Source: http://test.jurist.org/documents/rulemaking/2015-10331.php
Timestamp: 2019-03-21 17:39:40
Document Index: 416701881

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 127', '§ 127', 'art 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 125', '§ 126', '§ 127', '§ 127', 'art 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127', '§ 127']

JURIST - Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program
Comments closed on 2015-06-30
In order to implement these statutory changes, SBA is proposing to amend 13 CFR part 127. Specifically, this proposed rule amends § 127.101, concerning the type of contracting assistance available under part 127, to include the new sole source authority. This proposed rule also amends the definitions of the terms “EDWOSB requirement” and “WOSB requirement” in § 127.102 to include sole source contracts. The proposed rule also amends § 127.500, which concerns the industries in which a contracting officer is authorized to restrict competition under the WOSB program, to address the new sole source authority.
SBA proposes to amend § 127.503 by adding two new paragraphs to incorporate the statutory language of section 825 of the 2015 NDAA granting authority for sole source contracts to EDWOSBs and WOSBs. Under this statutory authority, if a contracting officer conducts market research in an industry where a WOSB or EDWOSB set-aside is authorized, and the contracting officer cannot identify two or more WOSBs or EDWOSBs that can perform at a fair and reasonable price, but identifies one WOSB or EDWOSB that can perform at a fair and reasonable price, the contracting officer can award the contract on a sole source basis, if the value of the contract, including options, does not exceed $6.5 million for manufacturing contracts and $4 million for all other contracts.
The proposed rule also amends § 127.507, concerning contracting opportunities at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, to address sole source awards under the WOSB Program. Finally, the proposed rule amends the protest regulations in § 127.600 to include procedures for protests involving sole source contracts. The protest procedures for sole source contracts to WOSBs and EDWOSBs would be the same as those procedures for sole source contracts involving service-disabled veteran owned small business concerns (SDVO SBC) (§ 125.24(a)) and HUBZone small business concerns (§ 126.800(a)).
In order to comply with the revised timeline for SBA to conduct a required study to determine the industries in which WOSBs are underrepresented, SBA is proposing to revise the definitions of “underrepresentation” and “substantial underrepresentation” in § 127.102. Section 825 established a new timeline for SBA to conduct a study to determine the industries in which WOSBs are underrepresented. The original deadline for this study was established by section 1697(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, Pub. L. 112-239, January 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2091 (2013 NDAA), which required SBA to conduct a study of the industries in which WOSBs are underrepresented within five years of the date of enactment of the 2013 NDAA (and every 5 years thereafter). Section 825 of the 2015 NDAA amended section 1697(b) of the 2013 NDAA and changed the deadline to within 3 years of the date of enactment of the 2013 NDAA, which means the study must be conducted by January 2, 2016.
In order to meet this deadline, the proposed rule amends the definitions of the terms “substantial underrepresentation” and “underrepresentation” in § 127.102. This change would allow SBA to conduct a study within the time constraint imposed by Congress by providing SBA with the flexibility necessary to conduct the most reliable and relevant study of WOSB participation in Federal contracting. In addition, the new definitions of these terms would align more closely than the current definitions with the statutory intent of the 2013 NDAA and the 2015 NDAA.
III. Compliance With Executive Orders 12866, 12988, 13132, 13563, the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Ch. 35), and the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) Back to Top
1.The authority for 13 CFR part 127 continues to read as follows:
2.Revise § 127.101 to read as follows:
3.Amend § 127.102 by revising the definitions of the terms “EDWOSB requirement”, “Substantial underrepresentation”, “Underrepresentation”, and “WOSB requirement” to read as follows:
4.Revise § 127.500 to read as follows:
§ 127.500 In what industries is a contracting officer authorized to restrict competition or make a sole source award under this part?
A contracting officer may restrict competition or make a sole source award under this part only in those industries in which SBA has determined that WOSBs are underrepresented or substantially underrepresented in Federal procurement, as specified in § 127.501.
5.Amend § 127.503 as follows:
§ 127.503 When is a contracting officer authorized to restrict competition or award a sole source contract or order under this part?
(a) Competition restricted to EDWOSBs.* * *
(b) Competition restricted to WOSBs.* * *
(c) Sole source awards to EDWOSBs. For requirements in industries designated by SBA as underrepresented pursuant to § 127.501, a contracting officer may issue a sole source award to an EDWOSB when the contacting officer determines that:
(d) Sole source awards to WOSBs. For requirements in industries designated by SBA as substantially underrepresented pursuant to § 127.501, a contracting officer may issue a sole source award to a WOSB when the contacting officer determines that:
6.Revise § 127.507 to read as follows:
If the requirement is valued at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, the contracting may set aside the requirement or award the requirement on a sole source basis as set forth in § 127.503.
7.Revise § 127.600 to read as follows:
Citation: 80 FR 24846
citation:80 FR 24846 comments_close:2015-06-30 date: docnum:2015-10331 effective_date: html:https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/05/01/2015-10331/women-owned-small-business-federal-contract-program pdf:http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-05-01/pdf/2015-10331.pdf