1996 US Code
Title 10 - ARMED FORCES
Subtitle A - General Military Law
PART IV - SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT
CHAPTER 137 - PROCUREMENT GENERALLY
Sec. 2327 - Contracts: consideration of national security objectives

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§2327. Contracts: consideration of national security objectives

(a) Disclosure of Ownership or Control by a Foreign Government.—The head of an agency shall require a firm or a subsidiary of a firm that submits a bid or proposal in response to a solicitation issued by the Department of Defense to disclose in that bid or proposal any significant interest in such firm or subsidiary (or, in the case of a subsidiary, in the firm that owns the subsidiary) that is owned or controlled (whether directly or indirectly) by a foreign government or an agent or instrumentality of a foreign government, if such foreign government is the government of a country that the Secretary of State determines under section 6(j)(1)(A) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)(1)(A)) has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

(b) Prohibition on Entering Into Contracts Against the Interests of the United States.—Except as provided in subsection (c), the head of an agency may not enter into a contract with a firm or a subsidiary of a firm if—

(1) a foreign government owns or controls (whether directly or indirectly) a significant interest in such firm or subsidiary (or, in the case of a subsidiary, in the firm that owns the subsidiary); and

(2) such foreign government is the government of a country that the Secretary of State determines under section 6(j)(1)(A) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2405(j)(1)(A)) has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

(c) Waiver.—(1)(A) If the Secretary of Defense determines under paragraph (2) that entering into a contract with a firm or a subsidiary of a firm described in subsection (b) is not inconsistent with the national security objectives of the United States, the head of an agency may enter into a contract with such firm or subsidiary after the date on which such head of an agency submits to Congress a report on the contract.

(B) A report under subparagraph (A) shall include the following:

(i) The identity of the foreign government concerned.

(ii) The nature of the contract.

(iii) The extent of ownership or control of the firm or subsidiary concerned (or, if appropriate in the case of a subsidiary, of the firm that owns the subsidiary) by the foreign government concerned or the agency or instrumentality of such foreign government.

(iv) The reasons for entering into the contract.

(C) After the head of an agency submits a report to Congress under subparagraph (A) with respect to a firm or a subsidiary, such head of an agency is not required to submit a report before entering into any subsequent contract with such firm or subsidiary unless the information required to be included in such report under subparagraph (B) has materially changed since the submission of the previous report.

(2) Upon the request of the head of an agency, the Secretary of Defense shall determine whether entering into a contract with a firm or subsidiary described in subsection (b) is inconsistent with the national security objectives of the United States. In making such a determination, the Secretary of Defense shall consider the following:

(A) The relationship of the United States with the foreign government concerned.

(B) The obligations of the United States under international agreements.

(C) The extent of the ownership or control of the firm or subsidiary (or, if appropriate in the case of a subsidiary, of the firm that owns the subsidiary) by the foreign government or an agent or instrumentality of the foreign government.

(D) Whether payments made, or information made available, to the firm or subsidiary under the contract could be used for purposes hostile to the interests of the United States.

(d) Applicability.—(1) This section does not apply to a contract for an amount less than 0,000.

(2) This section does not apply to the Coast Guard or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

(e) Regulations.—The Secretary of Defense, after consultation with the Secretary of State, shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Such regulations shall include a definition of the term “significant interest”.

(Added Pub. L. 99–500, §101(c) [title X, §951(a)(1)], Oct. 18, 1986, 100 Stat. 1783–82, 1783–164, and Pub. L. 99–591, §101(c) [title X, §951(a)(1)], Oct. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 3341–82, 3341–164; Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title IX, formerly title IV, §951(a)(1), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3944, renumbered title IX, Pub. L. 100–26, §3(5), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 273; amended Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title XII, §1231(8), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1160; Pub. L. 100–224, §5(b)(2), Dec. 30, 1987, 101 Stat. 1538.)

Codification

Pub. L. 99–591 is a corrected version of Pub. L. 99–500.

Pub. L. 99–500, Pub. L. 99–591, and Pub. L. 99–661 added identical sections.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 2327 was renumbered section 2347 of this title.

Amendments

1987—Subsecs. (a), (b)(2). Pub. L. 100–224 substituted “50 U.S.C. App.” for “50 U.S.C.” in parenthetical after “Export Administration Act of 1979”.

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 100–180 inserted par. (1) designation.

Effective Date

Section 101(c) [title X, §951(c)] of Pub. L. 99–500 and Pub. L. 99–591, and section 951(c) of title IX, formerly title IV, of Pub. L. 99–661, renumbered title IX, Pub. L. 100–26, §3(5), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 273, provided that: “Section 2327 of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)(1)), shall apply to contracts entered into by the Secretary of Defense after the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 18, 1986].”

Reports by Defense Contractors of Dealings With Terrorist Countries

Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title VIII, §843, Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1720, as amended by Pub. L. 103–355, title VIII, §8105(j), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3393, provided that:

“(a) Report Requirement.—(1) Whenever the Secretary of Defense proposes to enter into a contract with any person for an amount in excess of ,000,000 for the provision of goods or services to the Department of Defense, the Secretary shall require that person—

“(A) before entering into the contract, to report to the Secretary each commercial transaction which that person has conducted with the government of any terrorist country during the preceding three years or the period since the effective date of this section, whichever is shorter; and

“(B) to report to the Secretary each such commercial transaction which that person conducts during the course of the contract (but not after the date specified in subsection (h)) with the government of any terrorist country.

“(2) The requirement contained in paragraph (1)(B) shall be included in the contract with the Department of Defense.

“(3) This section does not apply with respect to a contract for the procurement of a commercial item (as defined in section 4(12) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403(12))).

“(b) Regulations.—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.

“(c) Annual Report to Congress.—The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Congress each year by December 1 a report setting forth those persons conducting commercial transactions with terrorist countries that are included in the reports made pursuant to subsection (a) during the preceding fiscal year, the terrorist countries with which those transactions were conducted, and the nature of those transactions. The version of the report made available for public release shall exclude information exempt from public disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act).

“(d) Liability.—This section shall not be interpreted as imposing any liability on a person for failure to comply with the reporting requirement of subsection (a) if the failure to comply is caused solely by an act or omission of a third party.

“(e) Person Defined.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘person’ means a corporate or other business entity proposing to enter or entering into a contract covered by this section. The term does not include an affiliate or subsidiary of the entity.

“(f) Terrorist Country Defined.—A country shall be considered to be a terrorist country for purposes of a contract covered by this section if the Secretary of State has determined pursuant to law, as of the date that is 60 days before the date on which the contract is signed, that the government of that country is a government that has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.

“(g) Effective Date.—This section shall apply with respect to contracts entered into after the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 30, 1993], or after the expiration of the 30-day period beginning on the date of publication in the Federal Register of the final regulations referred to in subsection (b), whichever is earlier.

“(h) Termination.—This section expires on September 30, 1996.”