Bidding on Jobs in the
Upper Colorado Region
Beginning fiscal year (FY) 2003, the Department of the Interior has directed the use of Central Contractor Registration (CCR) as the single validated source on vendors doing business with the Government. Prospective vendors must be registered in CCR prior to the award of a contract; purchase order, delivery order, basic agreement, basic ordering agreement, or blanket purchase agreement, (FAR clause52.232-33 requires registration for payment). Lack of registration in the CCR database will make an offeror ineligible for award. Information, Central Contractor Registration Handbook and the Registration process can be obtained via the CCR web site, www.ccr.gov or by calling 1-888-227-2423.
Since all information listed on the Pre-Solicitation Notice (SF-1417) is available electronically, the Upper Colorado Regional Acquisition Office of the Bureau of Reclamation will discontinue using the Solicitation Mailing List Application (SF-129) and the mailing of Pre-Solicitation Notice (SF-1417). This action is effective October 1, 2001, and is in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), and Federal Acquisition Regulations 4.502(a), 14.205-1(a), and 36.213-2.
To obtain information on contracting and subcontracting opportunities, you are invited to view the following websites:
1. http://www.fedbizopps.gov is designated as Governmentwide Point of Entry for Procurement Opportunities
that exceed $25,000.
2. http://ideasec.usgs.gov Simplified acquisitions under $100,000 and commercial items up to $5,000,000
are posted on this FACNET website.
3. http://www.us.usbr.gov/acq/index.html.All acquisitions over $25,000 for the Upper Colorado Region are posted on this website, as well as links to other regions.
If you have questions about Small Businesses, (Small, Veteran-owned, HUBZone, Disadvantaged, Women-owned, or 8a), contact our Business Development Utilization Specialist, Pegge J. Ure, at 801-524-3756, e-mail: pure@uc.usbr.gov. Web site comments, or general questions about solicitations, contact our Procurement Technician, Linda Daniel, at 801-524-3693, ldaniel@uc.usbr.gov or Procurement Technician, Sue Fowles, at 801-524-3891, sfowles@uc.usbr.gov. Fax: 801-524-3857
Please make particular note of the following employment policy established by Bureau of Reclamation.
AUTHORIZED WORKERS NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CONTRACTORS (SEP 2002)
Definitions:
RCA - Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986
INA - Immigration and Nationality Act
INS - Immigration and Naturalization Service
SSA - Social Security Administration
INS SAVE Program - The INS Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements Program
ESA - Employment Standards Administration (Department of Labor)
(a) Authority: Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (8 USC 1101 as amended) and the Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 274A.
(b) Who is Covered: INA includes provisions addressing employment eligibility, employment verification, and nondiscrimination. These provisions apply to all employers, including government contractors.
(c) Basic Provisions/Requirements: Under IRCA, employers may hire only persons who may legally work in the U.S., i.e.,
citizens and nationals of the U.S. and aliens authorized to work in the U.S. The employer must verify the identity and employment eligibility
of anyone to be hired, which includes completing the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9). Employers must keep each I-9 on file for
at least three years, or one year after employment ends, whichever is longer. Detailed guidance on the I-9 is available at the INS web site:
http://www.ins.gov/graphics/services/employerinfo/index.htm.
(d) Employment Verification Pilot Programs: The INS and the SSA are conducting the following programs that provide employers a way to confirm the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. Any employer located in a pilot state may volunteer to participate in a pilot program. If employers are not located in a pilot state, they would verify employment eligibility by following the procedures currently in place, i.e., by completing Form I-9.
(1) The Basic Pilot is a joint pilot being conducted by the INS and SSA in the States of California, Florida, Illinois, Nebraska, New York, and Texas. This pilot involves verification checks of the SSA and INS databases of all newly hired employees, regardless of citizenship. To receive information on the Basic Pilot program please call the INS SAVE Program toll free at 1-888-464-4218, or fax your request for information to (202) 514-9981, or write to USINS, SAVE Program, 425 I Street, NW, ULLICO Building 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20536. You may also contact the Social Security Administration by calling (410) 966-1940, or writing to Social Security Administration, Office of Program Benefits Policy, 6401 Security Blvd., 760 Altmeyer, Baltimore, MD 21235.
(2) The INS is conducting the Citizen Attestation Pilot in the States of Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Virginia. The Citizen Attestation Pilot permits participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of newly hired alien employees by using a personal computer with a modem. To receive information on the Citizen Attestation Pilot program please call the INS SAVE Program toll free at 1-888-464-4218, or fax your request for information to (202) 514-9981. Employers may also write to US/INS, SAVE Program, 425 I Street, NW, ULLICO-4th Floor, Washington, DC 20536.
(3) The INS and the SSA are conducting the Machine-Readable Document Pilot in the State of Iowa. The Machine-Readable Document Pilot is identical to the Basic Pilot in all respects, except for the geographic scope of the pilot and for one additional feature. If an employee presents an Iowa's driver's license or identification card containing a machine-readable SSN, the employer will make an inquiry through the confirmation system by using the machine-readable feature. To receive information on the Machine-Readable Document Pilot program please call the INS SAVE Program toll free at 1-888-464-4218, or fax your request for information to (202)514-9981. You may also write to US/INS, SAVE Program, 425 I Street, NW, ULLICO-4th Floor, Washington, DC 20536.
(e) Employee Rights: The INA protects U.S. citizens and aliens authorized to accept employment in the U.S. from discrimination in hiring or discharge on the basis of national origin and citizenship status.
(f) Compliance Assistance: More detailed information, including copies of explanatory brochures and regulatory and interpretative materials, may be obtained from local offices of the Department of Labor's Employment Standards Division, Wage and Hour Division, and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
(g) Penalties/Sanctions: Employers who fail to complete and/or retain the I-9 forms are subject to penalties. The INS enforces the INA requirements on verification of employment eligibility. The Justice Department enforces the anti-discrimination provisions. As part of their ongoing enforcement efforts, the ESA's Wage and Hour Division and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs conduct inspections of the I-9 forms. They report their findings to the INS and to the Department of Justice when they find cases of disparate treatment or unauthorized employment. A debarring official may debar a contractor, based on a determination by the Attorney General of the United States, or designee, that the contractor is not in compliance with the INA. The Attorney General's determination is not reviewable in the debarment proceedings.