48 CFR Chapter 5, Subchapter C - CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is issuing a final rule to amend the USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR) that clarifies accountability for all mobile Information Technology equipment.

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) Board, is publishing, without change from the proposed rule, a final rule revising the exemption from CAS for firm-fixed-price (FFP) contracts and subcontracts awarded on the basis of adequate price competition without submission of cost or pricing data. This final rule clarifies that the exemption applies to FFP contracts and subcontracts awarded on the basis of adequate price competition without submission of certified cost or pricing data.

GSA is amending the General Services Administration Acquisition Regulation (GSAR) to address common commercial supplier agreement terms that are inconsistent with or create ambiguity with Federal Law.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) adopts as final the proposed amendments to VA regulations. This rulemaking prescribes five new Economic Price Adjustment clauses for firm-fixed-price contracts, identifies VA's task-order and delivery-order ombudsman, clarifies the nature and use of consignment agreements, adds policy coverage on bond premium adjustments and insurance under fixed-price contracts, and provides for indemnification of contractors for medical research or development contracts. This document adopts the proposed rule published on March 13, 2017, as a final rule with five technical non-substantive changes.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend and update its VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR) in phased increments to revise or remove any policy superseded by changes in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), to remove procedural guidance internal to VA into the VAAM, and to incorporate any new agency specific regulations or policies. These changes seek to streamline and align the VAAR with the FAR and remove outdated and duplicative requirements and reduce burden on contractors. The VAAM incorporates portions of the removed VAAR as well as other internal agency acquisition policy. VA will rewrite certain parts of the VAAR and VAAM, and as VAAR parts are rewritten, will publish them in the Federal Register . To minimize the number of rules published, VA will combine related topics.