In order to promote efficiency and economy in contracting and to avoid unnecessary burdens for agencies and contractors, the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall provide for—
(1) special simplified procedures for purchases of property and services for amounts not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold; and
(2) special simplified procedures for purchases of property and services for amounts greater than the simplified acquisition threshold but not greater than $5,000,000 with respect to which the contracting officer reasonably expects, based on the nature of the property or services sought and on market research, that offers will include only commercial items.
A proposed purchase or contract for an amount above the simplified acquisition threshold may not be divided into several purchases or contracts for lesser amounts in order to use the simplified acquisition procedures required by subsection (a) of this section.
In using simplified acquisition procedures, the head of an executive agency shall promote competition to the maximum extent practicable.
The simplified acquisition procedures contained in the Federal Acquisition Regulation shall include a requirement that a contracting officer consider each responsive offer timely received from an eligible offeror.
Until October 1, 2004, procuring activities shall continue to report under section 417(d) of this title procurement awards with a dollar value of at least $25,000, but less than $100,000, in conformity with the procedures for the reporting of a contract award greater than $25,000 that were in effect on October 1, 1992.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation shall provide that, in the case of a purchase of commercial items using special simplified procedures, an executive agency—
(1) shall publish a notice in accordance with section 416 of this title and, as provided in subsection (b)(4) of such section, permit all responsible sources to submit a bid, proposal, or quotation (as appropriate) which shall be considered by the agency;
(2) may not conduct the purchase on a sole source basis unless the need to do so is justified in writing and approved in accordance with section 2304 of title 10 or section 253 of this title, as applicable; and
(3) shall include in the contract file a written description of the procedures used in awarding the contract and the number of offers received.
(Pub. L. 93–400, §31, as added Pub. L. 103–355, title IV, §4201(a), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3342; amended Pub. L. 104–106, div. D, title XLII, §4202(c), title XLIII, §4302(b), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 653, 658; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title X, §1074(b)(6), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2660; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title VIII, §850(d), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1848; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VIII, §818, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 712.)
1999—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 106–65 substituted “October 1, 2004” for “October 1, 1999”.
1997—Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 105–85 redesignated subsecs. (f) and (g) as (e) and (f), respectively, and struck out heading and text of subsec. (e). Text read as follows: “The simplified acquisition procedures provided in the Federal Acquisition Regulation pursuant to section 2304(g)(1)(A) of title 10, section 253(g)(1)(A) of this title, and subsection (a)(1) of this section may not be used by an agency after December 31, 1999, for contracts in amounts greater than $50,000 and not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold until a certification has been made pursuant to section 426a(a)(2) of this title that the agency has implemented a full FACNET capability.”
1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–106, §4202(c)(1), as amended by Pub. L. 104–201, substituted “shall provide for—” and pars. (1) and (2) for “shall provide for special simplified procedures for contracts for acquisition of property and services that are not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold.”
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–106, §4302(b)(2), substituted “pursuant to section 2304(g)(1)(A) of title 10, section 253(g)(1)(A) of this title, and subsection (a)(1) of this section” for “pursuant to this section”.
Pub. L. 104–106, §4302(b)(1), designated subsec. (e)(2)(B) as entire subsec. and struck out former pars. (1) and (2)(A) which read as follows:
“(1)
“(2)
“(ii) Clause (i) applies to any procuring activity—
“(I) that has not certified, pursuant to section 426a(a)(1) of this title, that it has implemented interim FACNET capability; and
“(II) that is in an agency that has excluded the procuring activity from the agency's full FACNET certification under section 426a(a)(2) of this title on the basis that implementation of full FACNET capability would not be cost effective or practicable in that activity.”
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 104–106, §4202(c)(2), added subsec. (g).
Amendment by Pub. L. 105–85 effective 180 days after Nov. 18, 1997, see section 850(g) of Pub. L. 105–85, set out as a note under section 2302c of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Section 1074(b)(6) of Pub. L. 104–201 provided that the amendment made by that section is effective Feb. 10, 1996.
For effective date and applicability of amendment by Pub. L. 104–106, see section 4401 of Pub. L. 104–106, set out as a note under section 251 of this title.
For effective date and applicability of section, see section 10001 of Pub. L. 103–355, set out as an Effective Date of 1994 Amendment note under section 251 of this title.
Authority to issue solicitations for purchases of commercial items in excess of simplified acquisition threshold pursuant to special simplified procedures authorized by subsec. (a) of this section to expire three years after date certain amendments by section 4202 of Pub. L. 104–106 take effect pursuant to section 4401(b) of Pub. L. 104–106, set out as a note under section 251 of this title, see section 4202(e) of Pub. L. 104–106, set out as a note under section 2304 of Title 10, Armed Forces.