§252. Purchases and contracts for property

(a) Applicability of subchapter; delegation of authority

Executive agencies shall make purchases and contracts for property and services in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter and implementing regulations of the Administrator; but this subchapter does not apply-

(1) to the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; or

(2) when this subchapter is made inapplicable pursuant to section 474(d) of title 40 or any other law, but when this subchapter is made inapplicable by any such provision of law, sections 5 and 8 of this title shall be applicable in the absence of authority conferred by statute to procure without advertising or without regard to said section 5 of this title.

(b) Small business concerns; share of business

It is the declared policy of the Congress that a fair proportion of the total purchases and contracts for property and services for the Government shall be placed with small business concerns.

(c) Authorization of erection, repair, or furnishing of public buildings or improvements; contracts for construction or repair of buildings, roads, sidewalks, sewers, mains, etc.; Federal Highway Lands Program

(1) This subchapter does not (A) authorize the erection, repair, or furnishing of any public building or public improvement, but such authorization shall be required in the same manner as heretofore, or (B) permit any contract for the construction or repair of buildings, roads, sidewalks, sewers, mains, or similar items using procedures other than sealed-bid procedures under section 253(a)(2)(A) of this title, if the conditions set forth in section 253(a)(2)(A) of this title apply or the contract is to be performed outside the United States.

(2) Section 253(a)(2)(A) of this title does not require the use of sealed-bid procedures in cases in which section 204(e) of title 23 applies.

(June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title III, §302, 63 Stat. 393 ; July 12, 1952, ch. 703, §1(m), 66 Stat. 594 ; Pub. L. 85–800, §§1–3, Aug. 28, 1958, 72 Stat. 966 ; Pub. L. 89–343, §§1, 2, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1303 ; Pub. L. 89–348, §1(2), Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1310 ; Pub. L. 90–268, §4, Mar. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 50 ; Pub. L. 93–356, §3, July 25, 1974, 88 Stat. 390 ; Pub. L. 98–191, §9(a)(1), Dec. 1, 1983, 97 Stat. 1331 ; Pub. L. 98–369, div. B, title VII, §2714(a)(1), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1184 .)

Amendments

1984-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–369, §2714(a)(1)(A), struck out provisions that whenever it was proposed to make a contract or purchase in excess of $10,000 by negotiation and without advertising, pursuant to the authority of subsec. (c)(7) of this section, suitable advance publicity, as determined by the agency head with due regard to the type of property involved and other relevant considerations, had to be given for a period of at least fifteen days, wherever practicable, as determined by the agency head.

Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 98–369, §2714(a)(1)(B), redesignated subsec. (e) as (c)(1), substituted reference to this subchapter for reference to this section in provisions preceding subpar. (A), in subpar. (B), substituted provisions relating to contracts using procedures other than sealed-bid procedures under section 253(a)(2)(A) of this title for provisions relating to contracts negotiated without advertising as required by section 253 of this title. Former subsec. (c), which related to conditions for negotiated purchases and contracts for property, was struck out.

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 98–369, §2714(a)(1)(B), added par. (2).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 98–369, §2714(a)(1)(B), struck out subsec. (d) which related to bids in violation of the antitrust laws.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 98–369, §2714(a)(1)(B), redesignated subsec. (e) as (c)(1).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 98–369, §2714(a)(1)(B), struck out subsec. (f) which related to specification of container size in contracts for the carriage of Government property in other than Government-owned cargo containers.

1983-Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 98–191 substituted "$25,000" for "$10,000".

1974-Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 93–356 substituted "$10,000" for "$2,500".

1968-Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 90–268 added subsec. (f).

1965-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 89–343, §1, substituted provisions requiring executive agencies to make purchases and contracts for property and services in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter and implementing regulations of the Administrator, exempting the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from the application of this subchapter, and making this subchapter inapplicable when it is so made by law, for provisions which made this subchapter applicable to purchases and contracts for property or services made by the General Services Administration for the use of such agency or otherwise, or by any other executive agency (except the departments and activities specified in section 2303(a) of Title 10) in conformity with authority to apply such provisions delegated by the Administrator in his discretion.

Subsec. (c)(11). Pub. L. 89–348 struck out proviso which required a semiannual report to be furnished to the Congress setting forth the name of each contractor with whom a contract has been entered into pursuant to this paragraph, the amount of the contract, and, with due consideration given to the national security, a description of the work required to be performed thereunder.

Subsec. (c)(15). Pub. L. 89–343, §2, inserted "except that section 254 of this title shall apply to purchases and contracts made without advertising under this paragraph".

1958-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 85–800, §1, among other changes, substituted "or" for "and" in par. (1), substituted provisions excepting application of subchapter to departments and activities in section 2303(a) of title 10 for provisions which excepted agencies named in section 151(a) of this title, substituted provisions applying subchapter to agencies in conformity with authority delegated by Administrator in his discretion for provisions which applied chapter in conformity with authority delegated him pursuant to this subsection, and eliminated provisions authorizing Administrator to delegate authority for use of two or more agencies, and other cases where delegation is advantageous to Government in par. (2).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 85–800, §2, substituted in par. (3) "$2,500" for "$1,000", struck out proviso barring agencies other than General Services Administration from making purchases in excess of $500 except under authority to procure for two or more agencies, added par. (9), and renumbered former pars. (9) to (14) as pars. (10) to (15).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 85–800, §3, substituted "(10) to (12), or (14)" for "(9) to (11), or (13)".

1952-Subsecs. (a) to (c). Act July 12, 1952, substituted "property" for "supplies" wherever appearing.

Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–369 applicable with respect to any solicitation for bids or proposals issued after Mar. 31, 1985, see section 2751 of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as a note under section 251 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective July 1, 1949, see section 605 of act June 30, 1949, set out as a note under section 471 of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.

Emergency Relief for Small Business Concerns With Government Contracts

Pub. L. 94–190, Dec. 31, 1975, 89 Stat. 1095 , provided:

"short title

"Section 1. This Act may be cited as the 'Small Business Emergency Relief Act'.

"policy

"Sec. 2. It is the policy of Congress to provide relief to small business concerns which have fixed-price Government contracts in cases where such concerns have suffered or can be expected to suffer serious financial loss because of significant and unavoidable difficulties during performance because of the energy crisis or rapid and unexpected escalations of contract costs.

"definitions

"Sec. 3. As used in this Act-

"(1) the term 'executive agency' means an executive department, a military department, and an independent establishment within the meaning of sections 101, 102, and 104(1) respectively, of title 5, United States Code, and also a wholly owned Government corporation within the meaning of section 101 of the Government Corporation Control Act [section 9101(3) of Title 31, Money and Finance]; and

"(2) the term 'small business concern' means any concern which falls under the size limitations of the 'Small Business Administrator's Definitions of Small Business for Government Procurement'.

"authority

"Sec. 4. (a) Pursuant to an application by a small business concern, the head of any executive agency may terminate for the convenience of the Government any fixed-price contract between that agency and such small business concern, upon a finding that-

"(1) during the performance of the contract, the concern has suffered or can be expected to suffer serious financial loss due to significant unanticipated cost increases directly affecting the cost of contract compliance; and

"(2) the conditions which have caused or are causing such cost increases were, or are being, experienced generally by other small business concerns in the market at the same time and are not caused by negligence, underbidding, or other special management factors peculiar to that small business concern.

"(b) Upon application under subsection (a) by a small business concern to terminate a fixed-price contract between an executive agency and such small business concern, the head of the executive agency may modify the terms of the contract in lieu of termination for the convenience of the Government only if he finds after review of the application that-

"(1)(a) the agency would reprocure the supplies or services in the event that the contract was terminated for the convenience of the Government; and

"(b) the cost of terminating the contract for the convenience of the Government plus the cost of reprocurement would exceed the amount of the contract as modified; and

"(2) Any such modification shall be made in compliance with cost comparison and compensation guidelines to be issued by the Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. Such cost comparison and compensation guidelines shall be promulgated by the Administrator not later than 10 days after enactment of this Act [Dec. 31, 1975].

"(c) If a small business concern in performance of a fixed-price Government contract experiences or has experienced shortages of energy, petroleum products, or products or components manufactured or derived therefrom or impacted thereby, and such shortages result in a delay in the performance of a contract, the head of the agency, or his designee, shall provide by modification to the contract for an appropriate extension of the contract delivery date or period of performance.

"(d) A small business concern requesting relief under subsection (a) shall support that request with the following documentation and certification:

"(1) a brief description of the contract, indicating the date of execution and of any amendment thereto, the items being procured, the price and delivery schedule, and any revision thereof, and any other special contractual provision as may be relevant to the request;

"(2) a history of performance indicating when work under the contract or commitment was begun, the progress made as of the date of the application, an exact statement of the contractor's remaining obligations, and the contractor's expectations regarding completion thereof;

"(3) a statement of the factors which have caused the loss under the contract;

"(4) a statement as to the course of events anticipated if the request is denied;

"(5) a statement of payments received, payments due and payments yet to be received or to become due, including advance and progress payments, and amounts withheld by the Government, and information as to other obligations of the Government, if any, which are yet to be performed under the contract;

"(6) a statement and evidence of the contractor's original breakdown of estimated costs, including contingency allowances and profit;

"(7) a statement and evidence of the contractor's present estimate of total costs under the contract if enabled to complete, broken down between costs accrued to date of request, and runout costs, and as between costs for which the contractor has made payment and those for which he is indebted at the time of the request;

"(8) a statement and evidence of the contractor's estimate of the final price of the contract, giving effect to all escalation, changes, extras, and other comparable factors known or contemplated by the contractor;

"(9) a statement of any claims known or contemplated by the contractor against the Government involving the contract in question, other than those referred to under (8) above;

"(10) an estimate of the contractor's total profit or loss under the contract if required to complete at the original contract price;

"(11) an estimate of the total profits from other Government business, and all other sources, during the period from the date of the first contract involved to the latest estimated date of completion of any other contracts involved;

"(12) balance sheets, certified by a certified public accountant, as of the end of the contractor's fiscal year first preceding the date of the first contract, as of the end of each subsequent fiscal year, and as of the date of the request together with income statements for annual periods subsequent to the date of the first balance sheet; and

"(13) a list of all salaries, bonuses, and all other forms of compensation of the principal officers or partners and of all dividends and other withdrawals, and all payments to stockholders in any form since the date of the first contract involved.

"delegation

"Sec. 5. The head of each executive agency shall delegate authority conferred by this Act, to the extent practicable, to an appropriate level that will permit the expeditious processing of applications under this Act and to insure the uniformity of its application.

"limitations

"Sec. 6. (a) The authority prescribed in section 4(a) shall apply only to contracts which have not been completely performed or otherwise terminated and which were entered into during the period from August 15, 1971, through October 31, 1974.

"(b) The authority conferred by section 4(a) of this Act shall terminate September 30, 1976."

Non-Applicability of National Emergencies Act

The provisions of the National Emergencies Act ( Pub. L. 94–412, Sept. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1255 ) not applicable to the powers and authorities conferred by this section and actions taken hereunder, see section 1651 of Title 50, War and National Defense.

Executive Order No. 10936

Ex. Ord. No. 10936, Apr. 24, 1961, 26 F.R. 3555, which provided for the reporting and investigation of identical bids in connection with the procurement of goods or services, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12430, July 6, 1983, 48 F.R. 31371.

Definitions

The definitions in section 472 of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, apply to this subchapter.

Cross References

Advertising provisions as applicable to lease-purchase agreements, see section 356 of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.

Agency head, definition of, see section 259 of this title.

Armed services procurement generally, see section 2301 et seq. of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Bonneville Dam Project, purchase of supplies and services for, see section 832g of Title 16, Conservation.

General Services Administration generally, see section 751 et seq. of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works.

National defense contract provisions not authorizing increase in price of subsec. (c)(13) contracts to amount higher than lowest reject bid of responsible bidder, see section 1432 of Title 50, War and National Defense.

Purchases for public institutions of Guam through General Services Administration, see section 1423l of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.

References in any Act to section 5 of this title deemed references to subsection (c) of this section, see section 260 of this title.

Small business concerns, availability of information, see section 637b of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 260 of this title; title 22 sections 2509, 4024; title 23 section 140; title 30 section 1711; title 38 section 8122; title 40 sections 356, 356a; title 50 sections 1432, 1651.