2013 US Code
Title 10 - Armed Forces
Subtitle A - General Military Law (§§ 101 - 2925)
Part IV - SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT (§§ 2201 - 2925)
Chapter 139 - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (§§ 2351 - 2374b)
Section 2359b - Defense Acquisition Challenge Program
Publication Title | United States Code, 2012 Edition, Supplement 1, Title 10 - ARMED FORCES |
Category | Bills and Statutes |
Collection | United States Code |
SuDoc Class Number | Y 1.2/5: |
Contained Within | Title 10 - ARMED FORCES Subtitle A - General Military Law PART IV - SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT CHAPTER 139 - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Sec. 2359b - Defense Acquisition Challenge Program |
Contains | section 2359b |
Date | 2013 |
Laws in Effect as of Date | January 16, 2014 |
Positive Law | Yes |
Disposition | standard |
Source Credit | Added Pub. L. 107-314, div. A, title II, §243(a), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2495; amended Pub. L. 109-364, div. A, title II, §213(b), (d)-(g), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2121-2123; Pub. L. 110-417, [div. A], title VIII, §821, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4531; Pub. L. 111-383, div. A, title VIII, §827, Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4270; Pub. L. 112-239, div. A, title X, §1076(e)(3), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1951; Pub. L. 113-66, div. A, title X, §1091(a)(10), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 876. |
Statutes at Large References | 72 Stat. 384 116 Stat. 2495 120 Stat. 2121-2123 122 Stat. 4531 124 Stat. 4270, 3677 126 Stat. 1951 127 Stat. 876 |
Public Law References | Public Law 85-536, Public Law 93-400, Public Law 107-314, Public Law 109-364, Public Law 110-417, Public Law 111-350, Public Law 111-383, Public Law 112-239, Public Law 113-66 |
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(a)
(2) The program, to be known as the Defense Acquisition Challenge Program (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "Challenge Program"), shall provide any person or activity within or outside the Department of Defense with the opportunity to propose alternatives, to be known as challenge proposals, at the component, subsystem, or system level of an existing Department of Defense acquisition program that would result in improvements in performance, affordability, manufacturability, or operational capability of that acquisition program.
(b)
(c)
(2) The Under Secretary shall establish procedures pursuant to which appropriate officials of the Department of Defense may identify proposals submitted through the unsolicited proposal process as challenge proposals. The procedures shall provide for the expeditious referral of such proposals to a Panel for preliminary evaluation under this subsection.
(3) The Under Secretary shall issue on an annual basis not less than one such broad agency announcement inviting interested parties to submit challenge proposals. Such announcements may also identify particular technology areas and acquisition programs that will be given priority in the evaluation of challenge proposals.
(4)(A) The Under Secretary shall establish procedures for the prompt issuance of a solicitation for challenge proposals addressing—
(i) any acquisition program for which, since the last such announcement, the Secretary concerned has determined under section 2433(d) of this title that the program's acquisition unit cost or procurement unit cost has increased by a percentage equal to or greater than the critical cost growth threshold for the program (in this section referred to as a "critical cost growth threshold breach"); and
(ii) any design, engineering, manufacturing, or technology integration issues, in accordance with the assessment required by section 2433(e)(2)(A) of this title, that have contributed significantly to the cost growth of such program.
(B) A solicitation under this paragraph may be included in a broad agency announcement issued pursuant to paragraph (3) as long as the broad agency announcement is released in an expeditious manner following the determination of the Secretary concerned that a critical cost growth threshold breach has occurred with respect to a major defense acquisition program.
(5) Under procedures established by the Under Secretary, a Panel shall carry out a preliminary evaluation of each challenge proposal submitted in response to a broad agency announcement, or submitted through the unsolicited proposal process and identified as a challenge proposal in accordance with paragraph (2), to determine each of the following:
(A) Whether the challenge proposal has merit.
(B) Whether the challenge proposal is likely to result in improvements in performance, affordability, manufacturability, or operational capability at the component, subsystem, or system level of an acquisition program.
(C) Whether the challenge proposal could be implemented in the acquisition program rapidly, at an acceptable cost, and without unacceptable disruption to the acquisition program.
(6) The Under Secretary—
(A) may establish procedures to ensure that the Challenge Program does not become an avenue for the repetitive submission of proposals that have been previously reviewed and found not to have merit; and
(B) may establish procedures to ensure that the Challenge Program establishes appropriate priorities for proposals from businesses that are not major contractors with the Department of Defense.
(7) If a Panel determines that a challenge proposal satisfies each of the criteria specified in paragraph (5), the person or activity submitting that challenge proposal shall be provided an opportunity to submit such challenge proposal for a full review and evaluation under subsection (d).
(d)
(2) The full review and evaluation shall, independent of the determination of a Panel under subsection (c)(5), determine each of the matters specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of such subsection. The full review and evaluation shall also include—
(A) an assessment of the cost of adopting the challenge proposal and implementing it in the acquisition program; and
(B) consideration of any intellectual property issues associated with the challenge proposal.
(e)
(2) The Under Secretary shall encourage the adoption of each challenge proposal referred to in paragraph (1) by providing suitable incentives to the office carrying out the acquisition program and the prime system contractor carrying out such program.
(3) In the case of a challenge proposal submitted in response to a solicitation issued as a result of a critical cost growth threshold breach that is determined under full review and evaluation to satisfy each of the criteria specified in subsection (c)(5), the Under Secretary shall establish guidelines for covering the costs of the challenge proposal. If appropriate, such guidelines shall not be restricted to funding provided by the Defense Acquisition Challenge Program, but shall also consider alternative funding sources, such as the acquisition program with respect to which the breach occurred.
(f)
(1) The office carrying out the full review and evaluation shall provide to the Panel that conducted the preliminary evaluation a statement containing a summary of the rationale for the unfavorable evaluation.
(2) If the Panel disagrees with the rationale provided under paragraph (1), the Panel may return the challenge proposal to the office for further consideration.
(g)
(2) Funds available to carry out this program may be used to compensate such laboratories, centers, activities, and elements for technical assistance provided to a Panel pursuant to paragraph (1).
(h)
(i)
(j)
(1) means—
(A) the organization of hardware, software, material, facilities, personnel, data, and services needed to perform a designated function with specified results (such as the gathering of specified data, its processing, and its delivery to users); or
(B) a combination of two or more interrelated pieces (or sets) of equipment arranged in a functional package to perform an operational function or to satisfy a requirement; and
(2) includes a major system (as defined in section 2302(5) of this title).
(k)
(1)
(2)
(A) is evaluated as achieving a level of performance that is at least equal to the level of performance of an item being procured under a covered acquisition program and as providing savings in excess of 15 percent after considering all costs to the Government of implementing such proposal; or
(B) is evaluated as achieving a level of performance that is significantly better than the level of performance of an item being procured under a covered acquisition program without any increase in cost to the Government.
(3)
(4)
(A)
(B)
(C)
(5)
(Added Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title II, §243(a), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2495; amended Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title II, §213(b), (d)–(g), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2121–2123; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VIII, §821, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4531; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VIII, §827, Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4270; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, §1076(e)(3), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1951; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title X, §1091(a)(10), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 876.)
REFERENCES IN TEXTSection 4 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, referred to in subsec. (k)(4)(A), is section 4 of Pub. L. 93–400, which was classified to section 403 of former Title 41, Public Contracts, and was repealed and the provisions thereof restated in sections 102, 103, 105, 107 to 116, 131 to 134, and 1301 of Title 41, Public Contracts, by Pub. L. 111–350, §§3, 7(b), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3677, 3855. For disposition of sections of former Title 41, see Disposition Table preceding section 101 of Title 41.
The Small Business Act, referred to in subsec. (k)(4)(B), is Pub. L. 85–536, §2(1 et seq.), July 18, 1958, 72 Stat. 384, which is classified generally to chapter 14A (§631 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 631 of Title 15 and Tables.
AMENDMENTS2013—Subsec. (k)(4)(B). Pub. L. 113–66 inserted period at end.
Subsec. (k)(5). Pub. L. 112–239 substituted "January 7, 2016" for "the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act".
2011—Subsecs. (j) to (l). Pub. L. 111–383 redesignated subsec. (l) as (j), added subsec. (k), and struck out former subsecs. (j) and (k) which related to annual report and termination of authority, respectively.
2008—Subsec. (l). Pub. L. 110–417 added subsec. (l).
2006—Subsec. (c)(4), (5). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(1), added par. (4) and redesignated former par. (4) as (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (6).
Subsec. (c)(6). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(1)(A), (d), redesignated par. (5) as (6) and amended it generally. Prior to amendment, par. (6) read as follows: "The Under Secretary may establish procedures to ensure that the Challenge Program does not become an avenue for the repetitive submission of proposals that have been previously reviewed and found not to have merit." Former par. (6) redesignated (7).
Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(1)(A), (g)(1), redesignated par. (6) as (7) and substituted "paragraph (5)" for "paragraph (4)".
Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(g)(2), substituted "subsection (c)(7)" for "subsection (c)(6)".
Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(g)(3), substituted "subsection (c)(5)" for "subsection (c)(4)" in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(g)(4), substituted "subsection (c)(5)" for "subsection (c)(4)".
Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(2), added par. (3).
Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(3), added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g). Former subsec. (g) redesignated (h).
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(3)(A), (e), redesignated subsec. (g) as (h), substituted "Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality" for "Elimination of Conflicts of Interest" in heading, substituted "conflicts of interest and that the identity of any person or activity submitting a challenge proposal is not disclosed outside the Federal Government, prior to contract award, without the consent of the person or activity" for "conflicts of interest", and inserted at end "For purposes of the proceeding sentence, the term 'Federal Government' includes both employees of the Federal Government and employees of Federal Government contractors providing advisory and assistance services as described in part 37 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation." Former subsec. (h) redesignated (i).
Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(3)(A), redesignated subsec. (h) as (i). Former subsec. (i) redesignated (j).
Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(3)(A), (4), redesignated subsec. (i) as (j) and substituted "The report shall also include a list of each challenge proposal that was determined by a Panel to satisfy each of the criteria specified in subsection (c)(5), but was not determined under a full review and evaluation to satisfy such criteria, together with a detailed rationale for the Department's determination that such criteria were not satisfied" for "No report is required for a fiscal year in which the Challenge Program is not carried out". Former subsec. (j) redesignated (k).
Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 109–364, §213(b)(3)(A), (f), redesignated subsec. (j) as (k) and substituted "2012" for "2007".
1 See References in Text note below.
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