frequency of use of the equipment, and impact on research programs. Pooling operations should begin expeditiously, within 120 days, if feasible, following decisions regarding the number and location of pools. If it is determined that an equipment pool would not be practical or economical or for any other reason is not needed at a particular laboratory, a written report supporting that determination shall be submitted to the agency head or his designee. Federal laboratories which do not meet the size and staffing criteria in §10125.109-2(a) should also establish equipment pools whenever feasible; however, these facilities need not submit written reports regarding determinations not to establish pools.

(c) Where the establishment of a physical pool would be economically unfeasible due to excessive transportation and handling costs, limited personnel resources, or limited space, pooling may be accomplished by means of equipment listings. Consideration should be given to the establishment of a laboratory advisory committee consisting of technical and management personnel to determine the types of equipment to be shared or pooled and to identify equipment that is no longer required.

(1) Equipment pools may also be used to fill requests for temporary replacements while permanently assigned equipment is being repaired or to provide equipment for new laboratories pending acquisition of permanent equipment.

(2) Although specific pieces of laboratory equipment may not be available for assignment to equipment pools, they may be available for sharing or loan. Information concerning the availability of this equipment can be maintained at a central location such as the equipment pools.

(d) Unless determined unnecessary by the agency head or his designee, each Federal laboratory operating equipment pools shall prepare and submit to the agency head or his designee an annual report concerning the use and effectiveness of equipment pooling.

(e) The agency head or his designee shall ensure compliance by responsible personnel with the provisions of this § 101-25.109-2 and shall require that

The regulations issued by the Department of Transportation in 49 CFR part 574, Tire Identification and Recordkeeping, require that tire manufacturers maintain or have maintained for them the name and address of tire purchasers, the identification number of each tire sold, and the name and address of the tire seller (or other means by which the manufacturer can identify the tire seller). In addition, distributors and dealers are required to furnish such data to manufacturers in connection with purchases made directly from them. GSA provides support to the Federal Government for tires, and therefore has prescribed the following procedures for tires purchased from or through GSA supply sources.

[53 FR 11848, Apr. 11, 1988]

§ 101-25.110-4 Recordkeeping responsibilities.

The effectiveness of the tire identification and recordkeeping regulations depends on the active support and cooperation of all agencies to ensure that tires subject to a recall program are not to continue in service thereby endangering the lives of the occupants of the vehicle. Therefore, agencies should establish procedures for promptly identifying and locating all tires whether in storage or on vehicles so that advice from GSA, the tire manufacturer, or the vehicle manufacturer may be acted upon expeditiously.

[53 FR 11848, Apr. 11, 1988]

(a) From time to time, Congress enacts legislation pertaining to the protection and enhancement of the Nation's environment; e.g., the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321). The objective of such legislation is, among other things, the improvement of the relationship between people and their environment and the lessening of hazards affecting their health and safety. It is the policy of the General Services Administration to appropriately implement the various provisions of these Acts of Congress as fully as statutory authority permits in support of the national policy.

(b) With respect to the procurement, management, and disposal of personal property, the implementation of national environmental policy is provided through amendments to the regulations of GSA, changes to Federal specifications and standards documents, as appropriate, and other actions as may be required when expediency is of prime importance. Further, the Federal regulatory agencies have imposed restrictions applicable to the procurement, use, and disposal of items supplied through the Federal supply system that are known to contain components or possess qualities that have an adverse impact on the environment or that result in creating unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. Each agency, therefore, shall take action as necessary to ensure that the objectives and directives of the National Environ

mental Policy Act, other environmental statutes, and applicable regulations are met; especially the directive that environmental concerns, effects, and values shall be given appropriate consideration with economic and technical issues in decisionmaking. Action should include a continuing review of the FEDERAL REGISTER and issuances promulgated by the Federal regulatory agencies for guidance applicable to the procurement, use, and disposal of items that are known to contain components or to possess qualities that have an adverse impact on the environment or that result in creating unsafe or unhealthy working conditions.

[39 FR 24505, July 3, 1974]

§ 101-25.112 Energy conservation policy.

(a) Agency officials responsible for procurement, management, and disposal of personal property and nonpersonal services shall ensure that pertinent procurement and property management documents reflect the policy set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, which has been established pursuant to Public Law 94-163, Energy Policy and Conservation Act.

(b) With respect to the procurement or lease of personal property or nonpersonal services, which in operation consume energy or contribute to the conservation of energy, executive agencies shall promote energy conservation and energy efficiency by being responsive to the energy efficiency and/or conservation standards or goals prescribed by the U.S. Government.

[43 FR 8800, Mar. 3, 1978]

§ 101-25.113 [Reserved]

§ 101-25.114 Supply management surveys and assistance.

Under the provisions of 40 U.S.C. 487, the General Services Administration will perform surveys and/or reviews of Government property and property management practices of executive agencies. These surveys or reviews will be conducted by the Federal Supply Service in connection with regular surveys and studies of agency supply management practices or when providing

(a) This subpart prescribes the basic policy for interagency purchase assignments within the executive branch of the Government. It is directly applicable to executive agencies and concerns other Federal agencies in their purchasing from, through, or under contracts made by executive agencies.

(b) The term purchase assignment as used in this subpart shall normally be considered to include performance of the following functions:

(1) Arranging with requiring agencies for phased submission of requirements and procurement requisitions.

(2) Soliciting and analyzing bids and negotiating, awarding, and executing contracts.

(3) General contract administration. (4) Arranging for inspection and delivery.

(5) Promotion of a maximum practicable degree of standardization in specifications and establishment of Federal Specifications, when possible, in accordance with applicable regulations.

(c) Notice of purchase assignments and applicable delegations of authority, made under the provisions of this subpart 101-25.2, shall be furnished to the General Accounting Office by GSA.

§ 101-25.202 Factors to be used to determine assignment of purchase responsibility.

With their consent or upon direction of the President, executive agencies will be designated and authorized by the Administrator of General Services exclusively, or with specified limited exceptions, to make purchases and contracts on a continuing basis for items or item groups of articles and services

for the executive branch of the Government, after due consideration of the following factors, weighted as appropriate:

(a) Current or potential predominant use or consumption by a given agency. (b) Availability of funds to carry out the assignment on a Government-wide basis or with limited exceptions.

(c) Specialized personnel, or the nucleus of such personnel, regularly employed by the agency, such as scientific, research, and operating technicians, especially qualified or experienced in specification writing, buying, inspecting, testing, using, installing, or operating a particular item or group of items.

(d) Custodianship and operation of special facilities such as research and testing laboratories and inspection or testing stations and devices.

(e) Actual or potential qualifications and experience of agency purchasing and contracting officials and their operating units with due regard to adequacy of staff.

(f) Past experience of the agency in performing services to other agencies on an informal or joint cooperative basis.

(g) Relations of the agency with the industry involved.

(h) Physical proximity of the agency purchasing office or offices to the requirement-compiling elements of the principal using agencies.

(i) Physical location of the agency purchasing office or offices in relation to market areas.

(j) Physical proximity of the agency purchasing offices in relation to engineering or design offices, in the interest of speed in processing modifications in design and specifications, and also reviewing bids for specifications compliance.

(k) Relative interest of agency heads in receiving the purchase assignment and specific requests of agency heads to do the buying of a given item or group of items on a Government-wide basis.

§ 101-25.203 Centralized purchases by GSA.

GSA will exclusively, or with specified limited exceptions, make purchases and contracts on a continuing

basis for articles and services for the executive branch of the Government in the interest of lower prices, improved quality, and service or standardization when:

or

(a) The item or item groups of articles and services are items of "common-use" which are defined as items of standard commercial production items covered by Federal Specifications commonly used by both civilian and military activities, or by two or more civilian activities, and not requiring such substantial alterations to adapt them to military or other particular application as to render inclusion in a centralized purchasing program impracticable; or

(b) A number of agencies, representing the majority users according to dollar volume, request GSA to make purchases and contracts exclusively for a given item or item groups of articles and services even though not "common-use" items as defined in §10125.203(a); and

(c) GSA is best equipped to do the buying based upon the factors listed in § 101-25.202, or must of necessity act as the central purchasing office when other agencies more appropriately suited to make central purchases do not do so and are not so directed by the President; and

(d) The head of another executive agency has not been delegated authority by the Administrator of General Services exclusively, or with specified limited exceptions, to make purchases and contracts for prescribed items or item groups of articles and services for the executive branch of the Government in accordance with §§ 101-25.202 and 101-25.204.

(e) GSA has issued appropriate regulations, or a Federal Supply Schedule, specifically designating the item or item groups of articles or services that fall within paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this § 101-25.203 that are thereafter to be purchased exclusively for all executive agencies, or with specified limited exceptions, by GSA.

§ 101-25.204 Centralized purchases by designated executive agencies under authority delegated by the Administrator of General Services. Designated executive agencies will exclusively, or with specified limited exceptions, make purchases and contracts on a continuing basis for items or item groups of articles and services for the executive branch of the Government in the interest of lower prices, improved quality, and service or standardization when:

(a) The Administrator of General Services has determined, based upon the factors listed in §101-25.202, that a selected executive agency is best equipped to perform certain purchasing and contracting functions, and the Administrator of General Services has issued appropriate regulations designating the categories of articles or services complying with paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of § 101-25.203 that are to be purchased exclusively by the named executive agency under authority delegated by the Administrator of General Services; and

(b) The head of the designated executive agency has issued appropriate instructions, or a Federal Supply Schedule, under authority as delegated by and in the form approved by the Administrator, specifically designating the item or item groups of articles or services that are thereafter to be purchased exclusively for all executive agencies, or with specified limited exceptions, by the designated executive agency.

§ 101-25.205 Arrangement for performance of purchasing functions other than centralized.

(a) Upon request, GSA will make purchases and contracts for any of the items or item groups of articles or services authorized to be purchased independently by executive agencies. GSA will also arrange, on a basis mutually agreeable, with any executive agency to perform its purchase and contracting functions on a continuing basis, if requested in writing to do so by the agency head, provided the arrangements agreed upon will result in

lowered cost or improved service either to the individual agency or to the Government as a whole.

(b) In those instances where lowered cost or improved service, either to an individual agency or to the Government as a whole will result, GSA will arrange, on a basis mutually agreeable to the agencies involved, to assign all or a portion of the purchase and contracting functions of one executive agency to another executive agency on a continuing basis.

§ 101-25.206 Independent purchases by executive agencies.

Items or groups of items of articles or services may be purchased independently by executive agencies, in accordance with regulations of GSA otherwise applicable, when:

(a) Not otherwise prescribed in current regulations, or included in mandatory Federal Supply Schedules, issued by GSA or by another executive agency designated by the Administrator of General Services.

(b) For emergency requirements when time does not permit purchasing through the authorized central purchasing agency. A record shall be maintained of such transactions and be made available to the responsible central purchasing agency upon request.

(c) By consultation between GSA and agencies concerned, it is determined that interagency purchase assignment would adversely affect the national security or military operations.

(d) The purchases cannot be publicly disclosed in the interest of national security.

Subpart 101-25.3-Use Standards

§ 101-25.301 General.

(a) This subpart prescribes minimum use standards for certain Governmentowned personal property which shall be applied by all executive agencies. Additional criteria above these minimum standards shall be established by each executive agency, limiting its property to the minimum requirements necessary for the efficient functioning of the particular office concerned. This subpart does not apply to automatic data processing equipment (ADPE) which is covered in the Federal Infor

mation Resources Management Regulation (FIRMR) (41 CFR Chapter 201).

(b) Additional use standards should be established by all executive agencies for other Government-owned property under their control whenever use standards will effect economy and efficiency in the use of such property.

(c) All items of property, determined to be excess to the needs of an agency as a result of the application of use standards, shall be promptly reported in accordance with part 101–43.

[29 FR 15993, Dec. 1, 1964, as amended at 61 FR 14978, Apr. 4, 1996]

§ 101-25.302 Office furniture, furnishings, and equipment.

(a) Each executive agency shall establish criteria for the use of office furniture, furnishings, and equipment. Such criteria shall be in consonance with the provisions of §101-25.104 pertaining to office furniture and office machines and shall be limited to the minimum essential requirements as established by the agency head for authorized functions and programs which will, beyond a reasonable doubt, be in operation within the following 6 months.

(b) In developing such criteria, a distinction shall be made between the requirements of organizational elements concerned with purely administrative functions, and those of a technical, scientific, or specialized nature.

(c) Items of office equipment, used only occasionally, should be pooled within an agency and made available to activities of the agency when and as necessary.

[29 FR 15993, Dec. 1, 1964, as amended at 42 FR 1031, Jan. 5, 1977]

§ 101-25.302-1 [Reserved]

§ 101-25.302-2 Filing cabinets.

Executive agencies shall make every effort to effect maximum use of filing cabinets and to limit the purchase of new equipment. Filing cabinets should be replaced only in accordance with the standards in subpart 101-25.4. Maximum utilization of equipment should be obtained by:

(a) Disposing of all records that have been authorized for disposition by the Congress or, where such authorization