110 HR 1362 IH: Accountability in Contracting
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-03-06
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title and table of
contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Accountability in Contracting
Act
.
(b)The table of
contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Title I—Limiting the Use of Abuse-Prone Contracts
Sec. 101. Limitation on length of noncompetitive
contracts.
Sec. 102. Minimizing sole-source contracts.
Sec. 103. Minimizing cost-reimbursement type
contracts.
Title II—Increasing Contract Oversight
Sec. 201. Public disclosure of justification and approval
documents for noncompetitive contracts.
Sec. 202. Disclosure of Government contractor
overcharges.
Sec. 203. Funding contract oversight.
Title III—Deterring Corruption in Contracting
Sec. 301. Additional provisions relating to procurement
officials.
<enum>I</enum><header>Limiting the Use
of Abuse-Prone Contracts</header>
<section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HD6C322A6A261411BA221432CCC65DB06" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>101.</enum><header>Limitation on length
of noncompetitive contracts</header>
<subsection id="H6032D8B54280457D931B031DA48D19C4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Revision of
FAR</header><text>Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall be revised to restrict the
contract period of any contract described in subsection (c) to the minimum
contract period necessary—</text>
<paragraph id="H794042F7F49B4C019E22009CBEE1CC7F"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to meet the urgent
and compelling requirements of the work to be performed under the contract;
and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB91E2410A02741DDA671B71D0ED44D5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to
enter into another contract for the required goods or services through the use
of competitive procedures.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H6EE65AC351C64721A2BEE37FD7B4BE52"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Contract
period</header><text>The regulations promulgated under subsection (a) shall
require the contract period to not exceed 240 days, unless the head of the
executive agency concerned determines that exceptional circumstances
apply.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H65936AB1A6354FDCAF287423E6FE6B1F"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Covered
contracts</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">This section
applies to any contract in an amount greater than the simplified acquisition
threshold entered into by an executive agency using procedures other than
competitive procedures pursuant to the exception provided in section 303(c)(2)
of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C.
253(c)(2)) or <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/10/2304">section 2304(c)(2)</external-xref> of title 10, United States Code.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HEB81EFD2BF7D421AB9B45CA664E8879B"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In
this section:</text>
<paragraph id="HE3199CD5659F41A7A8E8F7DB5DA0E1E9"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The term
<quote>executive agency</quote> has the meaning provided in section 4(1) of the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/403">41 U.S.C. 403(1)</external-xref>).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H4C0C300D61174CCFB75168DCDEBFD2B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The term
<quote>head of the executive agency</quote> means the head of an executive
agency except that, in the case of a military department, the term means the
Secretary of Defense.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HDC4802C60A004E92B3650529E8D39E2D" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>102.</enum><header>Minimizing
sole-source contracts</header>
<subsection id="HE7BC56D835B94C8A98962B30DB835BA8"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Plans
required</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to
subsection (c), the head of each executive agency covered by title III of the
Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251 et
seq.) and the head of each agency covered by <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/10/137">chapter 137</external-xref> of title 10, United
States Code, shall develop and implement a plan to minimize the use of
contracts entered into using procedures other than competitive procedures by
the agency concerned. The plan shall contain measurable goals and shall be
completed and submitted to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of
the House of Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Committees on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Senate with a copy provided to the Comptroller
General, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this
Act.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HAC5E2132D2564ECAB4731005778B11B8"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Comptroller
General review</header><text>The Comptroller General shall review the plans
provided under subsection (a) and submit a report to Congress on the plans not
later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HDED30B4E9BBA41F8AA45CA06DB50D8F5"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Requirement
limited to certain agencies</header><text>The requirement of subsection (a)
shall apply only to those agencies that awarded contracts in a total amount of
at least $1,000,000,000 in the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year in which
the report is submitted.</text>
</subsection></section><section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H63CD95FB6CAA434697F09120254F5CD3" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>103.</enum><header>Minimizing
cost-reimbursement type contracts</header>
<subsection id="H1C2BC53D6CDA4FFBAF00BB7D450F358"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Plans
required</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to
subsection (c), the head of each executive agency covered by title III of the
Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251 et
seq.) and the head of each agency covered by <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/10/137">chapter 137</external-xref> of title 10, United
States Code, shall develop and implement a plan to minimize the use of
cost-reimbursement type contracts by the agency concerned. The plan shall
contain measurable goals and shall be completed and submitted to the Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the
Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate
with a copy provided to the Comptroller General, not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this Act.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H5C9CCF6EF2E64C32AF64B2F5EDB9AE46"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Comptroller
General review</header><text>The Comptroller General shall review the plans
provided under subsection (a) and submit a report to Congress on the plans not
later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H92854227A6D345AF9400996DDC5FC8DB"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Requirement
limited to certain agencies</header><text>The requirement of subsection (a)
shall apply only to those agencies that awarded contracts in a total amount of
at least $1,000,000,000 in the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year in which
the report is submitted.</text>
</subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Increasing
Contract Oversight</header>
<section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HE635EB43E41E4447894800BEEBB99F" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>201.</enum><header>Public disclosure of
justification and approval documents for noncompetitive contracts</header>
<subsection display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HFCD997AC480149D0A2A9068899037288"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Civilian agency
contracts</header><text><?xm-replace_text {text}?>—</text>
<paragraph id="HB3CDF46EC07A4D4BB7BBA43D5B7F6B73"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 303 of the Federal Property and Administrative
Services Act of 1949 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/253">41 U.S.C. 253</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H149A6C865ED6474184128EF7FBA98D00" style="OLC">
<subsection id="H4E0C573BB082481D82E1403F355CCB56"><enum>(j)</enum><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H19606DEE8EE6459F9E51EC0093171400"><enum>(1)</enum><text>In the case of a
procurement permitted by subsection (c), the head of an executive agency shall
make publicly available, within 14 days after the award of the contract, the
documents containing the justification and approval required by subsection
(f)(1) with respect to the procurement.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB7EE7C7226164A12816C5007AF872B10" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The documents shall be made available
on the website of the agency and through the Federal Procurement Data
System.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H9500510F74F5451B8828C3E0778F7300" indent="up1"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">This subsection does not require the public
availability of information that is exempt from public disclosure under section
552(b) of title 5, United States
Code.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HF2D6DB7B6BFC472EAFA316A756ECA480"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Conforming
amendment</header><text>Section 303(f) of such Act is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="H040C11EA45F243F2A0C00311FEAA2E93"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking
paragraph (4); and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4EB01EFECEB74132B17F6439DCFB9900"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by redesignating
paragraph (5) as paragraph (4).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H146A88A27F374B6E924FF9A245087264"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Defense agency
contracts</header>
<paragraph id="HA034DE9BAF484BFDBBD4E574F2C8D63C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/10/2304">Section 2304</external-xref> of title 10, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC2604BC70AB048A3A922E1006BC70000" style="USC">
<subsection id="H9C9AA9A5DE8E45C8BA657CD0F9F25B00"><enum>(l)</enum><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H746ADE0374D04CA7BE5803F400F94247"><enum>(1)</enum><text>In the case of a
procurement permitted by subsection (c), the head of an agency shall make
publicly available, within 14 days after the award of the contract, the
documents containing the justification and approval required by subsection
(f)(1) with respect to the procurement.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H0748A1392F5F456A87FC78A9A4AD6965" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text>The documents shall be made available
on the website of the agency and through the Federal Procurement Data
System.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H8E3D2B929F4041BD90CED8D743649462" indent="up1"><enum>(3)</enum><text>This subsection does not require the
public availability of information that is exempt from public disclosure under
<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/5/552">section 552(b)</external-xref> of title 5, United States
Code.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H909200428527416EA928EED04D73B91E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Conforming
amendment</header><text>Section 2304(f) of such title is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="HDA091E0F6A9845AA90CF387F67C99FA1"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking
paragraph (4); and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HD834C4DBD89947F7ADAEDE91064CF872"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by redesignating
paragraphs (5) and (6) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HF559FC72274542A09F93666100C4348E" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>202.</enum><header>Disclosure of
Government contractor overcharges</header>
<subsection id="H3D26C148944941C3B87EB027DCD5F09F"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Quarterly Report
to Congress</header>
<paragraph id="HFB2367E1E9FE4F69B752F3827D3CA873"><enum>(1)</enum><text>The head of each
Federal agency or department shall submit to the chairman and ranking member of
each committee specified in paragraph (2) on a quarterly basis a report that
includes the following:</text>
<subparagraph id="HE820DFABCB52456B009B70B369733A0"><enum>(A)</enum><text>A list of audits or
other reports issued during the applicable quarter that describe contractor
costs in excess of $1,000,000 that have been identified as unjustified,
unsupported, questioned, or unreasonable under any contract, task or delivery
order, or subcontract.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HFB2B01956C2F4B4BB3298DE84FF7164C"><enum>(B)</enum><text>The specific
amounts of costs identified as unjustified, unsupported, questioned, or
unreasonable and the percentage of their total value of the contract, task or
delivery order, or subcontract.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HC4341107032247B9AB1C14261D809200"><enum>(C)</enum><text>A list of audits
or other reports issued during the applicable quarter that identify significant
or substantial deficiencies in the performance of any contractor or in any
business system of any contractor under any contract, task or delivery order,
or subcontract.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HCE405832CB9A4BD1BC07BB9787B0FC9D"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The report described in paragraph (1) shall
be submitted to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House
of Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
of the Senate, the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives
and the Senate, and other committees of jurisdiction.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB3621B24DC8D4D61A04651C4C1071DAD"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Paragraph (1)
shall not apply to an agency or department with respect to a calendar quarter
if no audits or other reports described in paragraph (1) were issued during
that quarter.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H025492A912B8480E81A6E12EF6BD7F31"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Submission of
individual audits</header><text>The head of each Federal agency or department
shall provide, within 14 days after a request in writing by the chairman or
ranking member of any of the committees described in subsection (a)(2), a full
and unredacted copy of any audit or other report described in subsection
(a)(1).</text>
</subsection></section><section display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H4AEC1CA369BB49AC9055E9BA72CF8F36" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>203.</enum><header>Funding contract
oversight</header>
<subsection id="H9D05EA3F523E4860861CA2DA08EE9106"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Civilian agency
contracts</header><text>Title III of the Federal Property and Administrative
Services Act of 1949 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/251">41 U.S.C. 251 et seq.</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end
the following new section:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HA7748F00ECAA48778DCF93ADA2824E46" style="OLC">
<section id="H6DEA936ACC4944A8AB73D5965DE24D71"><enum>318.</enum><header>Requirement for
1 percent of contract amounts to be used for contract personnel,
administration, oversight, and planning</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to the sums used for the
purposes listed in this section as of the date of the enactment of this
section, each fiscal year, the head of an executive agency shall ensure that
the agency uses an additional amount equal to 1 percent of the aggregate amount
of contracts entered into by the agency during that fiscal year for the
following purposes:</text>
<paragraph id="H61E6FED4B96449A582007F24584464D7"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Hiring and
training of acquisition workforce personnel.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H955F88E81E3645AF97D8DCD85167FFAB"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Contract
planning.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HD5412DB332B34CCE9187005BD0ADB646"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Contract
administration and oversight.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H550AFDA65C3B409B9EBA14F3FA7C8C9B"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Contract audits
and
enforcement.</text>
</paragraph></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="HC13B41A4F56A459EBA254DFB4FED6127"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Defense
contracts</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/10/141">Chapter 141</external-xref> of title 10, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following new section:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1296B911F33A406CB19013EA7ECCFF47" style="USC">
<section id="H60F8DD377CFD48C78C966658D32D78B7"><enum>2410p.</enum><header>Requirement
for 1 percent of contract amounts to be used for contract personnel,
administration, oversight, and planning</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to the sums used for the
purposes listed in this section as of the date of the enactment of this
section, each fiscal year, the head of an agency (as defined in section 2302(1)
of this title) shall ensure that the agency uses an additional amount equal to
1 percent of the aggregate amount of contracts entered into by the agency
during that fiscal year for the following purposes:</text>
<paragraph id="H27CE80691A2F4EA6B800549EC349BEB"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Hiring and training
of acquisition workforce personnel.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB6C5B941DEDF434D97995D79ACAC6C16"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Contract
planning.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB9CAF56BECDD4CBBBFF998DE00C59BCD"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Contract
administration and oversight.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H439B9DCCA559416B9463D124CD30AE9E"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Contract audits
and
enforcement.</text>
</paragraph></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><enum>III</enum><header>Deterring
Corruption in Contracting</header>
<section id="H18D90AE2F260491E9500C75FC163C8F2"><enum>301.</enum><header>Additional
provisions relating to procurement officials</header>
<subsection id="H21578ACD1F9049A2A4009D4DFE661276"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Elimination of
loopholes that allow former Federal officials To accept compensation from
contractors or related entities</header><text>Section 27(d) of the Office of
Federal Procurement Policy Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/423">41 U.S.C. 423(d)</external-xref>) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H04B74AB8520043E3843400E35B14AF17"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in paragraph
(1)—</text>
<subparagraph id="H1A6FA571E8254D7DA2AF1E65444BB600"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>or consultant</quote> and inserting <quote>consultant, lawyer, or
lobbyist</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDBD50859B2BB48E4855D4BD9C8F2BFD1"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>one year</quote> and inserting <quote>two years</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF2BAFFC884604E5C93FA48DBC16E1FCB"><enum>(C)</enum><text>in subparagraph
(C), by striking <quote>personally made for the Federal agency—</quote> and
inserting <quote>participated personally and substantially in—</quote>;
and</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H0191E7B3CB764E148E4F4C2B9E9D9C2B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by amending
paragraph (2) to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC8B33DFEA9CF48998698C1A4B8D60090" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HA82EAEE8D3304836BA5273484FF94545" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Paragraph (1) shall not prohibit a former
official of a Federal agency from accepting compensation from any division or
affiliate of a contractor that does not produce the same or similar products or
services as the entity of the contractor that is responsible for the contract
referred to in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of such paragraph if the agency’s
designated ethics officer determines that—</text>
<subparagraph id="H8866C1818973409EA9A4173BDB2EFC12"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the offer of compensation is not a
reward for any action described in paragraph (1); and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HD25F926F33304812A2409FA0B8DBF81C"><enum>(B)</enum><text>acceptance of the compensation is
appropriate and will not affect the integrity of the procurement
process.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HA687626519BC427BA5AD055D87BB487"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Requirement for
Federal Procurement Officers To Disclose Job Offers Made on behalf of
Relatives</header><text>Section 27(c)(1) of such Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/423">41 U.S.C. 423(c)(1)</external-xref>) is
amended by inserting after <quote>that official</quote> the following:
<quote>or for a relative of that official (as defined in section 3110 of title
5, United States Code)</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H2C3161955D994836871FF268E7F3939C"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Requirement on
award of government contracts to former employers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 27 of such Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/423">41 U.S.C. 423</external-xref>) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H7BB2A24C8F2B495CBBA915299202048C" style="OLC">
<subsection id="HB654789971294D1AB33CA716D6FE4E1"><enum>(i)</enum><header>Prohibition on
involvement by certain former contractor employees in
procurements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An employee of
the Federal Government who is a former employee of a contractor with the
Federal Government shall not be personally and substantially involved with any
award of a contract to the employee’s former employer, or the administration of
such a contract, for the two-year period beginning on the date on which the
employee leaves the employment of the
contractor.</text>
</subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" id="H5928B2204EA24D55BAF45B91678005B4"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text>Section
27 of such Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/423">41 U.S.C. 423</external-xref>) is further amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block id="H8B08BE2146B34D2DB0E9F900194BFFF4" style="OLC">
<subsection commented="no" id="H273030394A444367A32E00BF8DFB5835"><enum>(j)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text>The
Administrator, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Government
Ethics, shall—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" id="H3D018D03990A4C3C9C968CDAD8C8CBC5"><enum>(1)</enum><text>promulgate
regulations to carry out and ensure the enforcement of this section; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HD3A3F5FA78004FD40010C9D1AD5141C5"><enum>(2)</enum><text>monitor and
investigate individual and agency compliance with this
section.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="H73D054D4A5D7450A863F29FCCC00F48F"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Effective
date</header><text>The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the
date of the enactment of this Act, except that the amendment made by subsection
(a)(1)(B) shall apply to individuals who terminate Government service after
March 31, 2007.</text>
</subsection></section>