AUTHORITY FOR DISTRICT COURTS TO OBTAIN ADVISORY OPINIONS FROM BOARDS OF CONTRACT APPEALS IN CERTAIN CASES.

SEC. 2354. AUTHORITY FOR DISTRICT COURTS TO OBTAIN ADVISORY OPINIONS FROM BOARDS OF CONTRACT APPEALS IN CERTAIN CASES. Section 10 of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 609) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: “(f) (1) Whenever an action involving an issue described in paragraph (2) is pending in a district court of the United States, the district court may request a board of contract appeals to provide the court with an advisory opinion on the matters of contract interpretation at issue. “(2) An issue referred to in paragraph (1) is any issue that could be the proper subject of a final decision of a contracting officer appealable under this Act. “(3) A district court shall direct any request under paragraph (1) to the board of contract appeals having jurisdiction under this Act to adjudicate appeals of contract claims under the contract or contracts being interpreted by the court. “(4) After receiving a request for an advisory opinion under paragraph (1), a board of contract appeals shall provide the advisory opinion in a timely manner to the district court making the request”.