Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/06/09/2020-11606/va-acquisition-regulation-foreign-acquisition
Timestamp: 2020-07-13 22:30:44
Document Index: 229051793

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 825', 'art 825', 'art 825', 'art 825', 'art 825', 'art, 25', 'art 825', 'art 825', 'art 825', 'art 825', 'art 825']

Federal Register :: VA Acquisition Regulation: Foreign Acquisition
A Proposed Rule by the Veterans Affairs Department on 06/09/2020
This document has a comment period that ends in 28 days. (08/10/2020) Submit a formal comment
Comments must be received on or before August 10, 2020 to be considered in the formulation of the final rule.
35238-35240 (3 pages)
2900-AQ79
List of Subjects in 48 CFR Part 825
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2020-11606
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend and update its VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) in phased increments to revise or remove any policy superseded by changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), to remove any procedural guidance internal to VA into the VA Acquisition Manual (VAAM), and to incorporate any new agency specific regulations or policies. These changes seek to streamline and align the VAAR with the FAR and remove outdated and duplicative requirements and reduce burden on contractors. The VAAM incorporates portions of the removed VAAR as well as other internal agency acquisition policy. VA will rewrite certain parts of the VAAR and VAAM, and as VAAR parts are rewritten, will publish them in the Federal Register. VA will combine related topics, as appropriate. This rulemaking removes VAAR coverage concerning Foreign Acquisition.
Written comments may be submitted through www.Regulations.gov;​ by mail or hand-delivery to Director, Office of Regulation Policy and Management (00REG), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Room 1064, Washington, DC 20420; or by fax to (202) 273-9026. Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to “RIN 2900-AQ79—VA Acquisition Regulation: Foreign Acquisition.” Copies of comments received will be available for public inspection in the Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Room 1064, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays). Please call (202) 461-4902 for an appointment. (This is not a toll-free number.) In addition, during the Start Printed Page 35239comment period, comments may be viewed online through the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at www.Regulations.gov.
Mr. Bogdan Vaga, Senior Procurement Analyst, Procurement Policy and Warrant Management Services, 003A2A, 425 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 382-2667. (This is not a toll-free number.)
VA proposes to make the following changes to the VAAR in this phase of its revision and streamlining initiative. For procedural guidance cited below that is proposed to be deleted from the VAAR, each section cited for removal has been considered for inclusion in VA's internal agency operating procedures in accordance with FAR 1.301(a)(2). Similarly, delegations of authority that are removed from the VAAR will be included in the VAAM as internal departmental guidance. The VAAM is being created in parallel with these revisions to the VAAR and is not subject to the rulemaking process as they are internal VA procedures and guidance. The VAAM will not be finalized until corresponding VAAR parts are finalized, and therefore the VAAM is not yet available on line.
We propose to remove and reserve VAAR Part 825 as much of the information it contains is internal and procedural in nature. Subpart 825.1, Buy American Act-Supplies, is proposed to be removed and reserved. Under this subpart, Section 825.103, Exceptions, will be removed and moved to the VAAM as the information included is internal and procedural in nature. Section 825.104, Nonavailable articles, is proposed for removal as the items listed on the nonavailable list are now available from domestic sources. Subpart 825.2 was previously removed and reserved as a part of Final Rule AQ18.
We propose to remove and reserve subpart 825.6, Trade Sanctions. Under this subpart, section 825.602, Exceptions, is proposed for removal as this information is no longer relevant. The corresponding FAR subpart, 25.6 is entitled, “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act—Buy American Statute—Construction Materials.” The VAAR subpart and section predate the Recovery Act and therefore have been removed as it does not serve to implement or supplement the current FAR coverage at the corresponding FAR subpart.
Under this regulatory action, we propose to remove and reserve subpart 825.8, Other International Agreements and Coordination. Under this subpart, section 825.870, Technical assistance, will be removed and moved to the VAAM as it provides procedural guidance to VA's contracting officers regarding whom to contact if they have questions regarding international contracts.
We propose to remove and reserve subpart 825.9, Customs and Duties. Under this subpart, section 825.902-70, Technical assistance, is proposed for removal. This section is being removed as it provides outdated procedural guidance directing contracting officers to contact the US Customs and Border Protection for technical assistance for clearing items through customs.
This proposed rule would remove and reserve subpart 825.10, Additional Foreign Acquisition Regulations. Under this subpart, section 825.1001, Waiver of right to examination of records, will be removed and moved to the VAAM as it provides procedural guidance and assigns responsibility for preparing and submitted D&Fs as required in FAR 25.1001.
This proposed rule also removes and reserves subpart 825.11, Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses. Under this subpart, section 825.1102 was previously removed and reserved under Final Rule AQ18.
VA's impact analysis can be found as a supporting document at http://www.regulations.gov, usually within 48 hours after the rulemaking document is Start Printed Page 35240published. Additionally, a copy of the rulemaking and its impact analysis are available on VA's website at http://www.va.gov/​orpm/​, by following the link for “VA Regulations Published From FY 2004 Through Fiscal Year to Date.”
Accordingly, under the authority of 40 U.S.C. 121(c), 41 U.S.C. 1702; and 48 CFR 1.301-1.304 VA proposes to amend 48 CFR by removing and reserving part 825.
[FR Doc. 2020-11606 Filed 6-8-20; 8:45 am]