5 U.S.C. 301; Pub. L. 101-576, 104 Stat. 2838; Sec. 2455, Pub. L. 103-355, 108 Stat. 3327 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note); E.O. 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 Comp., p. 189); E.O. 12698 (3 CFR, 1989 Comp., p. 235); 7 CFR 2.28.
(a) This part is subdivided into ten subparts. Each subpart contains information related to a broad topic or specific audience with special responsibilities, as shown in the following table:
(b) The following table shows which subparts may be of special interest to you, depending on who you are:
(a) This part uses a “plain language” format to make it easier for the general public and business community to use. The section headings and text, often in the form of questions and answers, must be read together.
(b) Pronouns used within this part, such as “I” and “you,” change from subpart to subpart depending on the audience being addressed. The pronoun “we” always is the Department of Agriculture.
(c) The “Covered Transactions” diagram in the appendix to this part shows the levels or “tiers” at which the Department of Agriculture enforces an exclusion under this part. However, this diagram shows only the general model for the levels or “tiers” at which the Department of Agriculture enforces an exclusion under this part, and the model will vary for certain categories of transactions in accordance with the exclusions from covered transactions in § 3017.215 and § 3017.220.
This part uses terms throughout the text that have special meaning. Those terms are defined in Subpart I of this part. For example, three important terms are—
(a)
(b)
(c)
This part adopts a governmentwide system of debarment and suspension for Department of Agriculture nonprocurement activities. It also provides for reciprocal exclusion of persons who have been excluded under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and provides
Portions of this part (see table at § 3017.25(b)) apply to you if you are a(n)—
(a) Person who has been, is, or may reasonably be expected to be, a participant or principal in a covered transaction;
(b) Respondent (a person against whom the Department of Agriculture has initiated a debarment or suspension action);
(c) Department of Agriculture debarring or suspending official; or
(d) Department of Agriculture official who is authorized to enter into covered transactions with non-Federal parties.
(a) To protect the public interest, the Federal Government ensures the integrity of Federal programs by conducting business only with responsible persons.
(b) A Federal agency uses the nonprocurement debarment and suspension system to exclude from Federal programs persons who are not presently responsible.
(c) An exclusion is a serious action that a Federal agency may take only to protect the public interest. A Federal agency may not exclude a person or commodity for the purposes of punishment.
With the exceptions stated in §§ 3017.120, 3017.315, and 3017.420, a person who is excluded by the Department of Agriculture or any other Federal agency may not:
(a) Be a participant in a(n) Department of Agriculture transaction that is a covered transaction under subpart B of this part;
(b) Be a participant in a transaction of any other Federal agency that is a covered transaction under that agency's regulation for debarment and suspension; or
(c) Act as a principal of a person participating in one of those covered transactions.
(a) The Secretary of Agriculture or designee may grant an exception permitting an excluded person to participate in a particular covered transaction. If the Secretary of Agriculture or designee grants an exception, the exception must be in writing and state the reason(s) for deviating from the governmentwide policy in Executive Order 12549.
(b) An exception granted by one agency for an excluded person does not extend to the covered transactions of another agency.
If any Federal agency excludes a person under its nonprocurement common rule on or after August 25, 1995, the excluded person is also ineligible to participate in Federal procurement transactions under the FAR. Therefore, an exclusion under this part has reciprocal effect in Federal procurement transactions.
If any Federal agency excludes a person under the FAR on or after August 25, 1995, the excluded person is also ineligible to participate in nonprocurement covered transactions under this part. Therefore, an exclusion under the FAR has reciprocal effect in Federal nonprocurement transactions.
Given a cause that justifies an exclusion under this part, we may exclude any person who has been involved, is currently involved, or may reasonably be expected to be involved in a covered transaction.
Check the
Except if provided for in Subpart J of this part, this part—
(a) Addresses disqualified persons only to—
(1) Provide for their inclusion in the
(2) State responsibilities of Federal agencies and participants to check for disqualified persons before entering into covered transactions.
(b) Does not specify the—
(1) Department of Agriculture transactions for which a disqualified person is ineligible. Those transactions vary on a case-by-case basis, because they depend on the language of the specific statute, Executive order, or regulation that caused the disqualification;
(2) Entities to which the disqualification applies; or
(3) Process that the agency uses to disqualify a person. Unlike exclusion, disqualification is frequently not a discretionary action that a Federal agency takes.
A covered transaction is a nonprocurement or procurement transaction that is subject to the prohibitions of this part. It may be a transaction at—
(a) The primary tier, between a Federal agency and a person (see appendix to this part); or
(b) A lower tier, between a participant in a covered transaction and another person.
The importance of a covered transaction depends upon who you are.
(a) As a participant in the transaction, you have the responsibilities laid out in Subpart C of this part. Those include responsibilities to the person or Federal agency at the next higher tier from whom you received the transaction, if any. They also include responsibilities if you subsequently enter into other covered transactions with persons at the next lower tier.
(b) As a Federal official who enters into a primary tier transaction, you have the responsibilities laid out in subpart D of this part.
(c) As an excluded person, you may not be a participant or principal in the transaction unless—
(1) The person who entered into the transaction with you allows you to continue your involvement in a transaction that predates your exclusion, as permitted under § 3017.310 or § 3017.415; or
(2) A(n) Department of Agriculture official obtains an exception from the Secretary of Agriculture or designee to allow you to be involved in the transaction, as permitted under § 3017.120.
All nonprocurement transactions, as defined in § 3017.970, are covered transactions unless listed in § 3017.215. (See appendix to this part.)
The following types of nonprocurement transactions are not covered transactions:
(a) A direct award to—
(1) A foreign government or foreign governmental entity;
(2) A public international organization;
(3) An entity owned (in whole or in part) or controlled by a foreign government; or
(4) Any other entity consisting wholly or partially of one or more foreign governments or foreign governmental entities.
(b) A benefit to an individual as a personal entitlement without regard to the individual's present responsibility (but benefits received in an individual's business capacity are not excepted). For example, if a person receives social security benefits under the Supplemental Security Income provisions of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 1301 et seq., those benefits are not covered transactions and, therefore, are not affected if the person is excluded.
(c) Federal employment.
(d) A transaction that the Department of Agriculture needs to respond to a national or agency-recognized emergency or disaster.
(e) A permit, license, certificate, or similar instrument issued as a means to regulate public health, safety, or the environment, unless the Department of Agriculture specifically designates it to be a covered transaction.
(f) An incidental benefit that results from ordinary governmental operations.
(g) Any other transaction if the application of an exclusion to the transaction is prohibited by law.
(h) An entitlement or mandatory award required by a statute, including a lower tier entitlement or mandatory award that is required by a statute.
(i) With respect to the Department of Agriculture's export and foreign assistance programs, any transaction below the primary tier covered transaction other than a nonprocurement transaction under the Market Access Program between a nonprofit trade association or state regional group and a U.S. entity, as defined in part 1485 of this title.
(j) Any transaction under the Department of Agriculture's conservation programs, warehouse licensing programs, or programs that provide statutory entitlements and make available loans to individuals and entities in their capacity as producers of agricultural commodities.
(k) The export or substitution of Federal timber governed by the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act of 1990, 16 U.S.C. 620
(l) The receipt of licenses, permits, certificates, and indemnification under regulatory programs conducted in the interest of public health and safety, and animal and plant health and safety.
(m) The receipt of official grading and inspection services, animal damage control services, public health and safety inspection services, and animal and plant health and safety inspection services.
(n) If the person is a State or local government, the provision of official grading and inspection services, animal damage control services, animal and plant health and safety inspection services.
(o) The receipt of licenses, permit, or certificates under regulatory programs conducted in the interest of ensuring fair trade practices.
(p) Permits, licenses, exchanges and other acquisitions of real property, rights of way, and easements under natural resource management programs.
(a) Covered transactions under this part—
(1) Do not include any procurement contracts awarded directly by a Federal agency; but
(2) Do include some procurement contracts awarded by non-Federal participants in nonprocurement covered transactions (see appendix to this part).
(b) Specifically, a contract for goods or services is a covered transaction if any of the following applies:
(1) The contract is awarded by a participant in a nonprocurement transaction that is covered under § 3017.210, and the amount of the contract is expected to equal or exceed $25,000.
(2) The contract requires the consent of a(n) Department of Agriculture official. In that case, the contract, regardless of the amount, always is a covered transaction, and it does not matter who awarded it. For example, it could be a subcontract awarded by a contractor at a tier below a nonprocurement transaction, as shown in the appendix to this part.
(3) The contract is for federally-required audit services.
(c) A contract for the procurement of ocean transportation in connection with the Department of Agriculture's foreign assistance programs is a covered transaction. With respect to the Department of Agriculture's export and foreign assistance programs, such contracts are the only procurement contracts included as covered transactions, notwithstanding the provisions in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.
As a participant in a transaction, you will know that it is a covered transaction because the agency regulations governing the transaction, the appropriate agency official, or participant at the next higher tier who enters into the transaction with you, will tell you that you must comply with applicable portions of this part.
When you enter into a covered transaction with another person at the next lower tier, you must verify that the person with whom you intend to do business is not excluded or disqualified. You do this by:
(a) Checking the
(b) Collecting a certification from that person if allowed by this rule; or
(c) Adding a clause or condition to the covered transaction with that person.
(a) You as a participant may not enter into a covered transaction with an excluded person, unless the Department of Agriculture grants an exception under § 3017.120.
(b) You may not enter into any transaction with a person who is disqualified from that transaction, unless you have obtained an exception under the disqualifying statute, Executive order, or regulation.
(a) You as a participant may continue covered transactions with an excluded person if the transactions were in existence when the agency excluded the person. However, you are not required to continue the transactions, and you may consider termination. You should make a decision about whether to terminate and the type of termination action, if any, only after a thorough review to ensure that the action is proper and appropriate.
(b) You may not renew or extend covered transactions (other than no-cost time extensions) with any excluded person, unless the Department of Agriculture grants an exception under § 3017.120.
(a) You as a participant may continue to use the services of an excluded person as a principal under a covered transaction if you were using the services of that person in the transaction before the person was excluded. However, you are not required to continue using that person's services as a principal. You should make a decision about whether to discontinue that person's services only after a thorough review to ensure that the action is proper and appropriate.
(b) You may not begin to use the services of an excluded person as a principal under a covered transaction unless the Department of Agriculture grants an exception under § 3017.120.
Yes, you as a participant are responsible for determining whether any of your principals of your covered transactions is excluded or disqualified from participating in the transaction. You may decide the method and frequency by which you do so. You may, but you are not required to, check the
If as a participant you knowingly do business with an excluded person, we may disallow costs, annul or terminate the transaction, issue a stop work order, debar or suspend you, or take other remedies as appropriate.
Before entering into a covered transaction with a participant at the next lower tier, you must require that participant to—
(a) Comply with this subpart as a condition of participation in the transaction. You may do so using any method(s), unless § 3017.440 requires you to use specific methods.
(b) Pass the requirement to comply with this subpart to each person with whom the participant enters into a covered transaction at the next lower tier.
Before you enter into a covered transaction at the primary tier, you as the participant must notify the Department of Agriculture office that is entering into the transaction with you, if you know that you or any of the principals for that covered transaction:
(a) Are presently excluded or disqualified;
(b) Have been convicted within the preceding three years of any of the offenses listed in § 3017.800(a) or had a civil judgment rendered against you for one of those offenses within that time period;
(c) Are presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any of the offenses listed in § 3017.800(a); or
(d) Have had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated within the preceding three years for cause or default.
As a primary tier participant, your disclosure of unfavorable information about yourself or a principal under § 3017.335 will not necessarily cause us to deny your participation in the covered transaction. We will consider the information when we determine whether to enter into the covered transaction. We also will consider any additional information or explanation that you elect to submit with the disclosed information.
If we later determine that you failed to disclose information under § 3017.335 that you knew at the time you entered into the covered transaction, we may—
(a) Terminate the transaction for material failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the transaction; or
(b) Pursue any other available remedies, including suspension and debarment.
At any time after you enter into a covered transaction, you must give immediate written notice to the Department of Agriculture office with which you entered into the transaction if you learn either that—
(a) You failed to disclose information earlier, as required by § 3017.335; or
(b) Due to changed circumstances, you or any of the principals for the transaction now meet any of the criteria in § 3017.335.
Before you enter into a covered transaction with a person at the next higher tier, you as a lower tier participant must notify that person if you know that you or any of the principals are presently excluded or disqualified.
If we later determine that you failed to tell the person at the higher tier that you were excluded or disqualified at the time you entered into the covered transaction with that person, we may pursue any available remedies, including suspension and debarment.
At any time after you enter into a lower tier covered transaction with a person at a higher tier, you must provide immediate written notice to that person if you learn either that—
(a) You failed to disclose information earlier, as required by § 3017.355; or
(b) Due to changed circumstances, you or any of the principals for the transaction now meet any of the criteria in § 3017.355.
(a) You as an agency official may not enter into a covered transaction with an excluded person unless you obtain an exception under § 3017.120.
(b) You may not enter into any transaction with a person who is disqualified from that transaction, unless you obtain a waiver or exception under the statute, Executive order, or regulation that is the basis for the person's disqualification.
As an agency official, you may not enter into a covered transaction with a participant if you know that a principal of the transaction is excluded, unless you obtain an exception under § 3017.120.
After entering into a covered transaction with a participant, you as an agency official may not approve a participant's use of an excluded person as a principal under that transaction, unless you obtain an exception under § 3017.120.
(a) You as an agency official may continue covered transactions with an excluded person, or under which an excluded person is a principal, if the transactions were in existence when
(b) You may not renew or extend covered transactions (other than no-cost time extensions) with any excluded person, or under which an excluded person is a principal, unless you obtain an exception under § 3017.120.
If a transaction at a lower tier is subject to your approval, you as an agency official may not approve—
(a) A covered transaction with a person who is currently excluded, unless you obtain an exception under § 3017.120; or
(b) A transaction with a person who is disqualified from that transaction, unless you obtain a waiver or exception under the statute, Executive order, or regulation that is the basis for the person's disqualification.
As an agency official, you must check to see if a person is excluded or disqualified before you—
(a) Enter into a primary tier covered transaction;
(b) Approve a principal in a primary tier covered transaction;
(c) Approve a lower tier participant if agency approval of the lower tier participant is required; or
(d) Approve a principal in connection with a lower tier transaction if agency approval of the principal is required.
You check to see if a person is excluded or disqualified in two ways:
(a) You as an agency official must check the
(b) You must review information that a participant gives you, as required by § 3017.335, about its status or the status of the principals of a transaction.
You as an agency official must require each participant in a primary tier covered transaction to—
(a) Comply with subpart C of this part as a condition of participation in the transaction; and
(b) Communicate the requirement to comply with Subpart C of this part to persons at the next lower tier with whom the primary tier participant enters into covered transactions.
To communicate the requirement, you must include a term or condition in the transaction requiring the participants' compliance with subpart C of this part and requiring them to include a similar term or condition in their lower-tier covered transactions.
If a participant knowingly does business with an excluded or disqualified person, you as an agency official may refer the matter for suspension and debarment consideration. You may also disallow costs, annul or terminate the transaction, issue a stop work order, or take any other appropriate remedy.
If you as an agency official determine that a participant failed to disclose information, as required by § 3017.335, at the time it entered into a covered transaction with you, you may—
(a) Terminate the transaction for material failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the transaction; or
(b) Pursue any other available remedies, including suspension and debarment.
If you as an agency official determine that a lower tier participant failed to disclose information, as required by § 3017.355, at the time it entered into a covered transaction with a participant at the next higher tier, you may pursue any remedies available to you, including the initiation of a suspension or debarment action.
The
(a) Federal agency officials use the
(b) Participants also may, but are not required to, use the
(1) Principals of their transactions are excluded or disqualified, as required under § 3017.320; or
(2) Persons with whom they are entering into covered transactions at the next lower tier are excluded or disqualified.
(c) The
In accordance with the OMB guidelines, the General Services Administration (GSA) maintains the
(a) At a minimum, the
(1) The full name (where available) and address of each excluded or disqualified person, in alphabetical order, with cross references if more than one name is involved in a single action;
(2) The type of action;
(3) The cause for the action;
(4) The scope of the action;
(5) Any termination date for the action;
(6) The agency and name and telephone number of the agency point of contact for the action; and
(7) The Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS), or other similar code approved by the GSA, of the excluded or disqualified person, if available.
(b)(1) The database for the
(2) Agencies disclose the SSN of an individual to verify the identity of an individual, only if permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 and, if appropriate, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, as codified in 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Federal officials who take actions to exclude persons under this part or officials who are responsible for identifying disqualified persons must enter the following information about those persons into the
(a) Information required by § 3017.515(a);
(b) The Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) of the excluded or disqualified person, including the social security number (SSN) for an individual, if the number is available and may be disclosed under law;
(c) Information about an excluded or disqualified person, generally within five working days, after—
(1) Taking an exclusion action;
(2) Modifying or rescinding an exclusion action;
(3) Finding that a person is disqualified; or
(4) Finding that there has been a change in the status of a person who is listed as disqualified.
If you have questions about a person in the
(a) You may access the
(b) As of November 26, 2003, you may also subscribe to a printed version. However, we anticipate discontinuing the printed version. Until it is discontinued, you may obtain the printed version by purchasing a yearly subscription from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, or by calling the Government Printing Office Inquiry and Order Desk at (202) 783-3238.
When we receive information from any source concerning a cause for suspension or debarment, we will promptly report and investigate it. We refer the question of whether to suspend or debar you to our suspending or debarring official for consideration, if appropriate.
Suspension differs from debarment in that—
In deciding whether to suspend or debar you, we handle the actions as informally as practicable, consistent with principles of fundamental fairness.
(a) For suspension actions, we use the procedures in this subpart and subpart G of this part.
(b) For debarment actions, we use the procedures in this subpart and subpart H of this part.
(a) The suspending or debarring official sends a written notice to the last known street address, facsimile number, or e-mail address of—
(1) You or your identified counsel; or
(2) Your agent for service of process, or any of your partners, officers, directors, owners, or joint venturers.
(b) The notice is effective if sent to any of these persons.
Yes, when more than one Federal agency has an interest in a suspension or debarment, the agencies may consider designating one agency as the lead agency for making the decision. Agencies are encouraged to establish methods and procedures for coordinating their suspension and debarment actions.
If you are suspended or debarred, the suspension or debarment is effective as follows:
(a) Your suspension or debarment constitutes suspension or debarment of all of your divisions and other organizational elements from all covered transactions, unless the suspension or debarment decision is limited—
(1) By its terms to one or more specifically identified individuals, divisions, or other organizational elements; or
(2) To specific types of transactions.
(b) Any affiliate of a participant may be included in a suspension or debarment action if the suspending or debarring official—
(1) Officially names the affiliate in the notice; and
(2) Gives the affiliate an opportunity to contest the action.
For purposes of actions taken under this rule, we may impute conduct as follows:
(a)
(b)
(c)
Yes, we may settle a debarment or suspension action at any time if it is in the best interest of the Federal Government.
Yes, if we enter into a settlement with you in which you agree to be excluded, it is called a voluntary exclusion and has governmentwide effect.
(a) Yes, we enter information regarding a voluntary exclusion into the
(b) Also, any agency or person may contact us to find out the details of a voluntary exclusion.
Suspension is a serious action. Using the procedures of this subpart and subpart F of this part, the suspending official may impose suspension only when that official determines that—
(a) There exists an indictment for, or other adequate evidence to suspect, an offense listed under § 3017.800(a), or
(b) There exists adequate evidence to suspect any other cause for debarment listed under § 3017.800(b) through (d); and
(c) Immediate action is necessary to protect the public interest.
(a) In determining the adequacy of the evidence to support the suspension, the suspending official considers how much information is available, how credible it is given the circumstances, whether or not important allegations are corroborated, and what inferences can reasonably be drawn as a result. During this assessment, the suspending official may examine the basic documents, including grants, cooperative agreements, loan authorizations, contracts, and other relevant documents.
(b) An indictment, conviction, civil judgment, or other official findings by Federal, State, or local bodies that determine factual and/or legal matters, constitutes adequate evidence for purposes of suspension actions.
(c) In deciding whether immediate action is needed to protect the public interest, the suspending official has wide discretion. For example, the suspending official may infer the necessity for immediate action to protect the public interest either from the nature of the circumstances giving rise to a cause for suspension or from potential business relationships or involvement with a program of the Federal Government.
A suspension is effective when the suspending official signs the decision to suspend.
After deciding to suspend you, the suspending official promptly sends you a Notice of Suspension advising you—
(a) That you have been suspended;
(b) That your suspension is based on—
(1) An indictment;
(2) A conviction;
(3) Other adequate evidence that you have committed irregularities which seriously reflect on the propriety of further Federal Government dealings with you; or
(4) Conduct of another person that has been imputed to you, or your affiliation with a suspended or debarred person;
(c) Of any other irregularities in terms sufficient to put you on notice without disclosing the Federal Government's evidence;
(d) Of the cause(s) upon which we relied under § 3017.700 for imposing suspension;
(e) That your suspension is for a temporary period pending the completion of an investigation or resulting legal or debarment proceedings;
(f) Of the applicable provisions of this subpart, Subpart F of this part, and any other Department of Agriculture procedures governing suspension decision making; and
(g) Of the governmentwide effect of your suspension from procurement and nonprocurement programs and activities.
If you as a respondent wish to contest a suspension, you or your representative must provide the suspending official with information in opposition to the suspension. You may do this orally or in writing, but any information provided orally that you consider important must also be submitted in writing for the official record.
(a) As a respondent you or your representative must either send, or make rrangements to appear and present, the information and argument to the suspending official within 30 days after you receive the Notice of Suspension.
(b) We consider the notice to be received by you—
(1) When delivered, if we mail the notice to the last known street address, or five days after we send it if the letter is undeliverable;
(2) When sent, if we send the notice by facsimile or five days after we send it if the facsimile is undeliverable; or
(3) When delivered, if we send the notice by e-mail or five days after we send it if the e-mail is undeliverable.
(a) In addition to any information and argument in opposition, as a respondent your submission to the suspending official must identify—
(1) Specific facts that contradict the statements contained in the Notice of Suspension. A general denial is insufficient to raise a genuine dispute over facts material to the suspension;
(2) All existing, proposed, or prior exclusions under regulations implementing E.O. 12549 and all similar actions taken by Federal, state, or local agencies, including administrative agreements that affect only those agencies;
(3) All criminal and civil proceedings not included in the Notice of Suspension that grew out of facts relevant to the cause(s) stated in the notice; and
(4) All of your affiliates.
(b) If you fail to disclose this information, or provide false information, the Department of Agriculture may seek further criminal, civil or administrative action against you, as appropriate.
(a) You as a respondent will not have an additional opportunity to challenge the facts if the suspending official determines that—
(1) Your suspension is based upon an indictment, conviction, civil judgment, or other finding by a Federal, State, or local body for which an opportunity to contest the facts was provided;
(2) Your presentation in opposition contains only general denials to information contained in the Notice of Suspension;
(3) The issues raised in your presentation in opposition to the suspension are not factual in nature, or are not material to the suspending official's initial decision to suspend, or the official's decision whether to continue the suspension; or
(4) On the basis of advice from the Department of Justice, an office of the United States Attorney, a State attorney general's office, or a State or local prosecutor's office, that substantial interests of the government in pending or contemplated legal proceedings based on the same facts as the suspension would be prejudiced by conducting fact-finding.
(b) You will have an opportunity to challenge the facts if the suspending official determines that—
(1) The conditions in paragraph (a) of this section do not exist; and
(2) Your presentation in opposition raises a genuine dispute over facts material to the suspension.
(c) If you have an opportunity to challenge disputed material facts under this section, the suspending official or designee must conduct additional proceedings to resolve those facts.
(a) Suspension proceedings are conducted in a fair and informal manner. The suspending official may use flexible procedures to allow you to present matters in opposition. In so doing, the suspending official is not required to follow formal rules of evidence or procedure in creating an official record upon which the official will base a final suspension decision.
(b) You as a respondent or your representative must submit any documentary evidence you want the suspending official to consider.
(a) If fact-finding is conducted—
(1) You may present witnesses and other evidence, and confront any witness presented; and
(2) The fact-finder must prepare written findings of fact for the record.
(b) A transcribed record of fact-finding proceedings must be made, unless you as a respondent and the Department of Agriculture agree to waive it in advance. If you want a copy of the transcribed record, you may purchase it.
(a) The suspending official bases the decision on all information contained in the official record. The record includes—
(1) All information in support of the suspending official's initial decision to suspend you;
(2) Any further information and argument presented in support of, or opposition to, the suspension; and
(3) Any transcribed record of fact-finding proceedings.
(b) The suspending official may refer disputed material facts to another official for findings of fact. The suspending official may reject any resulting findings, in whole or in part, only after specifically determining them to be arbitrary, capricious, or clearly erroneous.
The suspending official must make a written decision whether to continue, modify, or terminate your suspension within 45 days of closing the official record. The official record closes upon the suspending official's receipt of final submissions, information and findings of fact, if any. The suspending official may extend that period for good cause. However, the record will remain open for the full 30 days, as called for in § 3017.725, even when you make a submission before the 30 days expire.
(a) If legal or debarment proceedings are initiated at the time of, or during your suspension, the suspension may continue until the conclusion of those proceedings. However, if proceedings are not initiated, a suspension may not exceed 12 months.
(b) The suspending official may extend the 12 month limit under paragraph (a) of this section for an additional 6 months if an office of a U.S. Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Attorney, or other responsible prosecuting official requests an extension in writing. In no event may a suspension exceed 18 months without initiating proceedings under paragraph (a) of this section.
(c) The suspending official must notify the appropriate officials under paragraph (b) of this section of an impending termination of a suspension at least 30 days before the 12 month period expires to allow the officials an opportunity to request an extension.
(a) You may file an appeal only after you have exhausted the option provided for in § 3017.720 to contest the suspension. You must file your appeal within 30 days of receiving the decision required by § 3017.755 and your filing must specify the basis of the appeal. You must submit your appeal in writing to the Hearing Clerk in the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, DC 20250. The assigned appeals officer may vacate the decision of the suspending official only if the officer determines that the decision is:
(1) Not in accordance with law;
(2) Not based on the applicable standard of evidence; or
(3) Arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion.
(b) The appeals officer will base the decision solely on the administrative record.
(c) Within 90 days of the date that you file your appeal with USDA's OALJ Hearing Clerk, the appeals officer will give written notification of the decision to you and to the suspending official who took the action being appealed.
(d) The appeals officer's decision is final and is not appealable within USDA.
We may debar a person for—
(a) Conviction of or civil judgment for—
(1) Commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public or private agreement or transaction;
(2) Violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes, including those proscribing price fixing between competitors, allocation of customers between competitors, and bid rigging;
(3) Commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion, receiving stolen property, making false claims, or obstruction of justice; or
(4) Commission of any other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that seriously and directly affects your present responsibility;
(b) Violation of the terms of a public agreement or transaction so serious as to affect the integrity of an agency program, such as—
(1) A willful failure to perform in accordance with the terms of one or more public agreements or transactions;
(2) A history of failure to perform or of unsatisfactory performance of one or more public agreements or transactions; or
(3) A willful violation of a statutory or regulatory provision or requirement applicable to a public agreement or transaction;
(c) Any of the following causes:
(1) A nonprocurement debarment by any Federal agency taken before October 1, 1988, or a procurement debarment by any Federal agency taken pursuant to 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4, before August 25, 1995;
(2) Knowingly doing business with an ineligible person, except as permitted under § 3017.120;
(3) Failure to pay a single substantial debt, or a number of outstanding debts (including disallowed costs and overpayments, but not including sums owed the Federal Government under the Internal Revenue Code) owed to any Federal agency or instrumentality, provided the debt is uncontested by the debtor or, if contested, provided that the debtor's legal and administrative remedies have been exhausted;
(4) Violation of a material provision of a voluntary exclusion agreement entered into under § 3017.640 or of any settlement of a debarment or suspension action; or
(5) Violation of the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (41 U.S.C. 701); or
(d) Any other cause of so serious or compelling a nature that it affects your present responsibility.
(e) Notwithstanding paragraph (c) (1) of this section, within the Department of Agriculture a nonprocurement debarment by any Federal agency taken before March 1, 1989.
After consideration of the causes in § 3017.800 of this subpart, if the debarring official proposes to debar you, the official sends you a Notice of Proposed Debarment, pursuant to § 3017.615, advising you—
(a) That the debarring official is considering debarring you;
(b) Of the reasons for proposing to debar you in terms sufficient to put you on notice of the conduct or transactions upon which the proposed debarment is based;
(c) Of the cause(s) under § 3017.800 upon which the debarring official relied for proposing your debarment;
(d) Of the applicable provisions of this subpart, Subpart F of this part, and any other Department of Agriculture procedures governing debarment; and
(e) Of the governmentwide effect of a debarment from procurement and nonprocurement programs and activities.
A debarment is not effective until the debarring official issues a decision. The debarring official does not issue a decision until the respondent has had an opportunity to contest the proposed debarment.
If you as a respondent wish to contest a proposed debarment, you or your
(a) As a respondent you or your representative must either send, or make arrangements to appear and present, the information and argument to the debarring official within 30 days after you receive the Notice of Proposed Debarment.
(b) We consider the Notice of Proposed Debarment to be received by you—
(1) When delivered, if we mail the notice to the last known street address, or five days after we send it if the letter is undeliverable;
(2) When sent, if we send the notice by facsimile or five days after we send it if the facsimile is undeliverable; or
(3) When delivered, if we send the notice by e-mail or five days after we send it if the e-mail is undeliverable.
(a) In addition to any information and argument in opposition, as a respondent your submission to the debarring official must identify—
(1) Specific facts that contradict the statements contained in the Notice of Proposed Debarment. Include any information about any of the factors listed in § 3017.860. A general denial is insufficient to raise a genuine dispute over facts material to the debarment;
(2) All existing, proposed, or prior exclusions under regulations implementing E.O. 12549 and all similar actions taken by Federal, State, or local agencies, including administrative agreements that affect only those agencies;
(3) All criminal and civil proceedings not included in the Notice of Proposed Debarment that grew out of facts relevant to the cause(s) stated in the notice; and
(4) All of your affiliates.
(b) If you fail to disclose this information, or provide false information, the Department of Agriculture may seek further criminal, civil or administrative action against you, as appropriate.
(a) You as a respondent will not have an additional opportunity to challenge the facts if the debarring official determines that—
(1) Your debarment is based upon a conviction or civil judgment;
(2) Your presentation in opposition contains only general denials to information contained in the Notice of Proposed Debarment; or
(3) The issues raised in your presentation in opposition to the proposed debarment are not factual in nature, or are not material to the debarring official's decision whether to debar.
(b) You will have an additional opportunity to challenge the facts if the debarring official determines that—
(1) The conditions in paragraph (a) of this section do not exist; and
(2) Your presentation in opposition raises a genuine dispute over facts material to the proposed debarment.
(c) If you have an opportunity to challenge disputed material facts under this section, the debarring official or designee must conduct additional proceedings to resolve those facts.
(a) Debarment proceedings are conducted in a fair and informal manner. The debarring official may use flexible procedures to allow you as a respondent to present matters in opposition. In so doing, the debarring official is not required to follow formal rules of evidence or procedure in creating an official record upon which the official will base the decision whether to debar.
(b) You or your representative must submit any documentary evidence you want the debarring official to consider.
(a) If fact-finding is conducted—
(1) You may present witnesses and other evidence, and confront any witness presented; and
(2) The fact-finder must prepare written findings of fact for the record.
(b) A transcribed record of fact-finding proceedings must be made, unless you as a respondent and the Department of Agriculture agree to waive it in advance. If you want a copy of the transcribed record, you may purchase it.
(a) The debarring official may debar you for any of the causes in § 3017.800. However, the official need not debar you even if a cause for debarment exists. The official may consider the seriousness of your acts or omissions and the mitigating or aggravating factors set forth at § 3017.860.
(b) The debarring official bases the decision on all information contained in the official record. The record includes—
(1) All information in support of the debarring official's proposed debarment;
(2) Any further information and argument presented in support of, or in opposition to, the proposed debarment; and
(3) Any transcribed record of fact-finding proceedings.
(c) The debarring official may refer disputed material facts to another official for findings of fact. The debarring official may reject any resultant findings, in whole or in part, only after specifically determining them to be arbitrary, capricious, or clearly erroneous.
(a) In any debarment action, we must establish the cause for debarment by a preponderance of the evidence.
(b) If the proposed debarment is based upon a conviction or civil judgment, the standard of proof is met.
(a) We have the burden to prove that a cause for debarment exists.
(b) Once a cause for debarment is established, you as a respondent have the burden of demonstrating to the satisfaction of the debarring official that you are presently responsible and that debarment is not necessary.
This section lists the mitigating and aggravating factors that the debarring official may consider in determining whether to debar you and the length of your debarment period. The debarring official may consider other factors if appropriate in light of the circumstances of a particular case. The existence or nonexistence of any factor, such as one of those set forth in this section, is not necessarily determinative of your present responsibility. In making a debarment decision, the debarring official may consider the following factors:
(a) The actual or potential harm or impact that results or may result from the wrongdoing.
(b) The frequency of incidents and/or duration of the wrongdoing.
(c) Whether there is a pattern or prior history of wrongdoing. For example, if you have been found by another Federal agency or a State agency to have engaged in wrongdoing similar to that found in the debarment action, the existence of this fact may be used by the debarring official in determining that you have a pattern or prior history of wrongdoing.
(d) Whether you are or have been excluded or disqualified by an agency of the Federal Government or have not been allowed to participate in State or local contracts or assistance agreements on a basis of conduct similar to one or more of the causes for debarment specified in this part.
(e) Whether you have entered into an administrative agreement with a Federal agency or a State or local government that is not governmentwide but is based on conduct similar to one or more of the causes for debarment specified in this part.
(f) Whether and to what extent you planned, initiated, or carried out the wrongdoing.
(g) Whether you have accepted responsibility for the wrongdoing and
(h) Whether you have paid or agreed to pay all criminal, civil and administrative liabilities for the improper activity, including any investigative or administrative costs incurred by the government, and have made or agreed to make full restitution.
(i) Whether you have cooperated fully with the government agencies during the investigation and any court or administrative action. In determining the extent of cooperation, the debarring official may consider when the cooperation began and whether you disclosed all pertinent information known to you.
(j) Whether the wrongdoing was pervasive within your organization.
(k) The kind of positions held by the individuals involved in the wrongdoing.
(l) Whether your organization took appropriate corrective action or remedial measures, such as establishing ethics training and implementing programs to prevent recurrence.
(m) Whether your principals tolerated the offense.
(n) Whether you brought the activity cited as a basis for the debarment to the attention of the appropriate government agency in a timely manner.
(o) Whether you have fully investigated the circumstances surrounding the cause for debarment and, if so, made the result of the investigation available to the debarring official.
(p) Whether you had effective standards of conduct and internal control systems in place at the time the questioned conduct occurred.
(q) Whether you have taken appropriate disciplinary action against the individuals responsible for the activity which constitutes the cause for debarment.
(r) Whether you have had adequate time to eliminate the circumstances within your organization that led to the cause for the debarment.
(s) Other factors that are appropriate to the circumstances of a particular case.
(a) If the debarring official decides to debar you, your period of debarment will be based on the seriousness of the cause(s) upon which your debarment is based. Generally, debarment should not exceed three years. However, if circumstances warrant, the debarring official may impose a longer period of debarment.
(b) In determining the period of debarment, the debarring official may consider the factors in § 3017.860. If a suspension has preceded your debarment, the debarring official must consider the time you were suspended.
(c) If the debarment is for a violation of the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, your period of debarment may not exceed five years.
(a) The debarring official must make a written decision whether to debar within 45 days of closing the official record. The official record closes upon the debarring official's receipt of final submissions, information and findings of fact, if any. The debarring official may extend that period for good cause. However, the record will remain open for the full 30 days, as called for in § 3017.820, even when you make a submission before the 30 days expire.
(b) The debarring official sends you written notice, pursuant to § 3017.615 that the official decided, either—
(1) Not to debar you; or
(2) To debar you. In this event, the notice:
(i) Refers to the Notice of Proposed Debarment;
(ii) Specifies the reasons for your debarment;
(iii) States the period of your debarment, including the effective dates; and
(iv) Advises you that your debarment is effective for covered transactions and contracts that are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR chapter 1), throughout the executive branch of the Federal Government unless an agency head or an authorized designee grants an exception.
Yes, as a debarred person you may ask the debarring official to reconsider the debarment decision or to reduce the time period or scope of the debarment. However, you must put your request in writing and support it with documentation.
The debarring official may reduce or terminate your debarment based on—
(a) Newly discovered material evidence;
(b) A reversal of the conviction or civil judgment upon which your debarment was based;
(c) A bona fide change in ownership or management;
(d) Elimination of other causes for which the debarment was imposed; or
(e) Other reasons the debarring official finds appropriate.
(a) Yes, the debarring official may extend a debarment for an additional period, if that official determines that an extension is necessary to protect the public interest.
(b) However, the debarring official may not extend a debarment solely on the basis of the facts and circumstances upon which the initial debarment action was based.
(c) If the debarring official decides that a debarment for an additional period is necessary, the debarring official must follow the applicable procedures in this subpart, and subpart F of this part, to extend the debarment.
(a) You may file an appeal only after you have exhausted the option provided for in § 3017.815 to contest the debarment. You must file your appeal within 30 days of receiving the decision required by § 3017.870 and your filing must specify the basis of the appeal. You must submit your appeal in writing to the Hearing Clerk in the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, DC 20250. The assigned appeals officer may vacate the decision of the debarring official only if the officer determines that the decision is:
(1) Not in accordance with law;
(2) Not based on the applicable standard of evidence; or
(3) Arbitrary and capricious and an abuse of discretion.
(b) The appeals officer will base the decision solely on the administrative record.
(c) Within 90 days of the date that you file your appeal with USDA's OALJ Hearing Clerk, the appeals officer will give written notification of the decision to you and to the debarring official who took the action being appealed.
(d) The appeals officer's decision is final and is not appealable within USDA.
Persons are
(a) Interlocking management or ownership;
(b) Identity of interests among family members;
(c) Shared facilities and equipment;
(d) Common use of employees; or
(e) A business entity which has been organized following the exclusion of a person which has the same or similar management, ownership, or principal employees as the excluded person.
(a) A judgment or any other determination of guilt of a criminal offense by any court of competent jurisdiction, whether entered upon a verdict or plea, including a plea of nolo contendere; or
(b) Any other resolution that is the functional equivalent of a judgment, including probation before judgment and deferred prosecution. A disposition without the participation of the court is the functional equivalent of a judgment only if it includes an admission of guilt.
(a)
(1) The agency head; or
(2) An official designated by the agency head.
(b) The head of an organizational unit within the Department of Agriculture (
(a) The Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 276(a));
(b) The equal employment opportunity acts and Executive orders; or
(c) The Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7606), Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1368) and Executive Order 11738 (3 CFR, 1973 Comp., p. 799).
(a) That a person or commodity is prohibited from being a participant in covered transactions, whether the person has been suspended; debarred; proposed for debarment under 48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4; voluntarily excluded; or
(b) The act of excluding a person.
(a)
(1) Grants.
(2) Cooperative agreements.
(3) Scholarships.
(4) Fellowships.
(5) Contracts of assistance.
(6) Loans.
(7) Loan guarantees.
(8) Subsidies.
(9) Insurances.
(10) Payments for specified uses.
(11) Donation agreements.
(b) A nonprocurement transaction at any tier does not require the transfer of Federal funds.
(a) An officer, director, owner, partner, principal investigator, or other person within a participant with management or supervisory responsibilities related to a covered transaction; or
(b) A consultant or other person, whether or not employed by the participant or paid with Federal funds, who—
(1) Is in a position to handle Federal funds;
(2) Is in a position to influence or control the use of those funds; or,
(3) Occupies a technical or professional position capable of substantially influencing the development or outcome of an activity required to perform the covered transaction.
(a)
(1) Any of the states of the United States;
(2) The District of Columbia;
(3) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(4) Any territory or possession of the United States; or
(5) Any agency or instrumentality of a state.
(b) For purposes of this part,
(a)
(1) The agency head; or
(2) An official designated by the agency head.
(b) The head of an organizational unit within the Department of Agriculture (
(a)
(b)