NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 4300.1A Effective Date: July 19, 1999 Expiration Date: June 26, 2013

Subject: NASA Personal Property Disposal Procedural Requirements (Revalidated 2/17/06 with Change 1)

Responsible Office: Logistics Management Division

Chapter 3. Utilization and Donation of Personal Property

3.1 Background

Utilization of Federal property should be the first source of supply and is designated to fill current or future authorized requirements in lieu of new procurements. NASA is involved in obtaining property for its official use and making property no longer required by one NASA organization available for further use by other NASA organizations, Federal agencies, and State agencies, or other eligible donees. This chapter sets forth the requirements for establishing and maintaining a program to allow NASA to offer its excess property to NASA organizations and other Federal agencies, and States. Additionally, this program permits the transfer of excess property from other Federal agencies to NASA.

3.2. Guidance Information

Federal Property Management Regulations, Chapter 101, Subchapter H, Section 43 - Utilization of Personal Property, and Section 44 - Donation of Personal Property.

3.3. Coordination

The GSA was established by the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949. The purpose of the Property Act was to simplify the procurement, utilization, and the disposal of Government property. The Property Act assigned the Administrator of the General Services Administration the responsibility for the supervision and direction over the disposition of excess and surplus property. Coordination between GSA and NASA in the successful utilization and donation of NASA property is paramount.

3.4. Eligible Organizations to Obtain Excess Property

Transfers of excess personal property may be made among Federal agencies, including cost-reimbursement contractors, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Architect of the Capitol, mixed ownership Government corporations, the municipal government of the District of Columbia, or non-Federal agencies for which GSA procures. See Federal Property Management Regulations, 41 CFR 101-43.309-1.

3.5. Eligible Organizations to Obtain Surplus Property

State Agencies for Surplus Property have been established by each State. These State Agencies for Surplus Property advise applicants of eligibility requirements and procedures to be followed in acquiring Federal surplus personal property from all Federal agencies. Eligible donees may include public agencies, nonprofit educational and public health activities, nonprofit and public programs for the elderly, educational activities of special interest to the armed services for Department of Defense property only, public airports, or the homeless. See Federal Property Management Regulations, 41 CFR 101-44.

3.6. Cost of Excess or Surplus Property

3.6.1. Each holding agency, including NASA shall be responsible for and bear the costs of, performing the care and handling of excess and surplus personal property pending disposition.

3.6.2. Transfers of excess personal property between Federal agencies are normally made without charge for the property itself. Reimbursement is required for certain cases of property transfers as outlined in Federal Property Management Regulations, 41 CFR 101-43.309-3 for exchange/sale property to the United States Postal Service and project grantee. For transfers to project grantees, the sponsoring Federal agency must pay the United States Treasury 25 percent of the original acquisition cost of the property, unless another law specifically exempts the project grantees. Therefore, NASA does not provide excess property to NASA grantees.

3.6.3. Transfers of surplus personal property between Federal agencies and State Agencies for Surplus Property are made without charge for the property itself.

3.6.4. Packing and shipping charges for excess property transferred to a Federal agency, including NASA, will be the responsibility of the requesting organization if billed by the holding Federal agency. Only costs incurred in the actual packing, preparation for shipment, loading, and shipment may be recovered by the holding Federal agency. Billing of a Federal agency by the holding agency for direct costs of less than $100 for any single shipment is uneconomical for the Federal Government and should be avoided. PDO`s or other representatives of holding activities shall not act as the agent or shipper for State Agencies for Surplus Property for eligible donees.

3.7. Availability of NASA Idle, Excess, and Surplus Personal Property

3.7.1. NASA`s idle personal property is available to all NASA organizations and cost reimbursement contractors exclusively during the NASA Agencywide screening period. Upon completion of the NASA Agencywide screening period, NASA idle personal property becomes NASA excess and surplus personal property that is still available for all NASA organizations, all Federal agencies, State Agencies for Surplus Property, and eligible donees.

3.7.2. Screening procedures are the processes by which customers learn of what NASA idle, excess, and surplus personal property is available for acquisition and use.

3.7.2.1. Idle property will be reported to the PDO by the responsible NASA organization for timely input to NPDMS and appropriate screening action including NASA internal Agencywide screening. NASA reportable and nonreportable property data will be electronically submitted to GSA daily via the NPDMS and GSA computer interface. Information on the available NASA property is then made available on "Federal Disposal System Screen by Computer and Requisition Excess by Electronic Notification" for NASA internal Agencywide screening, to other Federal agencies during Federal screening period, to State Agencies for Surplus Property, and to eligible Property Act donees during donation screening period.

3.7.2.2. Plant Clearance Officers will forward approved termination or residual inventory schedules or excess property lists as submitted by a contractor to the PDO for appropriate screening when applicable. The PDO will ensure distribution of one copy of the contractor inventory schedule to all other NASA PDO`s for NASA Agency internal screening, in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulations.

3.7.2.3. The accuracy of the descriptive and property condition information provided is crucial to the success of an agency`s utilization program. When screening property for potential use, reassignment customers must believe in the accuracy and completeness of the property listing to commit the time and effort to request or requisition the available property. Physical inspection of the desired property by the potential customer is not always possible or cost-effective. Therefore, property is screened only by electronic methods and transfers are processed based on faith of the accuracy of the property description, as well as the integrity of the holding agency. A complete commercial description will be given for each property item.

3.7.2.4. At a minimum, the potential customer will be furnished the same information whether screening via electronic media or physically screening the property at a storage site. Some of the basic information that must be provided are the name and address of the holding Center or contractor; location of property, names of person and/or individuals and the telephone numbers to contact, Federal Supply Classification Group, condition code of property, unit of measure, quantity, unit acquisition cost, year of manufacture, overall dimensions and weight, and special instructions, as appropriate.

3.7.3. Screening timeframes or screening periods represent the amount of time that property must be held by the generating Federal agency prior to being able to conduct a sale of any remaining surplus or exchange/sale personal property that was not transferred to a Federal agency or eligible donee. Although the three phases of screening periods commonly referred to as Agency internal screening, Federal screening, and donation screening are often mentioned as separate sequential steps, they may be concurrent or overlap each other in many processes. The largest cost of disposal is storage cost for the generating agency, and travel costs for potential users of available property. Therefore, it is important to ensure that any and all screeners are permitted to electronically or physically screen the available property at any time, no matter which of the three screening periods the property is currently in on a specific single day. NASA property will be screened through the Federal Government, State Agencies for Surplus Property, and eligible donee organizations as follows:

(1) NASA idle property will be screened simultaneously by the holding Center and other NASA Centers for the NASA Agencywide internal screening period which varies from 0, 10, 21, or 30 calendar days, based on the type of property and appropriate regulations, such as the contractor inventory property. See Screening Table, Figure 1, for details.

(2) Upon completion of the NASA internal screening period, the remaining property becomes excess to NASA and is available for a Federal screening period which varies from 0, 7, 21, 45, or 60 calendar days. See Screening Table, Figure 1, for details.

(3) Any remaining property becomes surplus to the Federal Government and is available for donation screening of 15 or 21 calendar days, if applicable. See Screening Table, Figure 1, for details.

Disposal Timeframes: Figure 1

* NASA Agencywide screening and Federal screening periods are performed concurrently.

** Prior coordination and approval by GSA regional office required. Actual days may vary based on volume, type of property, and property location, but minimum is usually 5 workdays. Monday through Wednesday concurrent agency and Federal screening and then donation screening beginning on Thursday. All screening and transferred property removed by close of business Friday. Second Monday begin sales preparation of any remaining property.

*** NASA Agencywide screening period can be changed by NASA without GSA or other approval. NASA PDO submit deviation request to NASA Headquarters, Manager, Warehousing and Disposal Programs.

3.7.4. The Federal Disposal System Screen by Computer and Requisition Excess by Electronic Notification (FEDS SCREEN) is structured as an online, real-time data base and is an interactive electronic bulletin board that allows Federal agencies and State Agencies for Surplus Property to search, freeze, and request transfer of excess or surplus property. The electronic transfer document, Standard Form 122, created by FEDS SCREEN will replace the paper printed version. However, until all agencies utilize FEDS SCREEN, NASA will accept all paper Standard Form 122. A freeze request action is instant because of the online, real-time capability of FEDS SCREEN. During the nightly cycle that follows generation of the freeze, the GSA mainframe computer generates a transfer request of the item and faxes it to the requesting agency approving official for signature and the responsible GSA person for information only. The requesting agency approving official manually makes changes on the computerized Standard Form 122, if necessary, and faxes the signed document to the GSA approving official mentioned at the top of the form. Upon approval of the transfer by GSA, an electronic copy of the transfer is faxed to the reporting agency and property location of the respective property for immediate processing of the property for transfer to the new owner organization.

3.8. Obtaining Excess Personal Property for NASA Use

3.8.1 Excess property of other Federal agencies is available to NASA organizations for official Government use.

3.8.2. NASA Utilization Officials.

3.8.2.1. Regional Utilization Officer - Each Center has a local Regional Reutilization Officer assigned to the property disposal function. These individuals are responsible for maintaining "want lists" of NASA requirements for property, physically screening all property excessed by the Federal Government in the local travel area needed by any NASA organization Nationwide, using "FEDS SCREEN" to electronically match customer requests with available excess property generations Nationwide, notifying NASA Agency screener and GSA regional utilization staffs and/or Area Utilization Officers of NASA wants that could not be satisfied from local excess sources within 14 calendar days.

3.8.2.2. NASA Agency Screener - The Agency Screener is currently located at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and is responsible for matching NASA "want lists" to available excess Federal Government property located anywhere in the world. The NASA Agency Screener is authorized to travel to larger generators of Federal property not located within the local travel area of the NASA local regional Reutilization Officers to obtain other Federal agencies excess property for official use. All referrals of NASA "want lists" to the Agency Screener must be processed through the NASA local Regional Utilization Officer.

3.8.2.3. NASA National Utilization Officer - The NASA National Utilization Officer is the Manager, Warehousing and Disposal Programs at NASA Headquarters, and is available to each Center and the Agency Screener for consultation of any conflict resolution and for promoting the acquisition and profitable use of available excess property from all Federal agencies, including NASA.

3.8.3. Transfer Documentation.

3.8.3.1. All NASA transfer requests for excess property from other Federal agencies and NASA excess sources will be completed using "FEDS SCREEN" or a paper Standard Form 122. The transfer document Standard Form 122 will be generated and signed by the NASA PDO or authorized designee.

3.8.3.2. Transfer documentation for all excess property received by the NASA Centers from other Federal agencies will be submitted to NEMS if the transfer contains property that should be controlled by the NEMS.

3.8.4. Transfer Cost.

3.8.4.1 When a Center requests a transfer of excess property from other Centers, that Center will incur all shipping cost. In addition, when property is very large or attached to buildings, the requesting Center will incur all cost for disassembly.

3.8.4.2. In all cases when billed, the acquiring Center will incur all shipping cost when acquiring excess equipment from other Federal agencies.

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