(a) Agencies required to procure exclusively items listed in the GSA Stores Stock Catalog shall utilize such items in lieu of procuring similar items from other sources when the GSA items will adequately serve the required functional purpose. (b) When an agency determines that items available from GSA stock will not serve the required functional end-use purpose, requests to waive the requirement for using such GSA stock items shall be submitted to GSA for consideration. However, a waiver is not required where a desired similar item will be procured from a Federal Supply Schedule contract in accordance with the policy set forth in § 101-26.100-1 relating to acquisition of the lowest cost item from this GSA source. (c) Requests for waivers, including those involving Federal Supply Schedule items (see § 101-26.401-3), shall be submitted to the Commissioner, Federal Supply Service, General Services Administration, Washington, D.C. 20405, and, if considered justified, will be approved by him. If disapproved, the requesting office will be so notified. Such requests shall contain: (1) Complete description of the item requested; descriptive literature such as cuts, illustrations, drawings, and brochures which show the characteristics or construction of the item or explain its operation should be furnished wherever possible in satisfaction of this requirement. (2) Comparison of price and pertinent technical differences between the item requested and the GSA item. (i) Inadequacies of the GSA item in performing required functions. (ii) Advantages of the item requested, such as technical, economic, or other. (3) Quantity required; if demand is recurrent (estimate annual usage), nonrecurrent, or unpredictable, so state. (4) Other pertinent data when applicable. [30 FR. 2442, Feb. 25, 1965, as amended at 31 F.R. 6963, May 12, 1966; 34 F.R. 439, Jan. 11, 1969] § 101-26.301-2 Issue of used, repaired, and rehabilitated items in serviceable condition. Stock items returned to GSA under the provisions of § 101-26.312 will be reissued to all ordering activities without distinction between new, used, repaired, or rehabilitated items in serviceable condition. Ordering agencies will be billed for these items at the current GSA stock catalog selling price. [32 F.R. 12850, Sept. 8, 1967] § 101-26.302 Standard and optional forms, blankbooks, pamphlets, and miscellaneous printed matter. § 101-26.302-1 General. GSA is the central control point for the consolidated procurement, supply control, storage, and distribution of standard and optional forms and is responsible for promoting an economical and efficient Government-wide standard forms program, including the assurance that (1) forms being printed or otherwise reproduced are the latest editions; (2) using agencies are furnished adequate supplies of currently usable forms; (3) substantial stocks are not being produced of forms undergoing revision; and (4) adequate information is supplied to using agencies on cataloging, forms identification, utilization of excess stocks, and other related phases of the standard forms program. (a) Information as to the latest editions of standard and optional forms to be suplied by GSA supply depots and the identification of currently usable editions are included in the Standard and Optional Forms Facsimile Handbook, available from GSA Region 3 (FSN 7610082-2499). (b) Upon approval by GSA, miscellaneous printed items of the type generally used by all Government agencies, such as blankbooks, stenographers' notebooks, informational pamphlets, and handbooks will be stocked by GSA as supply items. (c) Except for forms intended for use solely by the agency prescribing them, agencies shall requisition from GSA, requirements of standard and optional forms and miscellaneous items of printed matter from the listings in the GSA Stores Stock Catalog (Standard Forms Supplement). New or revised forms and miscellaneous printed items which are placed in stock between catalog revisions shall be obtained in the same manner. (d) The ordering of standard and optional forms from GSA is not required where agencies have been granted authority for direct procurement by the Joint Committee on Printing, however such orders must be cleared through GSA in accordance with §101-26.302-6, unless otherwise excepted by the Joint Committee on Printing. § 101-26.302-2 Agency responsibilities. (a) Agencies shall assure that such items are obtained from GSA in the same manner as other items listed in the GSA Stores Stock Catalog. Agencies with central forms control and procurement may, however, place consolidated orders with GSA Region 3. (b) Where proposed new or revised standard forms are submitted to other agencies for comment, all agencies concerned shall advise their using and procurement activities of the proposal, so that they will not acquire large stocks of a form which may be scheduled for revision or obsolescence. (c) Upon receipt of notification from GSA, agencies shall provide for proper dissemination of information to all applicable levels concerning changes, additions, or deletions in items covered by this § 101-26.302, including the date of availability from GSA supply depots and the use or disposition of existing stocks. (d) It shall be the responsibility of the head of each agency to secure approval from the Joint Committee on Printing for any agency reproduction of stocks of blank standard or optional forms. § 101-26.302-3 Obtaining items from GSA supply depots. Supplies of stock items shall be obtained by all Federal agencies by the submission of requisitions to the appropriate GSA supply depot. Supplies of currently usable standard and optional forms will be issued by GSA in accordance with instructions furnished by promulgating agencies. § 101-26.302-4 Deviations from the text or format_of_standard or optional forms and other printed items. Except for planning purposes, the content of construction (where specified) of standard or optional forms, blankbooks, pamphlets, or miscellaneous printed matter listed in the GSA Stores Stock Catalog (Standard Forms Supplement) or which agencies have been advised will be listed in such catalog, may not be altered or modified without prior written approval from the promulgating agency. Requisitions for such items shall be submitted, with a copy of the letter of approval, to GSA in accordance with § 101-26.302-5. § 101-26.302-5 Obtaining specially manufactured standard or optional forms. Forms or form assemblies that deviate in any manner in their construction from those listed in the GSA Stores Stock Catalog (Standard Forms Supplement) are not stocked or distributed by GSA. Examples of this category are most serially numbered forms, overprinted forms, snapout sets, special combinations of forms, and forms requiring paper of a different grade, weight, or color than that regularly prescribed by the promulgating agency. Such items shall be procured as follows: (a) Federal agencies requiring such nonstock forms shall prepare and transmit Standard Form 1, Printing and Binding Requisition (illustrated at § 10126.4901-1) or Standard Form 1-C, Printing and Binding Requisition for Specialty Items (illustrated at § 101-26.49011C) directly to GSA Region 3, Federal Supply Service, Washington, D.C. 20407, for submission to the Government Printing Office. (b) Where proofs are requested by the ordering agency, final proofs may be submitted to GSA Region 3 for a review of conformity with standard format and approved exceptions prior to their return to the vendor. Where proofs are not so reviewed GSA cannot be held responsible for the acceptability of the final product. (c) Certain die-impressed stencils, hectograph masters, preprinted masters, and other adaptations of standard and optional forms which are not listed in the GSA Stores Stock Catalog (Standard Forms Supplement) may be procured directly from commercial sources by virtue of a waiver from the Gorvernment Printing Office. In such cases the procuring agency may: (1) Prior to preparation of the purchase order, submit the complete print er's copy to GSA Region 3, for clearance and return, or (2) After preparation of the purchase order, route the purchase order, with printer's copy attached, through GSA Region 3, for clearance. (d) Scheduling of production, delivery instructions, and billing for forms not stocked by GSA shall be handled directly between the Government Printing Office (or other vendor) and the ordering agency. (e) To minimize agency printing and binding costs, requisitions for the forms listed below shall be transmitted in accordance with the submission dates shown in this paragraph. GSA Region 3, will accumulate the requisitions, assign control numbers, and transmit them to the Government Printing Office on the scheduled dates, thereby making consolidated production runs possible. (1) Requisition for forms other than those listed above, may be submitted at any time for processing and transmission to the Government Printing Office. (2) In those cases where the scheduled submission dates do not coincide with agency replenishment cycles, agencies shall, in the interest of Governmentwide economy, adjust the quantity ordered on their next requisition to bring their cycle into agreement with the schedule established by GSA. (3) Should unforeseen requirements arise between scheduled submission dates, interim orders for the forms listed above, may be submitted to GSA Region 3 with a statement setting forth the urgency of the requirement and requesting immediate transmittal to the Government Printing Office. § 101-26.302-6 Promulgation, modification, or revision of forms and related items. (a) Standard and optional forms. Standard Form 84, Stock Action Request, shall be used by promulgating agencies to notify GSA of agency action in connection with the promulgation, modification, revision or cancellation of standard and optional forms and related items. Standard Form 84, (illustrated at § 10126.4901-84) shall be submitted in original only to General Services Administration Region 3, Federal Supply Service, Washington, D.C. 20407. (1) Prior to the promulgation of a standard or optional form, the promulgating agency shall have complied with Bureau of the Budget Circular A-17 Revised, and/or Title 9 of the Policy and Procedures Manual of the General Accounting Office in obtaining clearance for promulgation of a new form, or for modification or revision of an existing form. A copy of the BOB approval shall be transmitted with the printer's copy to GSA, Region 3, as an attachment to Standard Form 84. (2) When the expected date of release of final copy for a new, modified or revised form has been established, a notice of intent, which may be a draft of the proposed promulgating document, shall be submitted to GSA, Region 3. This notice shall indicate the expected release date of final copy where and by whom forms are to be stocked, and, in the case of a revision, shall also include 36-094-70—11 instructions for utilizing and disposing of exsting stocks of the superseded form. (3) Upon initiation of any action or procedure which will result in revision, modification, or cancellation, or which will otherwise affect any GSA depot stock item of forms, the promulgating agency shall notify GSA Region 3 (using Standard Form 84) sufficiently in advance to preclude overstockage or further printing of the item(s) involved, and allow maximum utilization of existing stocks. (i) In those cases where a new or revised form cancels previous editions, promulgating agencies shall give full consideration to the utilization of present stocks of the older form and, whenever possible, shall establish a use date which will permit maximum issuance of stocks held by GSA and other agencies. (ii) Information on existing stocks shall be obtained from GSA Region 3, which will coordinate with major using agencies in determining the total Government stock position. (4) The effective date for use of new or revised forms shall be coordinated with GSA Region 3, in order to give full consideration to the total stock position, as well as printing and distribution requirements, but in no case should it be less than 45 days after the final proofs have been returned to GSA Region 3. Where the effective date for use of a mandatory form is established or prescribed by law, the promulgating agency shall develop and process the prescribed form in sufficient time to permit GSA a minimum of 45 days for printing and distribution to GSA supply depots. (5) New or revised forms shall be submitted to GSA Region 3, for production. The transmittal shall include complete printer's copy, one copy of Standard Form 84, a copy of the promulgating document, and a copy of the BOB or GAO approval. GSA Region 3 will assign a control number, arrange for production of supplies of the new or revised form, and request that proofs be sent directly to the promulgating agency for approval. Such proofs, indicating all necessary changes, shall be transmitted by the promulgating agency to GSA Region 3, for review and return to the Government Printing Office or vendor. (6) Even though a standard form is not to be stocked by GSA the same procedures as set forth in this paragraph (a) will be followed except that 100 copies of the new or revised form shall be delivered to GSA Region 3 as soon as copies of the form are published. (b) Agency forms and miscellaneous items. When an agency desires to utilize the storage and distribution facilities of GSA for the Government-wide distribution of its forms or publications, its request shall be submitted on Standard Form 84 to GSA Region 3. The request should include a description or sample copy of the item, recommended distribution points, estimated annual usage, and any other pertinent factors. Upon approval by GSA, the procedure established in paragraph (a) of this section shall be followed. § 101-26.302-7 Information ing changes. concern (a) Agencies will be notified of additions, revisions, and deletions of standard and optional forms through changes to the Standard and Optional Forms Facsimile Handbook. Such notifications will include information as to the official availability schedule for latest editions, identification of usable editions, disposal of existing stocks, and other pertinent information for use by agencies' forms management personnel. (b) Notifications of the availability date for new or revised standard or optional forms will be released by GSA as soon as a firm commitment for delivery has been received from the Government Printing Office. Where a revision does not obsolete previous editions, which are to be used until exhausted, supplies of the revised editions may not be available for a considerable time after announcement of the revision. In such cases, all agency requisitions will be filled with the earliest usable edition stocked by the GSA supply depots, with later editions being issued as stocks of previous editions become depleted. § 101-26.302-8 Disposition of excess or obsolete standard forms. (a) Standard forms which are excess to the needs of an agency shall be reported to GSA in the same manner as other excess personal property pursuant to Part 101-43 of this chapter. (b) Reports by the military services of excess standard forms may be made to GSA Region 3, by consolidated letter report or submission of Standard Form 120, Report of Excess Personal Property. (c) Obsolete forms should not be reported but should be determined to be surplus and disposed of under the provisions of Part 101-45 of this chapter. Obsolete accountable forms must be mutilated in the process of disposition and the accountability record closed by noting the action taken. § 101-26.302-9 Employee suggestions. Employee suggestions affecting any of the items included in this § 101-26.302 shall be evaluated first within the agency where the suggestion originates, then submitted to the agency shown on the form as the promulgating agency. Where the physical characteristics of the item or its stocking or distribution are involved, the promulgating agency shall consult with GSA Region 3, before taking final approval action on the suggested change. § 101-26.303 Out-of-stock items. [30 F.R. 13826, Oct. 30, 1965] § 101-26.303-1 Back ordering by GSA. (a) Generally, back ordering by GSA of out-of-stock items is more advantageous to agencies than canceling the items, as an order priority is established which normally assures shipment within 30 days. However, out-of-stock items will not be back ordered when the agency notifies GSA, otherwise, as provided in § 101-26.303-2. (b) Unless otherwise notified, GSA will establish a back order for each outof-stock item and advise the agency of the approximate date when shipment will be made. Upon receipt of such advice, the agency shall determine if the shipping date will meet its needs, considering the practicality of local purchase of interim requirements and (1) accept the back order; (2) request a suitable substitute item; or (3) request cancellation of the back order. Upon receipt of the request, GSA will advise the agency of approval of the cancellation or other action taken. In such cases, the agency shall await reply from GSA before procuring the requirement elsewhere. [30 F.R. 13826, Oct. 30. 1965] § 101-26.303-2 Notice to GSA. Agencies may notify GSA to cancel any or all items not available by furnishing such advice on the order or requisition. The advice shall be based upon a determination by the agency that the item or items are urgently needed and are available from local sources, or that the overall cost to the Government will be reduced. Upon notification of unavailability, such items may be purchased without further notice from GSA. [30 F.R. 13826, Oct. 30, 1965] § 101-26.303-3 Exceptions. Standards forms, office furniture, and blind- and prison-made items which are temporarily out-of-stock will be backordered in all cases and notification furnished as to the expected delivery date. [31 F.R. 9541, July 14, 1966] § 101-26.304 Substitution policy. In supplying items requisitioned from GSA depot stock, GSA regional offices will substitute both regular and excess property without prior notification, unless the proposed substitute is used, reconditioned, or differs in some substantial characteristic from the item requisitioned. Notice of intent to substitute will be given in all cases and, if desired, an opportunity will be provided to inspect the substitute prior to shipment. § 101-26.305 Submission of orders to GSA. (a) Orders in FEDSTRIP format shall be submitted as prescribed in Subpart 101-26.2. (b) Orders in other than FEDSTRIP format shall be submitted: (1) In original only when for shipment to destinations in the United States, including Hawaii but excluding Alaska. (2) In accordance with applicable GSA/agency agreements when for shipment to Alaska or for export to destinations outside the United States. (c) Sufficient funds should be reserved by the requisitioner to cover expenses incurred by GSA in export packing, marking, documentation, etc. GSA will assess a surcharge on all material ordered and delivered to overseas customers. The surcharge is a percentage factor of the value of the material shipped. Information on the current percentage of surcharge may be obtained from the GSA regional office to which orders are submitted. [30 F.R. 13826, Oct. 30, 1965] § 101-26.306 Planned requisitioning for GSA stock items. In placing requisitions for GSA stores stock items with GSA regional offices, agencies shall follow schedules or cyclical plans, for replenishment of stocks, |