; provide access to historical data that was previously provided through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) procedures; enhance the ability to verify entries by permitting search by exact name and social security number, and shorten the lead time between exclusionary action taken by agencies and updating the list.
Submit electronic comments via the Internet to—farcase.2002-023@gsa.gov.
Please submit comments only and cite FAR case 2002-023 in all correspondence related to this case.
The FAR Secretariat at (202) 501-4755 for information pertaining to status or publication schedules. For clarification of content, contact Mr. Ralph De Stefano, Procurement Analyst, at (202) 501-1758. Please cite FAR case 2002-023.
The rule, if finalized, will enable agencies to directly input data to update the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) on parties debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible by agencies or excluded by agencies, Government corporations, or the General Accounting Office (GAO). The entry by the agencies will update the content in real time, improve system reliability, eliminate the need for a hard copy list, provide access to the archival data, and enhance the ability to verify entries by permitting a search by exact name and social security number.
The electronic updating of the list by agencies promotes the use of the Internet and emerging technologies within and across the Government agencies and provides citizen-centric Government information. The private sector and state and local governments who wish to avoid doing business with contractors that lack current responsibility, although not required, use the aforementioned list.
The Councils do not expect this proposed rule to 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 while we have made changes in the way GSA manages and maintains the List of Parties excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs, the proposed rule does not substantively change procedures for award and administration of contracts. The rule primarily will curtail the publication and obviate the need to publish the hardcopy publication of the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs (List of Parties) produced by the Government Printing Office (GPO), and publishes an electronic list of parties excluded from doing business with the Federal Government online identified as the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS). The new electronic list will—
Enable agencies to input their data directly to the EPLS;
Improve the reliability of the content by allowing content owners to directly input entries;
Provide access to historical data that was previously provided through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) procedures;
Enhance the ability to verify entries by permitting search by exact name and social security number, and
Shorten the lead time between exclusionary action taken by agencies and updating the content.
An Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis has, therefore, not been performed. We invite comments from small businesses and other interested parties. The Councils will consider comments from small entities concerning the affected FAR Parts 2, 9, 22, 28, 44, and 52 in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 610. Interested parties must submit such comments separately and should cite 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq. (FAR case 2002-023), in correspondence.
Therefore, DoD, GSA, and NASA propose amending 48 CFR parts 2, 9, 22, 28, 44, and 52 as set forth below:
2. Amend section 2.101 in paragraph (b) by adding, in alphabetical order, the definition “Excluded Parties List System”; and removing the definition “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs”. The added text reads as follows:
Excluded Parties List System means an electronic database maintained and Start Printed Page 67355posted by the General Services Administration containing the list of all parties suspended, proposed for debarment, debarred, declared ineligible, disqualified or excluded by agencies, government corporations, or by the General Accounting Office.
(1) Excluded Parties List System maintained in accordance with Subpart 9.4.
5. Amend section 9.403 by adding, in alphabetical order, the definitions “Disqualified”, and “Excluded or exclusion” to read as follows:
Disqualified means that a person is prohibited from participating in specified Federal procurement or nonprocurement transactions as required under a statute, Executive order (other than Executive Orders 12549 and 12689), or other authority. Examples of disqualifications include persons prohibited under—
(1) The Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141 et seq., formally 40 U.S.C. 276a);
(2) The Equal Employment Opportunity Acts and Executive orders; or
(3) The Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 306), Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 508) and Executive Order 11738 (3 CFR, 1973 Comp., p. 799).
(1) That a person or commodity is prohibited from being a participant in covered transactions, whether the person has been suspended, debarred, proposed for debarment under Subpart 9.4, voluntarily excluded; or
(2) The act of excluding a person.
6. Revise the section heading and text of section 9.404 to read as follows:
(1) Operates the web-based Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) database;
(b) The Excluded Parties List System includes the—
(1) Names and addresses of all contractors debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible, with cross-references when more than one name is involved in a single action;
(7) SSN or TIN (if available and permitted by the laws or executive orders under which the action is undertaken, including the Computer Matching and Privacy Acts); and
(1) Obtain a password(s) from GSA to access the EPLS for data entry;
(2) Notify GSA in the event a password needs to be rescinded (e.g., when agency employee leaves or changes function);
(4) Agencies must give due consideration to whether they are legally permitted to enter the SSN or TIN under the authority under which they suspend or debar.
(5) Update EPLS within 5 working days after modifying or rescinding an action;
(7) Establish procedures to ensure that the agency does not solicit offers from, award contracts to, or consent to subcontracts with contractors on whose names are in the Excluded Parties List System database, except as otherwise provided in this subpart;
(9) Contact GSA for technical assistance with the Excluded Parties List System, via the support e-mail address or on the technical support phone line available at the EPLS Web site provided in paragraph (d) of this section.
(d) The Excluded Parties List System is available at http://epls.gov.
9.405, 9.405-2, 22.1025, 28.203-7, 44.202-2, 44.303, and 52.209-6
7. In 48 CFR parts 9, 22, 28, 44, and 52, remove the words “List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs” and add, in their place, the words “Excluded Parties List System” in the following places:
a. 9.405(b), (d)(1), and (d)(4);
b. 9.405-2(b), second sentence, and (b)(2);
c. 22.1025;
d. 28.203-7(c) and (d);
e. 44.202-2(a)(13);
f. 44.303(c); and
g. 52.209-6(c) introductory text, (c)(2), and (c)(3).
8. In addition to the amendments set forth above, amend section 52.209-6 by revising the date of the clause to read “(Date)”.
[FR Doc. 03-29819 Filed 11-28-03; 8:45 am]