U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 418b. Publication of proposed regulations

(a) Effective date; procurement policy, regulations, procedure or form; publication in Federal Register

Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, no procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form (including amendments or modifications thereto) relating to the expenditure of appropriated funds that has

(1) a significant effect beyond the internal operating procedures of the agency issuing the procurement policy, regulation, procedure or form, or

(2) a significant cost or administrative impact on contractors or offerors, may take effect until 60 days after the procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form is published for public comment in the Federal Register pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, such a policy, regulation, procedure, or form may take effect earlier than 60 days after the publication date when there are compelling circumstances for the earlier effective date, but in no event may that effective date be less than 30 days after the publication date.

(b) Publication in Federal Register

Subject to subsection (c) of this section, the head of the agency shall cause to be published in the Federal Register a notice of the proposed procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form and provide for a public comment period for receiving and considering the views of all interested parties on such proposal. The length of such comment period may not be less than 30 days.

Any notice of a proposed procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form prepared for publication in the Federal Register shall include—

(1) the text of the proposal or, if it is impracticable to publish the full text of the proposal, a summary of the proposal and a statement specifying the name, address, and telephone number of the officer or employee of the executive agency from whom the full text may be obtained; and

(2) a request for interested parties to submit comments on the proposal and shall include the name and address of the officer or employee of the Government designated to receive such comments.

(d) Waiver

(1) The requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section may be waived by the officer authorized to issue a procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form if urgent and compelling circumstances make compliance with such requirements impracticable.

(2) A procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form with respect to which the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section are waived under paragraph (1) shall be effective on a temporary basis if—

(A) a notice of such procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form is published in the Federal Register and includes a statement that the procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form is temporary; and

(B) provision is made for a public comment period of 30 days beginning on the date on which the notice is published.

(3) After considering the comments received, the head of the agency waiving the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section under paragraph (1) may issue the final procurement policy, regulation, procedure, or form.

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