[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 182 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58103-58104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-23139]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[OMB Control No. 9000-0079; Docket 2012-0076; Sequence 13]
Federal Acquisition Regulation; Submission for OMB Review;
Corporate Aircraft Costs
AGENCY: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of request for public comments regarding an extension to
an existing OMB clearance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the
Regulatory Secretariat will be submitting to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) a request to review and approve an extension of a
previously approved information collection requirement concerning
corporate aircraft costs. A notice was published in the Federal
Register at 77 FR 20012, on April 3, 2012. One respondent submitted
comments.
Public comments are particularly invited on: Whether this
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of
functions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), and whether it
will have practical utility; whether our estimate of the public burden
of this collection of information is accurate, and based on valid
assumptions and methodology; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and ways in which we can
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, through the use of appropriate technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
DATES: Submit comments on or before October 19, 2012.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 9000-
0079, Corporate Aircraft Costs, by any of the following methods:
[[Page 58104]]
Regulations.gov: http://www.regulations.gov. Submit
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching the OMB
control number. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds
with ``Information Collection 9000-0079, Corporate Aircraft Costs''.
Follow the instructions provided at the ``Submit a Comment'' screen.
Please include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information
Collection 9000-0079, Corporate Aircraft Costs'' on your attached
document.
Fax: 202-501-4067.
Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory
Secretariat (MVCB), 1275 First Street NE., Washington, DC 20417. ATTN:
Hada Flowers/IC 9000-0079, Corporate Aircraft Costs.
Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information
Collection 9000-0079, Corporate Aircraft Costs, in all correspondence
related to this collection. All comments received will be posted
without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal
and/or business confidential information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Edward N. Chambers, Contract
Policy Division, GSA, (202) 501-3221 or via email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Purpose
Government contractors that use company aircraft must maintain logs
of flights containing specified information (e.g., destination,
passenger name, purpose of trip, etc.). This information, as required
by FAR 31.205-46, Travel Costs, is used to ensure that costs of owned,
leased, or chartered aircraft are properly charged against Government
contracts and that directly associated costs of unallowable activities
are not charged to such contracts.
B. Analysis of Public Comments
One respondent submitted public comments on the extension of the
previously approved information collection. The analysis of the public
comments is summarized as follows:
Comment: The respondent commented that the extension of the
information collection would violate the fundamental purposes of the
Paperwork Reduction Act because of the burden it puts on the entity
submitting the information and the agency collecting the information.
Response: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA),
agencies can request OMB approval of an existing information
collection. The PRA requires that agencies use the Federal Register
notice and comment process, to extend OMB's approval, at least every
three years. This extension, to a previously approved information
collection, pertains to documentation requirements under the cost
principle at FAR 31.205-46. This documentation is necessary to ensure
that the cost of owned, chartered, or leased aircraft are properly
charged against Government contracts and that directly associated costs
of unallowable activities are not charged to Government contracts.
Documentation regarding (1) date, time, and points of departure, (2)
destination and time of arrival, and (3) name of each passenger, is
already required under Federal Aviation Administration regulations. As
such, the documentation required at FAR 31.205-46 places a small burden
on Government contractors. Not granting this extension may result in
improper charges against Government contracts for flights on contractor
aircraft.
Comment: The respondent commented that the agency did not
accurately estimate the public burden challenging that the agency's
methodology for calculating it is insufficient and inadequate and does
not reflect the total burden. For this reason, the respondent provided
that the agency should reassess the estimated total burden hours and
revise the estimate upwards to be more accurate, as was done in FAR
Case 2007-006. The same respondent also provided that the burden of
compliance with the information collection requirement greatly exceeds
the agency's estimate and outweighs any potential utility of the
extension.
Response: Serious consideration is given, during the open comment
period, to all comments received and adjustments are made to the
paperwork burden estimate based on reasonable considerations provided
by the public. This is evidenced, as the respondent notes, in FAR Case
2007-006 where an adjustment was made from the total preparation hours
from three to 60. This change was made considering particularly the
hours that would be required for review within the company, prior to
release to the Government.
The burden is prepared taking into consideration the necessary
criteria in OMB guidance for estimating the paperwork burden put on the
entity submitting the information. For example, consideration is given
to an entity reviewing instructions; using technology to collect,
process, and disclose information; adjusting existing practices to
comply with requirements; searching data sources; completing and
reviewing the response; and transmitting or disclosing information. The
estimated burden hours for a collection are based on an average between
the hours that a simple disclosure by a very small business might
require and the much higher numbers that might be required for a very
complex disclosure by a major corporation. Also, the estimated burden
hours should only include projected hours for those actions which a
company would not undertake in the normal course of business. Careful
consideration went into assessing the estimated burden hours for this
collection, and it is determined that an upward adjustment is not
required at this time. The historical estimates remain valid. However,
at any point, members of the public may submit comments for further
consideration, and are encouraged to provide data to support their
request for an adjustment.
C. Annual Reporting Burden
Number of Respondents: 3,000.
Responses Per Respondent: 1.
Total Responses: 3,000.
Average Burden per Response: 6 hours.
Total Burden Hours: 18,000.
Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the
information collection documents from the General Services
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1275 First
Street NE., Washington, DC 20417, telephone (202) 501-4755. Please cite
OMB Control No. 9000-0079, Corporate Aircraft Costs, in all
correspondence.
Dated: September 13, 2012.
William Clark,
Acting Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, Office of
Acquisition Policy, Office of Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2012-23139 Filed 9-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-EP-P