[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 1289]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00169]
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SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
13 CFR Parts 121, 124, 125, 126, 127, and 134
RIN 3245-AG94
Consolidation of Mentor Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Programs and Other
Government Contracting Amendments; Extension of Comment Period
AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration.
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is extending the
comment period for the proposed rule published in the Federal Register
on November 8, 2019. The comment period is scheduled to close on
January 17, 2020. SBA is extending the comment period an additional 21
days in response to the significant level of interest generated by the
proposed rule and requests from multiple stakeholders for an extension.
Given the scope of the proposed rule and the nature of the issues
raised by the comments received to date, SBA believes that affected
businesses need more time to review the proposal and prepare their
comments.
DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published on November
8, 2019 (84 FR 60846) is extended to February 7, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by RIN 3245-AG94 by any
of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Mail, for paper, disk, or CD/ROM submissions: Brenda
Fernandez, U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Policy,
Planning and Liaison, 409 Third Street SW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC
20416.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Brenda Fernandez, U.S. Small
Business Administration, Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, 409
Third Street SW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20416.
SBA will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. If you
wish to submit confidential business information (CBI) as defined in
the User Notice at http://www.regulations.gov, please submit the
information to Brenda Fernandez, U.S. Small Business Administration,
Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, 409 Third Street SW, 8th Floor,
Washington, DC 20416, or send an email to [email protected].
Highlight the information that you consider to be CBI and explain why
you believe SBA should hold this information as confidential. SBA will
review the information and make the final determination of whether it
will publish the information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brenda Fernandez, U.S. Small Business
Administration, Office of Policy, Planning and Liaison, 409 Third
Street SW, Washington, DC 20416; (202) 205-7337;
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the rule published on November 8, 2019
(84 FR 60846), SBA proposed revisions to its regulations to remove
duplicative functions within SBA, reduce unnecessary or excessive
burdens on 8(a) Participants, and clarify SBA's intent in other related
regulatory provisions to eliminate confusion among small businesses and
procuring activities. Specifically, the rule would merge the 8(a)
Business Development (BD) Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program and the
All Small Mentor-Prot[eacute]g[eacute] Program. This rule would also
eliminate the requirement that 8(a) Participants seeking to be awarded
an 8(a) contract as a joint venture submit the joint venture agreement
to SBA for review and approval prior to contract award. In addition,
except for orders and Blanket Purchase Agreements issued under the
General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule Program, the
rule would require a business concern to recertify its size and/or
socioeconomic status for all set-aside orders under unrestricted
multiple award contracts (MACs). The rule would also require a business
concern to recertify its socioeconomic status for all set-aside orders
where the required socioeconomic status for the order differs from that
of the underlying set-aside MAC contract (e.g., HUBZone set-aside order
against a small business set-aside MAC). Finally, except for orders or
Blanket Purchase Agreements issued under any Federal Supply Schedule
contract, the rule would permit size and/or socioeconomic protests at
the order level for set-aside orders issued against unrestricted MACs,
or for set-aside orders based on a different socioeconomic status from
the underlying set-aside MAC.
Dated: January 3, 2020.
Barbara E. Carson,
Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Government Contracting and
Business Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-00169 Filed 1-9-20; 8:45 am]
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