Federal Acquisition Regulation; Public Meeting on Travel Cost

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

48 CFR Part 31

[FAR Case 94-753]

Federal Acquisition Regulation; Public Meeting on Travel Cost

AGENCY: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration

(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of public meeting on proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: At 59 FR 64542, December 14, 1994, a Federal Acquisition

Regulation (FAR) proposed rule for implementing statutory requirements

of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act, (the Act) with regard to

travel cost was published. Numerous written comments have been received

at the FAR Secretariat in response to the Federal Register document.

The notice announces a public meeting for the Travel Cost rule.

[[Page 27472]] DATES: The meeting will be at 2:00 p.m. on June 14,

1995.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will held at: Office of Personnel

Management, 1900 E Street NW., Room 1350, Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beverly Fayson, FAR Secretariat, General Services Administration, 18th

and F Streets NW., Washington, DC 20405. Telephone: (202) 501-4755; FAX

(202) 501-4067.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In order to implement Section 2191 of the

Act, the Cost Principles Team drafted a proposed rule which would use

the Federal Travel Regulation/Joint Travel Regulation (FTR/JTR) rates

as a baseline, while allowing contractors to propose alternative

maximum per diem rates based on existing travel cost reimbursement

systems. After review and analysis of the public comments on the

proposed rule, the team has preliminarily decided to recommend

retention of the current cost principle language at FAR 31.205-46

without change and to withdraw the proposed rule.

The team's preliminary determination to retain the current cost

principle language is based on the following: (i) Industry and

Government agency commentors generally agreed that the proposed rule's

alternative maximum per diem rate requirements would place an undue

administrative burden on contractor and Government personnel; (ii)

commentors proposing a revision to the ``reasonableness standard'' did

not provide any empirical data to support claimed inequities or

increased administrative burdens under the current rule; and (iii) the

commenters' alternatives were considered by the team to be

administratively burdensome and inadequate to protect the Government's

interests. The team's preliminary conclusion is that retaining the

current FAR requirement will reduce disagreements and disputes between

contractors and the Government, is less burdensome administratively

than any alternative proposed, and results in equitable reimbursement

of per diem costs.

To allow the public to present its views on this determination, a

public meeting will be held on June 14, 1995. Persons or organizations

wishing to make presentations will be allowed 10 minutes to present

their views, provided they notify the FAR Secretariat at (202) 501-4745

and provide an advance copy of their remarks not later than June 9,

1995. All participants should be prepared to provide data to support

their positions. The team is particularly interested in data which

supports the contention that FTR/JTR rates are inequitable or that the

current FAR requirements are more administratively burdensome than

would be other proposed alternatives, either proposed during the public

comment process, or presented at this meeting. Alternatives, other than

those previously proposed during the public comment period, may be

submitted the consideration. The team will enter into discussion with

commentors and the audience during this meeting.

Dated: May 18, 1995.

Edward C. Loeb,

Deputy Project Manager for Implementation of the Federal Acquisition

Streamlining Act of 1994.

[FR Doc. 95-12659 Filed 5-23-95; 8:45 am]

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