General Services Administration Acquisition Manual Change 86

The GSAM incorporates the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) as well as internal agency acquisition policy. GSAR material is shaded. The shading helps users to distinguish and identify those parts that are regulatory from those that apply internally to GSA.

The shaded parts are those subject to section 22 of the Office Federal Procurement Policy Act, as amended (41 U.S.C. 418b). GSA must publish these rules in the Federal Register and codify them in 48 CFR Chapter 5 in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3051 et seq.) and the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). The rules that require publication fall into two major categories:

(1)Those that affect GSA’s business partners (e.g., prospective offerors, contractors).
(2)Those that apply to acquisition of leasehold interests in real property. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) does not apply to leasing actions. GSA establishes regulations for lease of real property under the authority of 40 U.S.C. 490 note.

Separating regulatory material from internal directives decreases the number of rules subject to publication in the Federal Register. It also provides greater flexibility and responsiveness because an internal directive is easier and quicker to update or change.