wholesale supply distribution facilities are input into the computer at the price in effect at the time of shipment from the facilities (this price is normally the price shown in the GSA Supply Catalog). Items stocked in CSCs that are not available from GSA wholesale supply distribution facilities but which are obtained from other Government supply sources or commercial sources are input into the computer at the invoice cost. Due to cost averaging, item prices listed in the CSC catalog may differ somewhat from the sale price for a particular transaction.

§ 101-28.306 Customer supply center (CSC) accounts and related controls.

§ 101-28.306-1 Establishment of a CSC account by a customer activity.

(a) Eligible agencies should contact the GSA Regional Federal Supply Service Bureau to obtain full information on the use of the CSC for their locale. FSS Bureau personnel will provide assistance to agencies in the establishment of the CSC account, brief personnel on the use of the CSC to meet local, retail supply requirements, and provide copies of the CSC catalog.

(b) An appropriate level management official (division director of higher) authorized to obligate agency funds must sign the GSA Form 3525, Application for Customer Supply Services, requesting establishment of the CSC account for the activity.

not later than the end of the next business day.

(c) Walk-in orders for urgent requirements are accepted and filled immediately provided the individual placing the order has proper identification. Telephone orders placed in the morning may be picked up in the afternoon of the same day provided that the individual picking up the order possesses proper identification and the order ticket number provided by the CSC personnel at the time the order is placed.

§ 101-28.306-3 Limitations or use.

(a) Agencies shall establish internal controls to ensure that the use of the CSC account by the agency or other authorized activities is limited to the purchase of items for official Government use. The controls shall include written instructions that contain a statement prohibiting the use of the CSC account in acquiring items for other than Government use. When an agency makes a purchase of more than $500 per line item from a GSA customer supply center which is other than a similar lowest priced item available from a multiple-award schedule, GSA will assume that a justification has been prepared and made a part of the buying agency's purchase file. Availability of products, regardless of the total amount of the line item price, does not relieve an agency of the re

item commensurate with needs of the agency.

(b) Office supplies needed by Members of Congress and the Delegate of the District of Columbia for use in their offices in the House or Senate Office Buildings should be obtained from the Senate and Houses Representatives supply rooms, as appropriate. Members of Congress, except for the Delegate of the District of Columbia, should limit their use of the CSCs to those located outside of the District of Columbia. The Delegate of the District of Columbia may obtain office supplies for the use of his or her district offices from the CSC serving the District of Columbia.

§ 101-28.306-4 Expiration or cancellation.

(a) CSC accounts established for Federal agencies or members of the Federal judiciary are valid for an indefinite period of time unless canceled by the Commissioner, FSS, GSA, or by a GSA Regional Administrator.

(b) CSC accounts established for authorized contractors or Members of Congress will contain an expiration date reflecting the termination date of the contract or term of office. New accounts will be established for reinstated contractors or reelected Members of Congress upon submission of a new application.

(c) Any CSC customer may request cancellation of his/her account when no longer required or whenever there is cause to believe that the customer access code has been compromised. Agencies shall keep GSA advised of any changes in organization or accounting structures that might have an impact on their CSC accounts.

(d) The Commissioner FSS, GSA, may periodically direct a nationwide purge of all CSC accounts to cancel those that are duplicates, not needed, or for which the customer access code has been compromised. Selective account cancellations may be directed by the GSA Regional Administrator in coordination with FSS Central Office. Under the procedures of a nationwide purge, CSC accounts become invalid as of a specific date established by the Commissioner, FSS, GSA, or by a Regional Administrator, and new CSC accounts are established upon receipt of new applications.

§ 101-28.306-5 Safeguards.

Agencies shall establish internal controls to ensure that the customer access codes assigned for their accounts are properly protected. It is by use of these access codes that orders are accepted by the CSC and these codes determine the ship-to points for all orders filled by the CSC with the exception of orders picked up at the CSC by the customer. GSA will not change the ship-to location associated with the customer access code except upon receipt of a written request to do so, signed by a duly authorized official of the customer activity.

101-29.301 General Services Administration. 101-29.301-1 Folicies and procedures. 101-29.301-2 Federal Standardization Handbook.

101-29.301-3 Availability of Federal product descriptions.

101-29.301-4 Periodic review of Federal product descriptions.

101-29.302 Other Federal agencies.
101-29.303 All Federal executive agencies.

Subpart 101-29.4-Mandatory Use of
Federal Product Descriptions

101-29.401 Federal product descriptions listed in the GSA Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions.

101-29.402 Exceptions to mandatory use of Federal product descriptions. 101-29.403 Federal product description exceptions and tailoring.

101-29.403-1 Authorization of exceptions. 101-29.403-2 Agency responsibility relative to exceptions to Federal product descriptions.

101-29.403-3 Tailoring of Federal product descriptions.

Subpart 101-29.5-Use of and Optional Use of Federal Product Descriptions and Agency Product Descriptions

101-29.501 Optional use of interim Federal specifications.

101-29.502 Use of Federal specifications and interim Federal specifications in Federal construction contracts.

101-29.503 Agency product descriptions. AUTHORITY: Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390; 40 U.S.C. 486(c).

SOURCE: 48 FR 25196, June 6, 1983, unless otherwise noted.

§ 101-29.000 Scope of part.

This part sets forth the policy and procedures for managing and using Federal product descriptions.

Subpart 101-29.1-General

§ 101-29.101 Federal product descriptions.

Federal and interim Federal specifications, their associated Federal qualified products lists (QPL's), Federal and interim Federal standards and

Commercial item descriptions (CID's) are referred to collectively as Federal product descriptions. They are developed by GSA or other Federal agencies under the Assigned Agency Plan described in the "Federal Standardization Handbook" issued by the Assistant Administrator for Federal Supply and Services (FSS). Product descriptions are coordinated with other Federal agencies having technical, statutory, or regulatory interest in the commodity or other subject matter covered. Generally, before they are issued, Federal product descriptions are reviewed by technical societies, individual industrial producers, and organizations representing industrial producers and consumers.

§ 101-29.102 Use of metric system of measurement in Federal product descriptions.

In accordance with Public Law 94168, 15 U.S.C. 205b, the Administrator of General Services shall develop procedures and plan for the increasing use of metric products by requiring Federal agencies to:

(a) Maintain close liaison with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and the private sector on metric matters, and

(b) Review, prepare, and revise Federal standardization documents to eliminate barriers to the procurement of metric goods and services. These actions will occur during the overage document review or when the agency is informed by the private sector that metric products can be produced in a specific Federal supply classification class.

[49 FR 2774, Jan. 23, 1984]

Subpart 101-29.2-Definitions

§ 101-29.201 Specification.

A specification is a document, prepared specifically to support acquisition that clearly and accurately describes the essential technical requirements for purchased material. Procedures necessary to determine whether these requirements have been met are also included.

§ 101-29.202 Standard.

A standard is a document that establishes engineering and technical requirements for items, processes, procedures, practices, and methods that have been adopted as customary. Standards may also establish requirements for selection, application, and design criteria so as to achieve the highest practical degree of uniformity in materials or products, or interchangeability of parts used within or on those products.

§ 101-29.203 Federal specification.

A Federal specification is a specification, issued in the Federal series, that is mandatory for use by all Federal agencies. These documents are issued or controlled by the General Services Administration and are listed in the GSA "Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions.'

§ 101-29.204 Interim Federal specification.

An interim Federal specification is a potential Federal specification issued in temporary form for optional use by all Federal agencies. Interim amendments to Federal Specifications and amendments to interim Federal specifications are included in this definition. These documents are issued or controlled by the General Services Administration and are listed in the GSA "Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions."

§ 101-29.205 Federal standard.

A Federal standard is a standard, issued in the Federal series, that is mandatory for use by all Federal agencies. These documents are issued or controlled by the General Services Administration and are listed in the GSA "Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions."

§ 101-29.206 Interim Federal standard.

An interim Federal standard is a potential Federal standard issued in temporary form for optional use by all Federal agencies. These documents are issued or controlled by the General

§ 101-29.212 Tailoring.

Tailoring is a process by which the individual requirements (sections, paragraphs or sentences) or product descriptions are evaluated to determine the extent to which each requirement is most suitable for a specific acquisition and the modification of these requirements, where necessary, to ensure that each document invoked achieves and optimal balance between operational needs and costs.

§ 101-29.213 Commercial product.

A commercial product is any item, component, or system available from stock or regular production that is sold in substantial quantities to the general public at established catalog or market prices (for definition of terms, see FPR 1-3.807.1).

§ 101-29.214 Commercial-type product. A commercial-type product is defined

as:

(a) Any product similar to the commercial product but modified or altered in compliance with specified Government requirements and, as such is usually sold only to the Government and not through the normal catalog or retail outlets;

(b) Any product similar to a commercial product that is either assembled or manufactured in accordance with specifically stated Government requirements and sold only to the Government and not to the general public; or

(c) A commercial product identified or marked differently than the commercial product normally sold to the general public.

§ 101-29.215 Departmental tion or standard.

specifica

A departmental specification or standard is a specification or standard prepared by, and of primary interest to, a particular Federal agency, but which may be used by other Federal agencies. § 101-29.216 Department of Defense Index of Specifications and Standards (DODISS).

The Department of Defense Index of Specifications and Standards is a Department of Defense (DoD) publication of unclassified Federal and military specifications and standards, related stand

ardization documents, and voluntary standards that are used by DoD.

§ 101-29.217 Military specification or standard.

A military specification or standard is a specification or standard issued by the Department of Defense and listed in the DODISS.

§ 101-29.218 Voluntary standards.

Voluntary standards are established generally by private sector bodies and available for use by any person or organization, private or governmental. The term includes what are commonly referred to as "industry standards" as well as "consensus standards," but does not include professional standards of personal conduct, institutional codes of ethics, private standards of individual firms, or standards mandated by law such as those contained in the United States Pharmacopeia as referenced in 21 U.S.C. 351.

§ 101-29.219 Index of Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions.

The Index of Federal Specification, Standards and Commercial Item Descriptions is a GSA publication that lists Federal specifications, qualified products lists, standards, and commerical item descriptions.

§ 101-29.220 Market research and analysis.

Market research and analysis is a process used to ascertain and analyze the range and quality of available commercial products to determine whether they meet user needs and to identify the market practices of firms engaged in producing, distributing, and supporting the products.

§ 101-29.221 Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Description Program (Federal Standardization Program).

The Federal Specifications, Standards and Commercial Item Description Program is a standarization program developed under authority of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended (63 Stat. 377) in consonance with the Defense Cataloging and Standardization Act (Sections