USC Chapter 244

10 U.S.C. § 3371 Undefinitized contractual actions: required description of anticipated effect on military department requirements if use of undefinitized contractual action results in delay

The head of an agency may not enter into an undefinitized contractual action unless the request to the head of the agency for authorization of the contractual action includes a description of the anticipated effect on requirements of the military department concerned if a delay is incurred for purposes of determining contractual terms, specifications, and price before performance is begun under the contractual action.

10 U.S.C. § 3372 Undefinitized contractual actions: requirements and limitations relating to definitization of contractual terms, specifications, and price

(a) Contractual Action to Provide Time for Definitization of Contractual Terms, Specifications, and Price; Limitations on Obligation of Funds.—(1) Terms for time for definitization to be included in contractual action.—A contracting officer of the Department of Defense may not enter into an undefinitized contractual action unless the contractual action provides for agreement upon contractual terms, specifications, and price by the earlier of—(A) the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date on which the contractor submits a qualifying proposal to definitize the contractual terms, specifications, and price; or (B) the date on which the amount of funds obligated under the contractual action is equal to more than 50 percent of the negotiated overall ceiling price for the contractual action. (2) Limitation on obligation of funds before definitization.—(A) 50 percent limitation.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the contracting officer for an undefinitized contractual action may not obligate with respect to such contractual action an amount that is equal to more than 50 percent of the negotiated overall ceiling price until the contractual terms, specifications, and price are definitized for such contractual action. (B) 75 percent limitation when contractor submits qualifying proposal.—If a contractor submits a qualifying proposal (as defined in section 3377(b) of this title) to definitize an undefinitized contractual action before an amount equal to more than 50 percent of the negotiated overall ceiling price is obligated on such action, the contracting officer for such action may not obligate with respect to such contractual action an amount that is equal to more than 75 percent of the negotiated overall ceiling price until the contractual terms, specifications, and price are definitized for such contractual action. (3) Waiver authority.—The head of an agency may waive the provisions of this subsection with respect to a contract of that agency if that head of an agency determines that the waiver is necessary in order to support any of the following operations:(A) A contingency operation. (B) A humanitarian or peacekeeping operation. (4) Inapplicability with respect to purchase of initial spares.—This subsection does not apply to an undefinitized contractual action for the purchase of initial spares. (b) Limitation on Unilateral Definitization by Contracting Officer.—(1) In general.—With respect to any undefinitized contractual action with a value greater than $50,000,000, if agreement is not reached on contractual terms, specifications, and price within the period or by the date provided in subsection (a)(1), the contracting officer may not unilaterally definitize those terms, specifications, or price over the objection of the contractor until—(A) the service acquisition executive for the military department that awarded the contract, or the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment if the contract was awarded by a Defense Agency or other component of the Department of Defense, approves the definitization in writing; (B) the contracting officer provides a copy of the written approval to the contractor; and (C) a period of 30 calendar days has elapsed after the written approval is provided to the contractor. (2) Treatment of unilateral definitization of a contract as a final decision.—A unilateral definitization by a contracting officer shall be considered a final decision under chapter 71 of title 41, and a contractor may appeal this decision to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals or the United States Court of Federal Claims. (c) Foreign Military Contracts.—(1) 180-day requirement.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), a contracting officer of the Department of Defense may not enter into an undefinitized contractual action for a foreign military sale unless the contractual action provides for agreement upon contractual terms, specifications, and price by the end of the 180-day period described in subsection (a)(1)(A). (2) Waiver authority.—The requirement under paragraph (1) may be waived in accordance with subsection (a)(3).

10 U.S.C. § 3374 Undefinitized contractual actions: allowable profit

(a) Allowed Profit to Reflect Cost Risks of Contractor.—The head of an agency shall ensure that the profit allowed on an undefinitized contractual action for which the final price is negotiated after a substantial portion of the performance required is completed reflects—(1) the possible reduced cost risk of the contractor with respect to costs incurred during performance of the contract before the final price is negotiated; (2) the reduced cost risk of the contractor with respect to costs incurred during performance of the remaining portion of the contract; (3) the increased cost risk of the contractor with respect to any costs incurred prior to the award of the undefinitized contractual action when such costs—(A) would have been directly chargeable to the contract if incurred after the award of the contract; and (B) were incurred to meet an anticipated contract delivery schedule or anticipated contract price targets of the Government under an acquisition strategy required under section 4211 of this title; and (4) the increased cost risk of the contractor with respect to negotiations continuing for more than 180 days beginning on the date on which the contractor submitted the qualifying proposal to definitize such undefinitized contractual action. (b) Date as of Which Contractor Cost Risk to Be Determined.—If a contractor submits a qualifying proposal to definitize an undefinitized contractual action and the contracting officer for such action definitizes the contract after the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date on which the contractor submitted the qualifying proposal, the head of the agency concerned shall ensure that the profit allowed on the contract accurately reflects the cost risk of the contractor as such risk existed on the date the contractor submitted the qualifying proposal.

10 U.S.C. § 3375 Undefinitized contractual actions: time limit

No undefinitized contractual action may extend beyond 90 days without a written determination by the Secretary of the military department concerned, the head of the Defense Agency concerned, the commander of the combatant command concerned, or the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (as applicable) that it is in the best interests of the military department, the Defense Agency, the combatant command, or the Department of Defense, respectively, to continue the action.

10 U.S.C. § 3377 Inapplicability to Coast Guard and National Aeronautics and Space Administration; definitions

(a) Applicability.—This chapter does not apply to the Coast Guard or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (b) Definitions.—In this chapter:(1) The term “undefinitized contractual action” means a new procurement action entered into by the head of an agency for which the contractual terms, specifications, or price are not agreed upon before performance is begun under the action. Such term does not include contractual actions with respect to the following:(A) Purchases in an amount not in excess of the amount of the simplified acquisition threshold. (B) Special access programs. (C) Congressionally mandated long-lead procurement contracts. (2) The term “qualifying proposal” means a proposal that contains sufficient information to enable the Department of Defense to conduct a meaningful audit of the information contained in the proposal.