83 FR 38312 - Information Collection; Travel Costs

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 151 (August 6, 2018)

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the FAR Council invites the public to comment upon a renewal concerning travel costs.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38312-38313]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16745]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[OMB Control No. 9000-0079; Docket No. 2018-0003; Sequence No. 14]


Information Collection; Travel Costs

AGENCY:  Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations, the FAR Council 
invites the public to comment upon a renewal concerning travel costs.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 5, 2018.

ADDRESSES: The FAR Council invites interested persons to submit 
comments on this collection by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides the 
ability to type short comments directly into the comment field or 
attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to http://www.regulations.gov 
and follow the instructions on the site.
     Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory 
Secretariat Division (MVCB), 1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20405. 
ATTN: Ms. Mandell/IC 9000-0079, Travel Costs.
    Instructions: All items submitted must cite Information Collection 
9000-0079, Travel Costs. Comments received in response to this docket 
will be made available for public inspection and posted without change, 
including any personal information, at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Comments received generally will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal and/or business 
confidential information provided. To confirm receipt of your 
comment(s), please

[[Page 38313]]

check www.regulations.gov, approximately two to three days after 
submission to verify posting (except allow 30 days for posting of 
comments submitted by mail). This information collection is pending at 
the FAR Council. The Council will submit it to OMB within 60 days from 
the date of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Zenaida Delgado, Procurement 
Analyst, at telephone 202-969-7207, or email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Overview of Information Collection

Description of the Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection: Revision/Renewal of a currently 
approved collection.
    2. Title of the Collection: Travel Costs.
    3. Agency form number, if any: N/A.

Solicitation of Public Comment

    Written comments and suggestions from the public should address one 
or more of the following four points:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.

B. Purpose

    This information collection requirement, OMB Control No. 9000-0079, 
currently titled ``Corporate Aircraft Costs,'' is proposed to be 
retitled ``Travel Costs,'' due to consolidation with currently approved 
information collection requirement OMB Control No. 9000-0088, Travel 
Costs.
    This information collection requirement pertains to information 
that a contractor must submit in response to the requirements in FAR 
31.205-46:
    1. FAR 31.205-46(a)(3)--In special or unusual situations, costs 
incurred by a contractor for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses, 
may exceed on a daily basis the per diem rates in effect as set forth 
in the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) for travel in the conterminous 
48 United States. The actual costs may be allowed only if the 
contractor provides the following:
    a. FAR 31.205-46(a)(3)(ii)--A written justification for use of the 
higher amounts approved by an officer of the contractor's organization 
or designee to ensure that the authority is properly administered and 
controlled to prevent abuse.
    b. FAR 31.205-46(a)(3)(iii)--Advance approval from the contracting 
officer if it becomes necessary to exercise the authority to use the 
higher actual expense method repetitively or on a continuing basis in a 
particular area.
    c. FAR 31.205-46(a)(3)(iv)--Documentation to support actual costs 
incurred including a receipt for each expenditure of $75.00 or more.
    2. FAR 31.205-46(c) requires firms to maintain and make available 
manifest/logs for all flights on company aircraft. As a minimum, the 
manifest/log must indicate:
    a. Date, time, and points of departure;
    b. Destination, date, and time of arrival;
    c. Name of each passenger and relationship to the contractor
    d. Authorization for trip; and
    e. Purpose of trip.
    The information required by (a) and (b) and the name of each 
passenger (required by (c)) are recordkeeping requirements already 
established by Federal Aviation Administration regulations. This 
information, plus the additional required information, is needed to 
ensure that costs 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.

C. Annual Reporting Burden

    DoD, GSA and NASA analyzed the FY 2017 data from the Federal 
Procurement Data System (FPDS) to develop the estimated burden hours 
for this information collection.
    1. FAR 31.205-46(a)(3)--Actual travel costs.
    Respondents: 3,247.
    Responses Per Respondent: 10.
    Total Annual Responses: 32,470.
    Hours Per Response: 0.25.
    Total Burden Hours: 8,118.
    2. FAR 31.205-46(c)--Manifest/logs for flights on company aircraft.
    Number of recordkeepers: 797.
    Records per recordkeeper per year: 3.
    Total annual records: 2,391.
    Estimated hours per record: 2.0.
    Total recordkeeping burden hours: 4,782.
    3. Total (counting recordkeepers with respondents).
    Recordkeepers and respondents: 4,044.
    Responses: 34,861.
    Hours (reporting and recordkeeping): 12,900.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit and not-for-profit 
institutions.
    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. 9000-0079, Travel Costs, in all 
correspondence.

William Clark,
Director, Office of Governmentwide Acquisition Policy, Office of 
Acquisition Policy, Office of Governmentwide Policy.
[FR Doc. 2018-16745 Filed 8-3-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6820-EP-P