DATE: January 17, 2001
SUBJECT: Department of Health and Human Services Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) Rewrite
SOURCE: Federal Register, January 17, 2001, Vol. 66, No. 11, page 4219
AGENCIES: Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
ACTION: Final Rule
SYNOPSIS: HHS is rewriting its HHSAR to streamline and simplify it. The rewritten HHSAR has eliminated procedural guidance which is too encumbering for a simplified system, and it empowers management and contracting personnel successfully accomplish their mission with the least amount of resistance and oversight.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The HHSAR is Chapter 3 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 17, 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: E. S. Lanham, Office of Acquisition Management, 202-690-7590.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: The HHSAR is completely rewritten to bring it up-to-date to reflect statutory changes and to conform to the current Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) (the HHSAR was last amended in 1992), and to simplify and streamline its procedures. HHS says in the introductory material to the HHSAR that it "is not making significant amendments to the existing HHSAR. The amendments being made to the HHSAR concern internal procedural matters which are administrative in nature, and will not have a major effect on the general public, or to contractors or offerors of the Department. The majority of the amendments eliminate procedural guidance no longer deemed necessary, or change contracting review and approval authorities to situate them at levels more appropriate to simplification, streamlining, and empowerment."
The HHSAR now contains the following parts:
301 -- HHS Acquisition Regulation System
302 -- Definitions of Words and Terms
303 -- Improper Business Practices and Personal Conflicts of Interest
304 -- Administrative Matters
305 -- Publicizing Contract Actions
306 -- Competition Requirements
307 -- Acquisition Planning
309 -- Contractor Qualifications
313 -- Simplified Acquisition Procedures
314 -- Sealed Bidding
315 -- Contracting by Negotiation
316 -- Types of Contracts
317 -- Special Contracting Methods
319 -- Small Business Programs
323 -- Environment, Conservation, Occupational Safety, and Drug-Free Workplace
324 -- Protection of Privacy and Freedom of Information
325 -- Foreign Acquisition
328 -- Bonds and Insurance
330 -- Cost Accounting Standards Administration
332 -- Contract Financing
333 -- Protests, Disputes, and Appeals
334 -- Major System Acquisition
335 -- Research and Development Contracting
342 -- Contract Administration
352 -- Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses
353 -- Forms
370 -- Special Programs Affecting Acquisition
Removed from the HHSAR are the following parts:
320 -- Labor Surplus Area Concerns
322 -- Application of Labor Laws to Government Acquisitions
337 -- Service Contracting
339 -- Management, Acquisition, and Use of Information Resources
345 -- Government Property
Appendix A -- Public Health Service (much of the material in Appendix A has been incorporated into HHSAR Part 370)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Panoptic Enterprises at 703-451-5953 or by e-mail to Panoptic@FedGovContracts.com.
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