(a)    Authority.     Section 201(o) of the General Accounting
Office Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-316, transfers certain functions of 
the Comptroller General contained in 31 U.S.C.  3726(g)(1) to the
Administrator of General Services, who has redelegated those 
functions to the General Services Administration Board of Contract
Appeals.  




	(b)    Type of claim; review of claim.    These procedures are
applicable to the review of claims made by a carrier or freight 
forwarder pursuant to 31 U.S.C.  3726(g)(1).  The Board will issue 
the final agency decision on a claim based on the information 
submitted by the claimant, the General Services Administration 
Office of Transportation Audits (OTA), and the department or agency
(the agency) for which the services were provided.  The burden is 
on the claimant to establish the timeliness of its claim, the 
liability of the agency, and the claimant's right to payment.

	(a)    Form.    A claim shall be in writing and must be signed by 
the claimant or by the claimant's attorney or authorized 
representative.  No particular form is required.  The request 
should describe the basis for the claim and state the amount 
sought.  The request should also include: 




	    (1) the name, address, telephone number, and facsimile 
machine number, if available, of the claimant; 




	    (2) the Government bill of lading or Government 
transportation request number; 




	   (3) the claimant's bill number; 




	   (4) the Government voucher number and date of payment; 




	   (5) the OTA claim number; 




	    (6) the agency for which the services were provided; and 




	    (7) any other identifying information. 




	(b)    When and where claims are filed.  A claim is filed when 
it is received by the Office of the Clerk of the Board during the 
Board's working hours.  Claims should be sent to the Board at the
following address:  Office of the Clerk of the Board, Room 7022, 
General Services Administration Building, 1800 F Street, NW, 
Washington, DC  20405.  The Clerk's telephone number is:  (202) 
501-0116.  The Clerk's facsimile machine number is:  (202) 501-
0664.  The Board's working hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Eastern Time, on each day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or federal 
holiday.           




	(c)    Notice of docketing.  A claim will be docketed by the 
Office of the Clerk of the Board, and a written notice of docketing 
will be sent promptly to the claimant, the Director of OTA, and the
agency for which the services were provided.  The notice of 
docketing will identify the judge to whom the claim has been 
assigned.




	(d)    Service of copy.  The claimant shall send to OTA and the 
agency identified in subparagraph (a)(6) of this rule copies of all 
material provided to the Board.  All submissions to the Board by a
claimant shall indicate that a copy has been provided to OTA and 
the agency. 

	(a)    Content of responses.  Within 30 calendar days after 
docketing by the Board (or within 60 calendar days after docketing 
if the agency office for which the services were provided is 
located outside the 50 states and the District of Columbia), OTA 
and the agency for which the services were provided shall 
each submit to the Board: 




		(1) a simple, concise, and direct statement of its 
response to the claim; 




		(2) citations to applicable statutes, regulations, and 
cases; and 




		(3) any additional information deemed necessary to the 
Board's review of the claim.  




	(b)    Service of copy.  All responses submitted to the Board 
shall indicate that a copy has been sent to the claimant and to OTA 
or the agency, as appropriate.  To expedite proceedings, if either
OTA or the agency will not file a response (e.g., it believes its 
reasons for denying the claim were sufficiently explained in the 
material filed by the claimant), it should notify the Board, the
claimant, and OTA or the agency, as appropriate, that it does not 
intend to file a response.

	A claimant may file with the Board and serve on OTA and the 
agency a reply to the OTA and agency responses within 30 calendar 
days after receiving the responses (or within 60 calendar days 
after receiving the responses, if the claimant is located outside 
the 50 states and the District of Columbia). To expedite 
proceedings, if the claimant does not wish to respond, the claimant
should so notify the Board, OTA, and the agency. 

	(a)    Requests for additional time.    The claimant, OTA, or the 
agency may request additional timeto make any filing.  




	(b)    Conferences.     The judge will not engage in ex parte 
communications involving the underlying facts or merits of the 
claim.  The judge may hold a conference with the claimant, OTA, and 
the agency at any time, for any purpose.  The judge may provide the 
participants a memorandum reflecting the results of a conference.




	(c)    Submissions.    The judge may require the submission of 
additional information at any time. The claimant, OTA, or the 
agency may request an opportunity to make additional submissions;
however, no such submission may be made unless authorized by the 
judge.

	The judge will issue a written decision based upon the record, 
which includes submissions by the claimant, OTA, and the agency, 
and information provided during conferences.  The claimant, OTA, 
and the agency will each be furnished a copy of the decision by the 
Office of the Clerk of the Board.  In addition, all Board decisions are 
posted weekly on the Internet.  The Board's Internet address 
is:  www.gsbca.gsa.gov.

	A request for reconsideration may be made by the claimant, 
OTA, or the agency.  Such requests must be received by the Board 
within 30 calendar days after the date the decision was issued (or
within 60 calendar days after the date the decision was issued, if 
the claimant or agency office making the request is located outside 
the 50 states and the District of Columbia).  The request for
reconsideration should state the reasons why the Board should 
consider the request.  Mere disagreement with a decision or re-
argument of points already made is not a sufficient ground for
seeking reconsideration.

	The agency for which the services were provided shall pay 
amounts the Board determines are due the claimant.