May 2004 --- Government Affairs Update

 

IN THIS ISSUE ---

 

1.                  Lobby Day 2004

2.                  Online Seminar for New Standard Form SF 330

3.                  Comments to Federal Register Notices

4.                   Legislative news

 

Lobby Day 2004 --- On May 13, ACSM had another successful Lobby Day on Capitol Hill. Participants met with representatives from 20 Members of Congress to discuss issues important to our members including: Federal Prison Industries reform; health insurance for small businesses; ACSM proposed legislation on giving notice to homebuyers, prior to closing, about the value of surveys; reauthorization of the National Geologic Mapping Program; the Federal Real Property Asset Management Initiative; and the House and Senate Department of Homeland Security Geospatial Bills. The representatives we met with were given one of our Legislative folders which contained a summary of all of our issues. Individual participants were encouraged to follow-up with the people they met with.

 

Online Seminar for New Standard Form SF 330 --- What will the merger of the SF 254 and the SF 255 into the new SF 330 mean to you and your company when doing business with the federal government?  On June 16, 2004 from 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. EDT, a web seminar is being sponsored by the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Council on Federal Procurement of Architectural and Engineering Services (COFPAES). This web seminar will provide you with information to ensure your firm has an edge using the new form. The panel of experts is made up of key federal procurement officers and design professionals who have important observations and insights to share with you on how this change in the federal procurement process may affect your firm's bottom line.
Registration is $149 per site, which includes one audio and one Internet connection. Invite as many colleagues to participate in the seminar as you can accommodate. Each site will receive a copy of the presentation, handout materials, and an opportunity to dialog with the presenters via conference messaging. The Seminar Panel will include:
Don Evick, PE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Government lead on the new SF 330 form and Tom Williams, AIA Public Buildings Service.

To Register: Contact Mary Maul, NSPE Senior Manager of Education at mmaul@nspe.org or at (703) 684-2833.

 

Comments to Federal Register Notices --- ACSM recently submitted comments in response to Federal Register notices on issues important to our members. The first comment was in response to a Notice regarding Federal Prison Industries. The Notice requested comments regarding a proposal that “no fiscal year 2004 funds shall be expended for purchase of a product or service offered by Federal Prison Industries, Inc. unless the agency making the purchase determines that the offered product or service provides the best value to the buying agency.” ACSM commented that, “Many of our members are small businesses, who must compete fiercely for work with the Federal government; many times our members compete directly with FPI for that work. It is within the best interest of the Federal government and the tax paying public to require that any provider of services --- whether that provider is FPI or a private business --- provide the best value to the buying agency.”

 

The second comment was in response to a Notice regarding the expansion of FAR 36.601-4(a)(4) to mapping services not currently covered under the Act. These services include many services not traditionally thought of as falling under the scope of architectural and engineering services. ACSM commented that, “The policy set forth in FAR 36.601-4(a)(4) for the handling of mapping services clearly covers surveying and mapping services in the traditional sense; however, the surveying and mapping profession is constantly evolving in such a way that services previously considered "non-traditional", or not accepted as an architectural-engineering activity, are now commonplace. Therefore, it is necessary for FAR 36.601-4(a)(4) to be expanded to reflect the growth of the profession.”

 

Legislative news. There have been some developments in legislation we have been following. A relevant bill recently introduced was S.2390, the Homeland Security Geospatial Information Act of 2004. The purpose of the bill is to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) to establish a Geospatial Management Office within the Department of Homeland Security to establish and maintain geospatial preparedness for homeland security purposes. The bill was introduced by Senator Daniel Akaka on May 6, 2004. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. This bill differs from the DHS geospatial bills introduced by Senator Allard and Rep. Sessions by directly amending the Homeland Security Act, (the Allard and Sessions bills do not) and by establishing a Geospatial Management Office (the Allard and Sessions does not do this either). On the downside, the Akaka bill does not allow for Federal funds to be used for the procurement of geospatial services. The Allard and Sessions bills make this allowance.

Another important bill is H.R. 4010, the National Geologic Mapping Reauthorization Act of 2004. It was introduced on March 23 by Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY) and referred to the Committee on Resources. The bill amends the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 to extend deadlines for development of a five-year strategic plan for the geologic mapping program and for appointment of the advisory committee. It directs that mapping priorities be based in part on the needs of the Department of the Interior land management agencies. It directs that the national geologic database include information on how to obtain specified maps, databases, and data, including all maps developed with funding provided under the national cooperative geologic mapping program. Authorizes appropriations for each of FY 2006 through 2010. Increases the percentages allocated for the State and education components.

The Federal Property Asset Management Reform Act of 2003, H.R. 254 was introduced by Rep. Pete Sessions on June 19, 2003 and referred to the Committee on Government Reform and to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

This bill amends the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to direct the Administrator of General Services to: (1) establish, maintain, and apply current asset management principles to real and personal property; (2) establish performance measures to determine Federal real property management effectiveness; and (3) establish and maintain a single database of all Federal real property interests. Requires each Federal landholding agency to appoint a Senior Real Property Officer to monitor and administer real property assets.

This bill partially fulfills the President’s Federal Real Property Asset Management Initiative. The Initiative discusses several problems with the way Federal land is currently managed. The problems are: (1) lack of accountability within the Federal Government relating to the management of Federal property; (2) lack of useful property information within Federal agencies; (3) abundance of underused or unneeded Federal property; (4) excessive management costs to the Federal government; and (5) lack of necessary tools and incentives for agency disposal of underused properties. The bill addresses all of these problems. Additionally, the bill requires that within 180 days after the bill’s effective date, each landholding agency shall appoint a Senior Real Property Officer. This is a specific requirement of the initiative. The bill also discusses the management and disposal of personal property in the federal government, but we are more concerned with the real property aspect of the bill.