2004 US Code
Title 41 - PUBLIC CONTRACTS
CHAPTER 2 - TERMINATION OF WAR CONTRACTS
Sec. 120 - Powers and duties of contracting agencies

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§120. Powers and duties of contracting agencies (a) Limitation

Each contracting agency shall have authority, notwithstanding any provisions of law other than contained in this chapter, (1) to make any contract necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions of this chapter; (2) to amend by agreement any existing contract, either before or after notice of its termination, on such terms and to such extent as it deems necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions of this chapter; and (3) in settling any termination claim, to agree to assume, or indemnify the war contractor against, any claims by any person in connection with such termination claims or settlement. This subsection shall not limit or affect in any way any authority of any contracting agency under the First War Powers Act, 1941, or under any other statute.

(b) Evidence required; conclusiveness of determinations

Any contracting agency may prescribe the amount and kind of evidence required to identify any person as a war contractor, or any contract, agreement, or purchase order as a war contract for any of the purposes of this chapter. Any determination so made that any person is a war contractor, or that any contract, agreement, or purchase order is a war contract, shall be final and conclusive for any of the purposes of this chapter.

(c) Appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for administering the provisions of this chapter.

(d) Validation of prior settlements

All policies and procedures relating to termination of war contracts, termination settlements, and interim financing, prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury or any contracting agency, in effect on July 21, 1944, and not inconsistent with this chapter, shall remain in full force and effect unless and until superseded by the Administrator of General Services in accordance with this chapter, or by regulations of the contracting agency not inconsistent with this chapter or the policies prescribed by the Administrator of General Services.

(e) Impairment of contract

Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to impair or modify any war contract or any term or provision of any war contract or any assignment of any claim under a war contract, without the consent of the parties thereto, if the war contract, or the term, provision, or assignment thereof, is otherwise valid.

(f) Aid to war contractors

Any contracting agency may authorize or direct its officers and employees, as a part of their official duties, to advise, aid, and assist war contractors in preparing and presenting termination claims, in obtaining interim financing, and in related matters, to such extent as it deems desirable. Such advice, aid, or assistance shall not constitute a violation of section 205 of title 18 or of any other law, provided the officer or employee does not receive therefor benefit or compensation of any kind, directly or indirectly, from any war contractor.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 358 §20, 58 Stat. 668; Ex. Ord. No. 9809, §8, eff. Dec. 12, 1946, 11 F.R. 14281; June 30, 1947, ch. 166, title II, §207, 61 Stat. 209; 1947 Reorg. Plan No. 1, §201, eff. July 1, 1947, 12 F.R. 4534, 61 Stat. 951; June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title I, §102(b), 63 Stat. 380.)

References in Text

The First War Powers Act, 1941, referred to in subsec. (a), is act Dec. 18, 1941, ch. 593, 55 Stat. 838, which enacted sections 32 to 37 and 601 to 605, 611, and 616 to 622 of Title 50, Appendix, War and National Defense, and amended section 95a of Title 12, Banks and Banking, and section 5 of Title 50, Appendix. The First War Powers Act, 1941, was substantially repealed, with certain exceptions, by Pub. L. 89–554, §8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 651. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Codification

In subsec. (f), “section 205 of title 18” substituted for “section 109 of the Criminal Code (18 U.S.C. 198)” on authority of act June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 683, the first section of which enacted Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and on authority of Pub. L. 87–849, §2, Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1126.

Subsec. (g), relating to the duties of Smaller War Plants Corporation, omitted on authority of section 207 of act June 30, 1947, which provided: “The liquidation of the affairs of the Smaller War Plants Corporation administered by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation pursuant to Executive Order 9665 shall be carried out by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, notwithstanding the provisions of the last paragraph of section 5 of the First War Powers Act, 1941 [section 605 of Title 50, Appendix, War and National Defense]. The Smaller War Plants Corporation is hereby abolished.”

Transfer of Functions

Functions of Secretary of the Treasury transferred to Administrator of General Services by section 102(b) of act June 30, 1949, ch. 288, 63 Stat. 380, which was classified to section 752(b) of former Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and was repealed by Pub. L. 107–217, §6(b), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1304.

“Secretary” substituted for “Director” by section 8 of Ex. Ord. No. 9809 and section 201 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1947, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Effective Date of Transfer of Functions

Transfer of functions by act June 30, 1949, effective July 1, 1949, see section 605, formerly section 505, of act June 30, 1949, ch. 288, 63 Stat. 403; renumbered by act Sept. 5, 1950, ch. 849, §6(a), (b), 64 Stat. 583.