Return of classified information.

(a) Contracting officers must recover classified information, unless it has been destroyed as provided in Section 7 of Chapter 5 of the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM). Information on NISPOM can be found at http://www.fas.org/sgp/library/nispom.htm. (b) Contracting officers must ensure that classified information provided by the government is returned immediately after any of the following events: (1) Bid opening or closing date for receipt of proposals by non-responding offerors. (2) Contract award by unsuccessful offerors. (3) Termination or completion of the contract. (4) Notification that authorization to release classified information has been withdrawn. (5) Notification that a facility: (i) Does not have adequate means to safeguard classified information; or (ii) Has had its security clearance revoked or inactivated. (6) Whenever otherwise instructed by the authority responsible for the security classification. (c) The Government agency that provided classified information to a GSA contractor is responsible for the return of the information. [77 FR 59792, Oct. 1, 2012]