Overview
This section prescribes the conditions under which agencies may pre-fill or print repetitive information onto Standard and Optional forms. It establishes that such "overprinting" is permitted without formal external approval, provided the integrity of the original form is maintained.
Key Rules
- Permissible Content: Overprinting is limited to names, addresses, and other uniform entries.
- Consistency Requirement: All added entries must align with the intended purpose of the specific form being used.
- Prohibition on Alteration: The overprinting process must not change, delete, or alter the underlying structure or required fields of the official form.
- No Approval Needed: Agencies do not need to seek an "exception approval" from regulatory authorities to overprint forms.
Practical Implications
- Contracting offices can increase administrative efficiency by pre-populating recurring agency data, such as payment office addresses or specific department names, on standard templates.
- This rule ensures that while agencies have the flexibility to customize forms for convenience, the legal and regulatory uniformity of federal documents remains intact across the government.