Revision of Form FHWA-1273 |
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Gregory G. Nadeau
Federal Highway Administration
28 November 2016
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 228 (Monday, November 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85673-85674]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28586]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-2016-0027]
Revision of Form FHWA-1273
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA is requesting comments on a proposed revision of form
FHWA-1273--``Required Contract Provisions Federal-Aid Construction
Contracts.'' This form includes certain contract provisions that are
required on all Federal-aid construction projects. The revisions are
necessary to provide consistency with the current policies of FHWA and
other Federal agencies.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 28, 2016.
ADDRESSES: All comments should include the docket number that appears
in the heading of this document and may be submitted in the following
ways:
E-Gov Web site: http://www.regulations.gov. This Web site
allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice
issued by any agency. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Fax: 1-202-493-2251.
Mail: DOT Docket Management System: U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, M-30, West Building Ground Floor,
Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: DOT Docket Management System; West Building
Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC
20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
Instructions: You should identify the docket number at the
beginning of your comments. If you submit your comments by mail, submit
two copies. To receive confirmation that DOT received your comments,
include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Late comments will be
considered to the extent practicable.
Note: Comments are posted without changes or edits to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.
All comments received will be available for examination and copying
at the above address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. Those desiring notification of receipt of
comments must include a self-addressed, stamped postcard or may
print the acknowledgment page that appears after submitting comments
electronically. Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all
comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the
individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if
submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.).
Persons making comments may review DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000
(Volume 65, Number 70, Pages 19477-78).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerald Yakowenko, Office of Program
Administration, (202) 366-1562, Gerald.Yakowenko@dot.gov or William
Winne, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-1397,
William.Winne@dot.gov. Office hours for FHWA are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded from the
Federal Register's home page at:
[[Page 85674]]
http://www.archives.gov and the Government Publishing Office's database
at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
Background
As provided in 23 CFR 633.103, Form FHWA-1273 includes contract
provisions and proposal notices that are required by regulations
promulgated by FHWA or other Federal agencies. The provisions include
non-discrimination, prevailing wage rates, subcontracting, job-site
safety, and other important requirements that must be included in every
Federal-aid construction project. According to 23 CFR 633.104(a), FHWA
will update the form as regulatory revisions occur. Since the form was
last revised on May 1, 2012, a number of policy revisions have
occurred. The revisions that are being proposed by FHWA to Form FHWA-
1273 will bring the form up to date with the current requirements. The
proposed revisions are being made for the following reasons:
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract
Compliance (OFCCP) issued a final rule on December 9, 2014, which
revised the Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federal and
federally assisted projects. We propose to implement minor revisions in
Sections II and III--Nondiscrimination and Non-segregated Facilities to
replace the terms ``sex'' with ``sex, sexual orientation, and gender
identity'' to be consistent with the 41 CFR 60-1.
Revisions are proposed to Section II.10 as follows: This
section is retitled as ``Assurance Required,'' the assurance required
by 49 CFR 26.13(b) is included verbatim, and incorporation by reference
is provided for the Title VI assurance required by U.S. DOT Order
1050.2A Appendices A and E.
A revision is proposed to the first paragraph of Section
IV to address the ``treatment of projects'' provision in 23 U.S.C.
133(i), which requires that all projects (excluding those funded under
the recreational trail set-aside) be treated as if on a Federal-aid
highway.
Revisions are proposed to Section IX--Implementation of
Clean Air Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act to be consistent
with the provisions in Appendix II to Part 200--Contract Provisions for
Non-Federal Entity Contracts Under Federal Awards in 2 CFR 200.
Revisions are proposed to Section X--Certification
Regarding Debarrment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion
to implement new certification language to ensure that awards are not
made to companies who have a verified Federal tax delinquency or
companies who have been convicted of a Federal felony offense within 2
years prior to the award. The new certifications implement the
Government-wide General Provisions, currently under Division E, Title
VII, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, FY
2016 (Sections 745-746 in the FY 2016 Act, 129 STAT. 2485-2486 and
similar provisions in subsequent appropriations acts). In addition, the
Excluded Parties List System (www.EPLS.gov) has been replaced with the
System for Award Management (www.SAM.gov). The reference to this system
in the form is updated.
We propose to add a new Section XII--Use of United States-
Flag Vessels to implement Cargo Preference Act requirements on Federal-
aid projects. On October 14, 2008, President Obama signed the ``Duncan
Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of 2009.'' Section 3511 of
that Act amended the Cargo Preference Act by stating the requirements
apply to cargoes financed ``in any way with Federal funds for the
account of any persons unless otherwise exempted.'' This Act requires
the use of a United States-Flag vessel for all oceanic shipments (or
shipments across the Great Lakes) necessary for materials or equipment
acquired for a specific, Federal aid highway project. See FHWA's
December 8, 2015, legal opinion titled: ``Cargo Preference Act and
Federal-aid Projects'' (available online at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/cqit/cargo/151208.cfm) for additional information.
Minor grammatical and formatting revisions are proposed
throughout the document for clarity and to be consistent with 2 CFR
part 200.
The proposed revision to Form FHWA-1273 will incorporate the
changes noted above as well as other important changes to the required
contract provisions. A list of the proposed changes and a marked-up
version of the changes are available at the following Web site: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/cqit/form1273.cfm.
The FHWA anticipates issuing a second notice responding to the
comments received and requiring the use of the revised form for all
Federal-aid projects advertised 60 days after the publication date of
the second notice.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 112; 23 CFR 633; 49 CFR 1.85.
Issued on: November 17, 2016.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-28586 Filed 11-25-16; 8:45 am]
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