Pub. L. 110-329, div. D, tit. V, sec. 525

Sec. 525. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds appropriated in this or any other Act to the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management, the Office of the Under Secretary for Management, or the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, may be obligated for a grant or contract funded under such headings by a means other than full and open competition.(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to obligation of funds for a contract awarded—(1) by a means that is required by a Federal statute, including obligation for a purchase made under a mandated preferential program, such as the AbilityOne Program, that is authorized under the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46 et seq.);(2) under the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.);(3) in an amount less than the simplified acquisition threshold described under section 302A(a) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 252a(a)); or(4) by another Federal agency using funds provided through an interagency agreement.(c)(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of Homeland Security may waive the application of this section for the award of a contract in the interest of national security or if failure to do so would pose a substantial risk to human health or welfare.(2) Not later than 5 days after the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security issues a waiver under this subsection, the Secretary shall submit notification of that waiver to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives, including a description of the applicable contract and an explanation of why the waiver authority was used. The Secretary may not delegate the authority to grant such a waiver.(d) In addition to the requirements established by this section, the Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security shall review departmental contracts awarded through other than full and open competition to assess departmental compliance with applicable laws and regulations: Provided, That the Inspector General shall review selected contracts awarded in the previous fiscal 122 STAT. 3686 year through other than full and open competition: Provided further, That in determining which contracts to review, the Inspector General shall consider the cost and complexity of the goods and services to be provided under the contract, the criticality of the contract to fulfilling Department missions, past performance problems on similar contracts or by the selected vendor, complaints received about the award process or contractor performance, and such other factors as the Inspector General deems relevant: Provided further, That the Inspector General shall report the results of the reviews to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives.