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AGENCIES:

Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION:

Small Entity Compliance Guide.

SUMMARY:

This document is issued under the joint authority of the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This Small Entity Compliance Guide has been prepared in accordance with Section 212 of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996. It consists of a summary of rules appearing in Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-23 which amend the FAR. An asterisk (*) next to a rule indicates that a regulatory flexibility analysis has been prepared. Interested parties may obtain further information regarding these rules by referring to FAC 2005-23 which precedes this document. These documents are also available via the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Diedra Wingate, FAR Secretariat, (202) 208-4052. For clarification of content, contact the analyst whose name appears in the table below.

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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Summaries for each FAR rule follow. For the actual revisions and/or amendments to these FAR cases, refer to the specific item number and subject set forth in the documents following these item summaries.

FAC 2005-23 amends the FAR as specified below:

Item I—Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) (FAR Case 2006-030) (Interim)

This interim rule amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to require use of the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) when acquiring personal computer products such as desktops, notebooks (also known as laptops), and monitors pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Executive Order 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management.” The interim rule revises Subpart 23.7, and prescribes a new clause in 52.223 (also included in 52.212-5 for acquisition of commercial items) in all solicitations and contracts for the acquisition of personal computer products, services that require furnishing of personal computer products for use by the Government, and services for contractor operation of Government-owned facilities.

Item II—Contracts With Religious Entities (FAR Case 2006-019)

This final rule adopts as final, without change, the interim rule published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2007. The interim rule amended the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Parts 22 and 52 to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 11246, as amended, Equal Employment Opportunity, to incorporate the exemption for religious entities prescribed in E.O. 13279. Section 4 of E.O. 13279 amended Section 204 of E.O. 11246 to exempt religious corporations, associations, educational institutions and societies from certain nondiscrimination requirements. E.O. 11246, as amended, permits religious entities to consider employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with carrying on the entity's activities. Religious entities are not exempt from other requirements of the executive order.

Item III—Performance-Based Payments (FAR Case 2005-016)

This final rule amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation to increase the use of performance-based payments as the method of contract financing on Federal Government contracts and improve the efficiency of performance-based payments when used on these contracts. These changes originated from recommendations submitted by the Department of Defense Performance-Based Payments Working Group in their March 8, 2005, report.

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