Responsibilities Associated With Equipment Purchases

In Reply Refer To:
Mail Stop 210
                                         June 6, 2000



                    MEMORANDUM


To:       Administrative Officers
          Warranted Contracting Officers
 
From:     Melissa Courtney        /Signed/
          Chief, Branch of Property Management

Subject:  Responsibilities Associated With Equipment Purchases 

All ordering offices are responsible for providing a copy of each purchase 
document to the Property Management Branch (PMB) when making certain 
purchases directly (that is, not processed by the OPS procurement offices 
through IDEAS).  The significant drop in receipts of such documents in FY 
2000, however, indicates that perhaps not all offices have been adhering 
to this requirement.  To facilitate property management review and entry 
into the Fixed Assets Subsystem and, if necessary, posting to the USGS 
general ledger, offices who have not yet submitted copies of purchase 
documents in FY 2000 that fit into the categories identified below are 
requested to do so immediately. 

PMB Copy Requirements

Copies of all purchase documents (purchase orders, bankcard statements, 
etc.) for the 
items listed below should be forwarded to the PMB, National Center, Mail 
Stop 210, Reston, VA  20192, or sent by fax at (703) 648-7527.  Offices 
submitting the copy should also ensure that appropriate information is 
provided, including item name, description, cost, Custodial Property 
Officer (CPO) to whom the equipment is being assigned, and the name and 
telephone number of the person to contact should there be any questions. 

Additional property-related information is available at PMB's web site 
located at: 

http://www.usgs.gov:8888/ops/oms/pp1.html 

a.  Purchases of equipment valued at $1,000 and above when the 
equipment is an enhancement or betterment to an existing accountable 
property item. 
Because enhancements to accountable property add to the value or 
capability of an existing piece of equipment, the cost of all enhancements 
valued at $1,000 or more must be added to the existing acquisition value 
of the property item already on record in the Fixed Assets Subsystem (FAS) 
and the Property Management Interface System (PMIS).  Prior to forwarding 
a copy of the acquisition document for enhancements to PMB, the following 
statement should be annotated:
 
"DO NOT CONTROL SEPARATELY; this is an enhancement to existing 
accountable property.  This equipment will become a component of the 
(insert name and description of the item and the Fixed Assets (FA) 
Number). 

b.  Purchases of ALL equipment valued at $5,000 and above. 
Items costing $5,000 and over are considered "accountable property" which 
must be formally tracked in the bureau's Fixed Assets Subsystem and 
Property Management Interface System (PMIS). 

c.  All orders, regardless of dollar value, for equipment purchased 
with another agency's funds for use by the USGS under contractual 
arrangement when the governing agreement requires that the property be 
tracked on their behalf.

d.  All orders, regardless of dollar value, for sensitive equipment 
(weapons).

e.  All orders, regardless of dollar value, for the lease or rental of 
equipment for a term of 6 months or more. 

f.  All orders, regardless of dollar value, for on-road vehicular 
equipment when a Government license plate will be used.

g.  All orders, regardless of dollar value, for museum property.

The procedures outlined above have been coordinated with the Office of 
Acquisition and Federal Assistance.  Existing purchase order and charge 
card instructions will be updated in the near future to conform to these 
instructions. 

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact 
Sharon Umphlett at (703) 648-7324, (sumphlet@usgs.gov), George Murphy at 
(703) 648-7330, (gmurphy@usgs.gov), or Dan Weiss at (703) 648-7325, 
(dweiss@usgs.gov"). 

Please ensure that individuals with property management responsibilities 
receive a copy of this guidance, and thank you for your cooperation.