B-232203; B-232205; B-232206, Oct 19, 1988

PROCUREMENT - Special Procurement Methods/Categories - Architect/engineering services - Federal procurement regulations/laws - Amendments DIGEST: The General Accounting Office has no objection to a proposed rule which would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide interested Architect-Engineering firms an early opportunity to indicate the number and type of consultant personnel they propose to use on a specific project. PROCUREMENT - Special Procurement - Methods/Categories - Architect/engineering services - Contractors - Agency notification - Hazardous substances The General Accounting Office has no objection to a proposed rule which would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require contractors taking inventory of government property which is in their possession and which is no longer needed for contract performance to specifically identify hazardous and contaminated materials, and to make corrections to the policy regarding the transfer and reporting of contractor-held government property. PROCUREMENT - Special Procurement - Methods/Categories - Architect/engineering services - Contractors - Inventories - Government property The General Accounting Office has no objection to a proposed rule which would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require advance notice by contractors of certain size shipments and shipments containing classified, sensitive, controlled, explosive or other specified hazardous materials.

Margaret A. Willis FAR Secretariat General Services Administration

This responds to your request for our comments on proposals to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) with respect to: Standard Form (SF) 255, "Architect-Engineer and Related Services Questionnaire for Specific Project"; reports of contractor shipments; and plant clearance policies regarding contractor and subcontractor inventories of government property no longer needed for contract performance. These are FAR Case Nos. 87-21, 88-29 and 88-30.

SF 255 (FAR Case No. 87-21)

The proposed rule would basically change the present form (FAR Sec. 53.301-255) to provide space for interested Architect-Engineering firms to enter information on the number and discipline of consultant personnel they propose to use on a specific project to eliminate the necessity for collecting such information later.

Reports of Contractor Shipments (FAR Case No. 88-29)

The proposed rule would amend FAR Sec. 42.1406-1 to require advance notice by contractors of minimum carload or truckload shipments, and of shipments containing classified, sensitive, controlled, explosive or other specified hazardous materials. It would also add a contract clause, FAR Sec. 52.242-12, to implement these changes. Plant Clearance Policies (FAR Case No. 88-30)

The proposed rule would basically amend FAR Subpart 45.6 to: (1) require contractors taking inventory of government property which is in their possession and no longer needed for contract performance to specifically identify hazardous and contaminated materials; (2) further specify the responsibility for paying various costs associated with the transfer of government property in the contractor's possession to another government agency; (3) make technical corrections to the prescribed reporting form for contractor-held government property; and, (4), clarify the policy regarding the inventory of government property in the possession of subcontractors.

We have no objection to the proposed changes.