(ii) the contractor has taken (or has established plans to take) appropriate actions within the contractor's control to minimize the amount and number of incidents of the payment of severance pay by the contractor to employees under the contract who are foreign nationals; and (iii) the payment of severance pay is necessary in order to comply with a law that is generally applicable to a significant number of businesses in the country in which the foreign national receiving the payment performed services under the contract or is necessary to comply with a collective bargaining agreement. (B) An executive agency shall include in the solicitation for a covered contract a statement indicating (i) that a waiver has been granted under subparagraph (A) for the contract; or (ii) whether the executive agency will consider granting such a waiver, and, if the executive agency will consider granting a waiver, the criteria to be used in granting the waiver. (C) An executive agency shall make the final determination regarding whether to grant a waiver under subparagraph (A) with respect to a covered contract before award of the contract. (3) The provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulation implementing this section may establish appropriate definitions, exclusions, limitations, and qualifications. Any submission by a contractor of costs which are incurred by the contractor and which are claimed to be allowable under Department of Energy management and operating contracts shall be considered a "proposal for settlement of indirect costs incurred by the contractor for any period after such costs have been accrued", as used in this section. (f) REQUIRED REGULATIONS.-(1) The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall contain provisions on the allowability of contractor costs. Such provisions shall define in detail and in specific terms those costs which are unallowable, in whole or in part, under covered contracts. The regulations shall, at a minimum, clarify the cost principles applicable to contractor costs of the following: (A) Air shows. (B) Membership in civic, community, and professional organizations. (C) Recruitment. (D) Employee morale and welfare. (E) Actions to influence (directly or indirectly) executive branch action on regulatory and contract matters (other than costs incurred in regard to contract proposals pursuant to solicited or unsolicited bids). (F) Community relations. (G) Dining facilities. (H) Professional and consulting services, including legal services. (I) Compensation. (J) Selling and marketing. (K) Travel. (L) Public relations. (M) Hotel and meal expenses. (N) Expense of corporate aircraft. (0) Company-furnished automobiles. (Q) Conventions. (2) The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall require that a contracting officer not resolve any questioned costs until the contracting officer has obtained (A) adequate documentation with respect to such costs; and (B) the opinion of the contract auditor on the allowability of such costs. (3) The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall provide that, to the maximum extent practicable, a contract auditor be present at any negotiation or meeting with the contractor regarding a determination of the allowability of indirect costs of the contractor. (4) The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall require that all categories of costs designated in the report of a contract auditor as questioned with respect to a proposal for settlement be resolved in such a manner that the amount of the individual questioned costs that are paid will be reflected in the settlement. (g) APPLICABILITY OF REGULATIONS TO SUBCONTRACTORS.-The regulations referred to in subsections (e) and (f)(1) shall require prime contractors of a covered contract, to the maximum extent practicable, to apply the provisions of such regulations to all subcontractors of the covered contract. (h) CONTRACTOR CERTIFICATION REQUIRED. (1) A proposal for settlement of indirect costs applicable to a covered contract shall include a certification by an official of the contractor that, to the best of the certifying official's knowledge and belief, all indirect costs included in the proposal are allowable. Any such certification shall be in a form prescribed in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (2) An executive agency may, in an exceptional case, waive the requirement for certification under paragraph (1) in the case of any contract if the agency (A) determines in such case that it would be in the interest of the United States to waive such certification; and (B) states in writing the reasons for that determination and makes such determination available to the public. (i) PENALTIES FOR SUBMISSION OF COST KNOWN AS NOT ALLOWABLE.-The submission to an executive agency of a proposal for settlement of costs for any period after such costs have been accrued that includes a cost that is expressly specified by statute or regulation as being unallowable, with the knowledge that such cost is unallowable, shall be subject to the provisions of section 287 of title 18, United States Code, and section 3729 of title 31, United States Code. (j) CONTRACTOR TO HAVE BURDEN OF PROOF.-In a proceeding before a board of contract appeals, the United States Court of Federal Claims, or any other Federal court in which the reasonableness of indirect costs for which a contractor seeks reimbursement from the United States is in issue, the burden of proof shall be upon the contractor to establish that those costs are reasonable. (k) PROCEEDING COSTS NOT ALLOWABLE.-(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, costs incurred by a contractor in connection with any criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding commenced by the United States or a State are not allowable as reimbursable costs under a covered contract if the proceeding (A) relates to a violation of, or failure to comply with, a Federal or State statute or regulation, and (B) results in a disposition described in paragraph (2). (2) A disposition referred to in paragraph (1)(B) is any of the following: (A) In the case of a criminal proceeding, a conviction (including a conviction pursuant to a plea of nolo contendere) by reason of the violation or failure referred to in paragraph (1). (B) In the case of a civil or administrative proceeding involving an allegation of fraud or similar misconduct, a determination of contractor liability on the basis of the violation or failure referred to in paragraph (1). (C) In the case of any civil or administrative proceeding, the imposition of a monetary penalty by reason of the violation or failure referred to in paragraph (1). (D) A final decision (i) to debar or suspend the contractor, by reason of the violation or failure referred to in paragraph (1). (E) A disposition of the proceeding by consent or compromise if such action could have resulted in a disposition described in subparagraph (A), (B), (C), or (D). (3) In the case of a proceeding referred to in paragraph (1) that is commenced by the United States and is resolved by consent or compromise pursuant to an agreement entered into by a contractor and the United States, the costs incurred by the contractor in connection with such proceeding that are otherwise not allowable as reimbursable costs under such paragraph may be allowed to the extent specifically provided in such agreement. (4) In the case of a proceeding referred to in paragraph (1) that is commenced by a State, the executive agency that awarded the covered contract involved in the proceeding may allow the costs incurred by the contractor in connection with such proceeding as reimbursable costs if the executive agency determines, in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that the costs were incurred as a result of (A) a specific term or condition of the contract, or (B) specific written instructions of the executive agency. (5)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (C), costs incurred by a contractor in connection with a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding commenced by the United States or a State in connection with a covered contract may be allowed as reimbursable costs under the contract if such costs are not disallowable under paragraph (1), but only to the extent provided in subparagraph (B). (B)(i) The amount of the costs allowable under subparagraph (A) in any case may not exceed the amount equal to 80 percent of the amount of the costs incurred, to the extent that such costs are determined to be otherwise allowable and allocable under the Federal Acquisition Regulation. (ii) Regulations issued for the purpose of clause (i) shall provide for appropriate consideration of the complexity of procurement litigation, generally accepted principles governing the award of legal fees in civil actions involving the United States as a party, and such other factors as may be appropriate. (C) In the case of a proceeding referred to in subparagraph (A), contractor costs otherwise allowable as reimbursable costs under this paragraph are not allowable if (i) such proceeding involves the same contractor misconduct alleged as the basis of another criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding, and (ii) the costs of such other proceeding are not allowable under paragraph (1). (6) In this subsection: (A) The term "proceeding" includes an investigation. (i) means all costs incurred by a contractor, whether before or after the commencement of any such proceeding; and (ii) includes (I) administrative and clerical expenses; (II) the cost of legal services, including legal services performed by an employee of the contractor; (III) the cost of the services of accountants and consultants retained by the contractor; and (IV) the pay of directors, officers, and employees of the contractor for time devoted by such directors, officers, and employees to such proceeding. (C) The term "penalty" does not include restitution, reimbursement, or compensatory damages. (1) COVERED CONTRACT DEFINED. (1) In this section, the term "covered contract" means a contract for an amount in excess of $500,000 that is entered into by an executive agency, except that such term does not include a fixed-price contract without cost incentives or any firm, fixed price contract for the purchase of commercial items. (2) Effective on October 1 of each year that is divisible by five, the amount set forth in paragraph (1) shall be adjusted to the equivalent amount in constant fiscal year 1994 dollars. An amount, as so adjusted, that is not evenly divisible by $50,000 shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $50,000. In the case of an amount that is evenly divisible by $25,000 but is not evenly divisible by $50,000, the amount shall be rounded to the next higher multiple of $50,000. SEC. 307. [41 U.S.C. 257] ADMINISTRATIVE DETERMINATIONS AND DEL EGATIONS. (a) Determinations and decisions provided in this Act to be made by the Administrator or other agency head shall be final. Such determinations or decisions may be made with respect to individual purchases or contracts, or except for determinations or decisions under sections 303, 303A, and 303B, with respect to classes of purchases or contracts. Except as provided in section 303(d)(2), of this section, and except as provided in section 205(d) with respect to the Administrator, the agency head is authorized to delegate his powers provided by this Act, including the making of such determinations and decisions, in his discretion and subject to his direction, to any other officer or officers or officials of the agency. (b) Each determination or decision required by section 304 or by section 305(c) shall be based upon written findings made by the official making such determination, which findings shall be final and shall be available within the agency for a period of at least six years following the date of the determination. A copy of the findings shall be submitted to the General Accounting Office with the contract. [SEC. 308. Repealed.] SEC. 309. [41 U.S.C. 259] DEFINITIONS. As used in this title (a) The term "agency head" shall mean the head or any assistant head of any executive agency, and may at the option of the Administrator include the chief official of any principal organizational unit of the General Services Administration. (b) The term "competitive procedures" means procedures under which an executive agency enters into a contract pursuant to full and open competition. Such term also includes (1) procurement of architectural or engineering services conducted in accordance with title IX of this Act (40 U.S.C. 541 et seq.); (2) the competitive selection of basic research proposals resulting from a general solicitation and the peer review or scientific review (as appropriate) of such proposals; and (3) the procedures established by the Administrator for the multiple awards schedule program of the General Services Administration if (A) participation in the program has been open to all responsible sources; and (B) orders and contracts under such procedures result in the lowest overall cost alternative to meet the needs of the Government; (4) procurements conducted in furtherance of section 15 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644) as long as all responsible business concerns that are entitled to submit offers for such procurements are permitted to compete; and (5) a competitive selection of research proposals resulting from a general solicitation and peer review or scientific review (as appropriate) solicited pursuant to section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638). (c) The following terms have the meanings provided such terms in section 4 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403): (1) The term "procurement". (2) The term "procurement system". (3) The term "standards". (4) The term "full and open competition". (5) The term "responsible source". (6) The term "technical data". (7) The term "major system". (9) The term "item of supply". (11) The term "commercial item". |