Revisions to the General Services Administration's (GSA's) Centralized Household Goods Traffic Management Program (CHAMP)

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Federal Supply Service

Revisions to the General Services Administration's (GSA's)

Centralized Household Goods Traffic Management Program (CHAMP)

AGENCY: Federal Supply Service, GSA.

ACTION: Notice of proposed program changes for comment.

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SUMMARY: This notice invites comments on GSA's plan to increase the

Centralized Household Goods Management Program's (CHAMP's) shipment

surcharge from $45 to $105, and revise the Household Goods Tender of

Service ``shipment definition'' as reflected in the attachment to this

notice. The proposed new definition states that each of the three

components of an individual employee's belongings (i.e., household

goods, privately owned vehicle(s) (POV), and unaccompanied air baggage)

is separately subject to the shipment surcharge. These actions are

necessary to increase CHAMP funding and enable GSA to defray its

expenses for this program.

DATES: Please submit your comments by February 19, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Mail comments to the Transportation Management Division

(FBF), General Services Administration, Washington, DC 20406, Attn:

Federal Register Notice. GSA will consider your comments prior to

implementing these proposals.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Tucker, Senior Program Expert,

Transportation Management Division, FSS/GSA, 703-305-5745.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: GSA's Centralized Household Goods Traffic

Management Program (CHAMP) receives no Congressional funding and

depends on a shipment surcharge, currently $45, to defray its costs.

The shipment surcharge has been in effect since 1996 and no longer

fully funds program expenses. So that GSA may meet its expenses and

continue to provide these critical services, GSA proposes to increase

the shipment surcharge to $105. GSA also plans to revise the shipment

definition in the Household Goods Tender of Service to state that each

of the three components comprising an individual employee's belongings

(i.e.,) household goods, POV, and unaccompanied baggage) whether

shipped separately or together is separately subject to a shipment

surcharge.

GSA is committed to providing a program that meets the needs of

Federal agencies. The funding increase proposed in this notice will be

used to directly pay for program activities including: domestic and

international rate negotiations, review and approval of carrier

applications, consolidating carrier survey (3080) responses and

computing the resulting customer satisfaction indices, providing

technical assistance on questions pertaining to tariff interpretation

and loss and damage claims, developing helpful move-related

publications and training materials, and conducting workshops.

Dated: January 13, 1999.

Alan J. Zaic,

Assistant Commissioner, Office of Transportation and Property

Management.

Existing HTOS Definition--1998-99 RFO, Section, 2-6.7.3 ``First

Shipment. The first shipment of a relocation performed pursuant to the

HTOS is defined as a surface shipment of household effects, shipment of

a privately owned vehicle, and a shipment of unaccompanied air baggage,

all or any one of which are tendered to the Participant by the shipping

Federal Agency at the same time or within six months of the tender of

the first component of this shipment.

``Supplemental Shipments. A supplemental shipment of a relocation

performed pursuant to the HTOS is defined as any surface shipment,

including a privately owned vehicle, or unaccompanied air baggage

shipment tendered to the Participant by the shipping Federal Agency

after six months from the date of the tender of the first component of

the first shipment.''

Proposed Amendment to HTOS Shipment Definition. We are planning to

revise the above referenced provision to read as follows:

``Definition of a shipment. For purposes of this HTOS, a shipment

(whether on the same GBL or separate GBL's) is defined as:

(a) A surface shipment of household effects;

(b) Shipment of a privately owned vehicle; or

(c) Shipment of unaccompanied air baggage.

``This definition applies to interstate, intrastate and

international shipments as defined in the applicable Request for Offers

(RFO).

[[Page 3132]]

``Application of the shipment surcharge. The carrier will remit to

GSA a shipment surcharge for each shipment equal to that provided in

the GSA Request for Offers (RFO) for a specific rate-filing period. The

shipment surcharge is due by the end of the quarter in which the

carrier bills the agency for line haul and accessorial services,

exclusive of storage-in-transit (SIT) charges as provided in paragraph

7-1.A. (9) a., above. The surcharge is not billable to the Federal

agency and must be shown on the Original Public Voucher for

Transportation Charges, SF 1113, as an allowance to the Government.''

[FR Doc. 99-1204 Filed 1-19-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6820-24-M