The Federal Acquisition Regulation councils have issued an interim rule to permit telecommuting by contractor employees.

The rule, effective Oct. 5, implements Section 1428 of the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003. That law says agencies may not prohibit contractor employees from telecommuting unless the contracting officer determines that telecommuters cannot meet agency requirements, such as security.

It also provides that a contractor’s offer may not be scored lower because it includes telecommuting, unless the offer cannot meet security standards or other agency requirements.

The interim rule is FAC 2001-25, FAR case 2003-025. Comments are due by Dec. 6.

The FAR councils also published an interim rule stating that IT purchases under $2,500 are not required to satisfy the accessibility standards of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

That exemption for items under the micropurchase threshold has been in effect since 2001. The councils extended it until April 1, 2005, but said it will not be extended again because accessible technology is widely available.

The interim rule is FAC 2001-25, FAR case 2004-020. Comments are due by Dec. 6.

Other FAR changes: A final rule, FAR Case 2002-017, eliminates the use of the Standard Form 1417, Pre-Solicitation Notice (Construction Contract), because the information is now available on FedBizOpps.

A final rule, FAR Case 2003-016, implements new Free Trade Agreements with Chile and Singapore.

The Labor Department has issued draft regulations outlining the employment rights of National Guard members and reservists who are called to active duty.

The proposed rule implements the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act. The law was enacted 10 years ago, but the department only now got around to issuing regulations.

In general, the law provides that a Guardsman or reservist is entitled to return to his or her civilian job with job status, seniority and pay as if the service member had never left.

The draft, published in the Sept. 20 Federal Register, sets out the rights and responsibilities of service members and their employers in question-and-answer format. (314 questions and answers!)

The proposed rule is available at www.dol.gov/vets. Comments are due by Nov. 19.

Robert Faithful, director of the Interior Department’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, is the 2005 chairman of the Federal OSDBU Directors Interagency Council. He succeeds Jeanette Brown of EPA.

Faithful has held the Interior Department position since 1998.

He said one of the council’s priorities will be to increase contracting opportunities for companies owned by service-disabled veterans under the new set-aside program.