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.

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 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 zenaida.delgado@gsa.gov.

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.