80 FR 41501 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Subcontract Consent

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 135 (July 15, 2015)

Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Regulatory Secretariat Division 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 subcontract consent.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 135 (Wednesday, July 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41501-41502]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17373]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-0149; Docket 2015-0055; Sequence 21]


Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; 
Subcontract Consent

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.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the 
Regulatory Secretariat Division 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 subcontract consent.

DATES: Submit comments on or before September 14, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments identified by Information Collection 9000-
0149, Subcontract Consent, by any of the following methods:
     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 9000-0149, Subcontract Consent''. Follow 
the instructions provided at the ``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please 
include your name, company name (if any), and ``Information Collection 
9000-0149, Subcontract Consent'' on your attached document.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW., Washington, DC 20405. 
ATTN: Ms. Flowers/IC 9000-0149, Subcontract Consent.
    Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Information 
Collection 9000-0149, Subcontract Consent, 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: Ms. Mahruba Uddowla, Procurement 
Analyst, Office of Government-wide Policy, contact via telephone 703-
605-2828 or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause 52.244-2, Subcontracts, 
requires prime contractors to provide contracting officers notification 
before the award of any cost-plus-fixed-fee subcontract, or certain 
fixed-price subcontracts. This requirement for advance notification is 
driven by statutory requirements in 10 U.S.C. 2306 and 41 U.S.C. 3905. 
FAR clause 52.244-2 also requires prime contractors to get consent to 
subcontract for cost-reimbursement, time-and-materials, labor-hour, or 
letter contracts, and also for unpriced actions under fixed-price 
contracts that exceed the simplified acquisition threshold.
    The objective of requiring consent to subcontract, as discussed in 
FAR Part 44, is to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness with which 
the contractor spends Government funds, and complies with Government 
policy when subcontracting. The Government requires a contractor to 
provide certain information (e.g., subcontractor's name, type of 
subcontract, price, description of supply or services, etc.) reasonably 
in advance of placing a subcontract to

[[Page 41502]]

ensure that the proposed subcontract is appropriate for the risks 
involved and consistent with current policy and sound business 
judgment. The information provides the Government a basis for granting, 
or withholding consent to subcontract.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

    Based on information from the Federal Procurement Data System 
(FPDS) regarding contracts that would be required to provide 
information pursuant to FAR clause 52.244-2, an upward adjustment is 
being made to the number of respondents. As a result, an upward 
adjustment is being made to the estimated annual reporting burden hours 
since the notice regarding the previous extension to this clearance was 
published in the Federal Register at 77 FR 56644, on September 13, 
2012.
    Number of Respondents: 6,601.
    Responses per Respondent: 3.
    Total Responses: 19,803.
    Average Burden Hours per Response: 1.846.
    Total Burden Hours: 36,557.

C. Public 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.
    Obtaining Copies of Proposals: Requesters may obtain a copy of the 
information collection documents from the General Services 
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street 
NW., Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202-501-4755. Please cite OMB 
Control No. 9000-0149, Subcontract Consent, in all correspondence.

    Dated: July 9, 2015.
Edward Loeb,
Acting Director, Federal Acquisition Policy Division, Office of 
Governmentwide Acquisition Policy, Office of Acquisition Policy, Office 
of Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2015-17373 Filed 7-14-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6820-14-P