CONTRACTS

Analyses

GAO Report on Dept. of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program: George R. La Noue, University of Maryland, S7078 [28JN]

Bills and resolutions

Agricultural Market Transition Act: provide compensation for loss markets to farm owners and producers who have entered into production flexibility contracts (see H.R. 1339), H1407 [3AP]

Agriculture: establish a Farmland Stewardship Program (see H.R. 2542), H4215 [18JY]

Army: authorize arsenals to undertake orders or contracts for articles or services in advance of the receipt of payment under certain circumstances (see S. 581), S2582 [20MR] (see H.R. 1970), H2678 [23MY]

Bankruptcy: revise banking and bankruptcy insolvency laws relative to termination and netting of financial contracts (see H.R. 11), H25 [3JA] (see H.R. 3211), H7717 [1NO]

Business and industry: ensure project labor agreements are permitted in certain circumstances (see H.R. 1360), H1408 [3AP]

———provide indemnification and liability protection to, and facilitate the procurement of insurance for, contractors responding to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (see H.R. 3549), H10909 [19DE]

———require certain parent corporations of Federal contractors to provide health care benefits to retired employees of the contractor (see H.R. 1691), H1860 [2MY]

Collective bargaining: clarify the illegality of the use of violence to achieve objectives during a strike (see S. 902), S5005 [16MY]

Colorado: authorize contracts for use of excess storage and conveyance capacity and conduct studies for enlargement of certain Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water resource areas (see H.R. 1714), H1923 [3MY]

Correctional institutions: prohibit operation by private contractors and require persons convicted of Federal offenses be housed in facilities managed and maintained by governmental employees (see S. 842), S4508 [8MY] (see H.R. 1764), H2022 [8MY]

Credit: prohibit unilateral imposition of mandatory binding arbitration in consumer credit transactions (see S. 192), S568 [25JA]

Davis-Bacon Act: amend to increase specified contract amounts (see H.R. 2094), H2996 [7JN]

———create additional category of construction workers called ``helpers'' (see H.R. 1972), H2679 [23MY]

———require cancellation of contracts with repeat violators and disclosure of certain payroll information (see H.R. 2681), H4948 [31JY]

———waive requirements relative to contracts for school and library construction and repair (see H.R. 331), H163 [31JA]

Dept. of Defense: codify and make modifications to certain Buy American Act provisions (see H.R. 1352), H1408 [3AP]

———commend U.S. military and defense contractor personnel responsible for successful in-flight ballistic missile defense interceptor test (see H. Res. 195), H4112 [17JY]

———ensure that Federal construction contractors abide by State tax, employment, and licensing regulations (see H.R. 588), H323 [13FE]

———give certain rights to employees relative to competition for contracts (see H.R. 2227), H3259 [19JN]

———impose notification and reporting requirements to certain Buy American Act provisions (see S. 766), S3852 [24AP]

———increase assistance furnished to carry out certain procurement technical assistance programs which operate on a Statewide basis (see H.R. 2689), H4948 [31JY]

———limit exceptions to and expand Buy American Act requirements (see H.R. 1458), H1485 (see H.R. 1458), H1495 [4AP]

———require certain contractors to investigate, assess, and provide fingerprint cards for individuals who work on military installations or facilities (see H.R. 3367), H8564 [28NO]

Dept. of Energy: terminate exemption of nonprofit institutions from civil penalties for violations of nuclear safety requirements (see H.R. 723), H411 [26FE]

Dept. of HUD: provide for renewal of project-based assisted housing contracts at reimbursement levels that are sufficient to sustain operations (see S. 1887), S13943 [20DE]

Dept. of State: expand eligibility for large overseas diplomatic construction contracts to small businesses that have performed work at U.S. diplomatic or consular establishments abroad (see S. 734), S3705 [6AP]

Electric power: provide that no electric utility shall be required to enter into a new contract or obligation to purchase or to sell electricity or capacity (see S. 552), S2388 [15MR] (see H.R. 381), H165 [31JA]

Employment: exclude all employment contracts from certain arbitration provisions (see H.R. 2282), H3464 [21JN]

———prohibit discrimination in awarding Federal contracts on the basis of labor policies (see H.R. 99), H27 [3JA]

———prohibit inclusion of mandatory binding arbitration clauses in employment agreements relative to discrimination or harassment claims (see S. 163), S527 [24JA]

———require U.S. nationals employing more than 20 persons in a foreign country to implement a corporate code of conduct relative to the employment of those persons (see H.R. 2782), H5336 [2AU]

Executive departments: carry out a cost-effective program for identifying any errors made in paying contractors and for recovering any amounts erroneously paid to contractors (see H.R. 2547), H4215 [18JY]

Federal contracts: ensure public accountability, efficient delivery of services, reasonable cost savings, and prevention of unwarranted expenses (see S. 1152), S7193 [29JN] (see H.R. 721), H398 [14FE]

———require each bidder for a construction contract to identify the subcontractors that the contractor intends to use to prevent the practice known as bid shopping (see H.R. 1859), H2279 [16MY]

———require Federal agencies to follow certain procedures relative to the bundling of procurement contract requirements (see H.R. 1324), H1345 [29MR]

Federal Prison Industries: eliminate Federal agency requirement to purchase products and require commercial competition for Federal contracts (see H.R. 1577), H1555 [24AP]

Federal Prison Industries, Inc.: revise requirements for procurement of products to meet needs of Federal agencies (see S. 1295), S8575 [1AU]

Government: increase flexibility in the procurement of property and services to facilitate the defense against terrorism (see S. 1780), S12551 [6DE] (see H.R. 3426), H9077 [6DE]

———preserve open competition and neutrality towards the labor relations of Federal Government contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects (see S. 740), S3706 [6AP] (see S. 962), S5616 [24MY] (see H.R. 2055), H2888 [5JN]

———require wages paid to Federal employees and Federal contract workers be above the local poverty line (see H.R. 917), H740 [7MR] (see H.R. 1457), H1485 (see H.R. 1457), H1494 [4AP]

Health: require managed care organizations to contract with providers in medically underserved areas (see H.R. 2743), H5334 [2AU]

Housing: prohibit offering homebuilding purchase contracts containing a mandatory arbitration agreement and other provisions in a single document and prohibit requiring purchasers to consent to mandatory arbitration agreements (see H.R. 2053), H2888 [5JN]

Lowry, Rabon: relief (see H.R. 807), H507 [28FE]

Medicare: facilitate use of private contracts (see H.R. 1640), H1659 [26AP]

———provide incentive payments for multi-year contracts entered into by Medicare+Choice organizations (see H.R. 274), H109 [30JA]

———provide regulatory relief, appeals process reforms, contracting flexibility, and education improvements (see S. 1738), S12100 [28NO] (see H.R. 3046), H6379 [4OC]

———provide regulatory relief and contracting flexibility (see S. 1545), S10693 [15OC] (see H.R. 2768), H5335 [2AU] (see H.R. 3391), H8842 [4DE]

Motor vehicles: provide for greater fairness in the motor vehicle franchise contract arbitration process (see S. 1140), S7193 [29JN] (see H.R. 1296), H1343 [29MR]

National Energy Conservation Policy Act: enhance and extend authority relating to energy savings performance contracts of the Government (S. 3277) (see S. 72), S99 [22JA]

New York, NY: indemnify contractors for World Trade Center recovery efforts (see H.R. 3503), H10066 [13DE]

Power resources: increase funding for low-income energy assistance, weatherization, and State energy conservation grant programs (see S. Res. 26), S1464 [15FE]

———increase funding for low-income energy assistance, weatherization, and State energy conservation grant programs and expand the use of energy savings performance contracts (see S. 352), S1462 [15FE] (see H.R. 683), H396 [14FE]

SBA: require submission of certain disagreements to the OMB for resolution and establish a minimum period for the solicitation of offers for a bundled contract (see H.R. 2867), H5455 [6SE]

———tribute (see S. Res. 86), S4590 [9MY]

Small business: enhance access to Federal contracting opportunities and provide technical advice and support that small businesses need to perform contracts awarded to them (see S. 861), S4822 [10MY]

———promote involvement of small business concerns and small business joint ventures in certain types of procurement contracts and establish the Small Business Procurement Competition Program (see S. 1472), S9875 [26SE]

Social Security: application of employment criteria under management contracts for certain mental health facilities (see H.R. 3147), H6919 [16OC]

Taxation: allow the use of completed contract method of accounting in the case of certain long-term naval vessel construction contracts (see S. 666), S3215 [30MR] (see H.R. 2189), H3202 [14JN]

———standards for determining employment status of independent contractors (see S. 837), S4416 [7MY] (see H.R. 1783), H2081 [9MY]

———treatment of water and sewage disposal property conveyed under the Dept. of Defense privatization program (see H.R. 2130), H3066 [12JN]

Descriptions

Independent Contractor Determination Act (S. 837), S4421 [7MY]

Letters

CBO analysis of proposal to improve GSA SmartPay program: Senators Baucus and Burns, S12667 [7DE]

Federal Prison Industries, Inc., requirements relative to procurement of products to meet needs of Federal agencies: Daniel J. Bryant, Dept. of Justice, H10079 [13DE]

Governmentwide Mentor-Protege Program Act: Raymond F. Lopez, Jr., Engineering Services Network, Inc., S4831 [10MY]

———Scott Ulvi, Anteon Corp., S4831 [10MY]

Project labor agreements for public sector construction projects: John G. Rowland, Governor of Connecticut, S1866 [6MR]

Revise requirements for procurement of products from Federal Prison Industries, Inc., to meet needs of Federal agencies: Dan Danner, National Federation of Independent Business, S9774 [25SE]

———R. Bruce Josten, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, S9774 [25SE]

———Steve Young, Fraternal Order of Police, S9778 [25SE]

———Susan Herman, National Center for Victims of Crime, S9775 [25SE]

Lists

Staff that worked on H.R. 3391, Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act, H8794 [4DE]

Memorandums

Federal Prison Industries, Inc., Requirements Relative to Procurement of Products To Meet Needs of Federal Agencies: Steve Schwalb, Federal Prison Industries, Inc., H10079 [13DE]

Press releases

Philipp Holzmann AG (business) Guilty Plea to Conspiracy To Rig Bids on an AID-Funded Construction Contract: AID, S6383 [18JN]

Remarks in House

Agriculture: establish a Farmland Stewardship Program (H.R. 2542), H4120 [18JY]

Bankruptcy: revise banking and bankruptcy insolvency laws relative to termination and netting of financial contracts, H581-H588 [1MR]

BIA: contract support costs for Indian Health Service programs funding, H3371, H3373 [21JN]

Business and industry: ensure project labor agreements are permitted in certain circumstances, E2026 [7NO], E2340 [20DE]

Buy American Act: compliance, H1083 [22MR], H2057 [9MY], H2606, H2607 [23MY], H3088 [13JN], H3344 [20JN], H3412 [21JN], H3585, H3586 [26JN], H3724 [28JN], H3907 [11JY], H4155 [18JY], H4527 [24JY], H4589, H4590 [25JY], H4846 [30JY], H4894 [31JY], H5871 [21SE], H6008, H6009 [25SE], H6229, H6230 [3OC], H6403 [5OC], H6664 [11OC], H8473 [28NO]

Coast Guard: require new vessels be constructed in the U.S. using U.S. iron and steel, H2973 [7JN]

Colombia: failure to comply with contractual obligations and binding arbitration decisions with U.S. companies, H8295 [16NO]

Davis-Bacon Act: amend to increase specified contract amounts (H.R. 2094), H3526 [26JN]

Dept. of Defense: codify and make modifications to certain Buy American Act provisions (H.R. 1352), E523 [3AP]

———commend U.S. military and defense contractor personnel responsible for successful in-flight ballistic missile defense interceptor test, E1387 [20JY]

———commend U.S. military and defense contractor personnel responsible for successful in-flight ballistic missile defense interceptor test (H. Res. 195), H4036-H4041 [17JY]

———ensure that Federal construction contractors abide by State tax, employment, and licensing regulations (H.R. 588), E159 [13FE]

———increase assistance furnished to carry out certain procurement technical assistance programs which operate on a Statewide basis (H.R. 2689), E1487 [1AU]

———increase assistance furnished to carry out certain procurement technical assistance programs which operate on a statewide basis, H5850 [20SE]

———study cost saving effects of consolidation of contracts relative to small businesses, H5854 [20SE]

Dept. of Energy: limits on civil penalties of contractors managing laboratories, H8362, H8363 [27NO]

Federal contracts: consider quality and cost before contracting out, outsourcing, privatizing, or converting any Government services, H4596-H4598 [25JY]

———ensure public accountability, efficient delivery of services, reasonable cost savings, and prevention of unwarranted expenses, H6040, H6041 [25SE]

Federal Prison Industries, Inc.: revise requirements for procurement of products to meet needs of Federal agencies, H10079 [13DE]

Government: require wages paid to Federal employees and Federal contract workers be above the local poverty line (H.R. 1457), clarification of status, E681 [1MY]

———require wages paid to Federal employees and Federal contract workers be above the local poverty line (H.R. 917), E554 [5AP], E681 [1MY]

Medicare: provide incentive payments for multi-year contracts entered into by Medicare+Choice organizations (H.R. 274), H1586 [25AP]

———provide regulatory relief and contracting flexibility (H.R. 2768), E1533, E1548 [3AU]

———provide regulatory relief and contracting flexibility (H.R. 3391), H8778-H8801 [4DE]

National Reconnaissance Office: contracting of satellite launch services, H6018 [25SE]

Pawnee, OK: Pawnee Replacement Health Center construction funding, H3373 [21JN]

Social Security: application of employment criteria under management contracts for certain mental health facilities (H.R. 3147), E1897 [16OC]

Swift & Co.: tribute, E1875 [12OC]

Taxation: standards for determining employment status of independent contractors (H.R. 1783), E771 [10MY]

———treatment of water and sewage disposal property conveyed under the Dept. of Defense privatization program (H.R. 2130), E1077 [12JN]

UAW: anniversary of first contract with Ford Motor Co., E1158 [20JN]

Winnebago, NE: construction of Indian Health Service hospital, H3373 [21JN], H7107 [17OC]

Remarks in Senate

Agriculture: reform certain mandatory arbitration requirements in resolving disputes between farmers and agribusinesses, S13087-S13091 [13DE]

Army: acquisition of black berets for use by all personnel, S13318 [14DE]

———authorize arsenals to undertake orders or contracts for articles or services in advance of the receipt of payment under certain circumstances (S. 581), S2593 [20MR]

Bankruptcy: revise banking and bankruptcy insolvency laws relative to termination and netting of financial contracts, S2365-S2373 [15MR]

———revise banking and bankruptcy insolvency laws relative to termination and netting of financial contracts (H.R. 3211), S11435 [5NO]

CBO: analysis of proposal to improve GSA SmartPay program, S12667, S12668 [7DE]

Collective bargaining: clarify the illegality of the use of violence to achieve objectives during a strike (S. 902), S5017 [16MY]

Credit: prohibit unilateral imposition of mandatory binding arbitration in consumer credit transactions (S. 192), S586 [25JA]

Dept. of Defense: antitank and short-range missile production grants, S12655 [7DE]

———matching of disbursements to particular obligations before making payments, S12658 [7DE]

———release decision on FTC investigation of possible antitrust issues relative to joint venture production of nitrocellulose, S10047, S10055 [2OC]

———smokeless nitrocellulose procurement funding, S13844 [20DE]

Dept. of HUD: provide for renewal of project-based assisted housing contracts at reimbursement levels that are sufficient to sustain operations (S. 1887), S13978-S13980 [20DE]

Dept. of Transportation: GAO report on alleged discrimination in the Disadvantaged Business Enerprises Program, S7078 [28JN]

Employment: prohibit inclusion of mandatory binding arbitration clauses in employment agreements relative to discrimination or harassment claims (S. 163), S529 [24JA]

Federal Prison Industries, Inc.: revise requirements for procurement of products to meet needs of Federal agencies, S9710-S9712, S9714 [24SE], S9769-S9780 [25SE], S10039-S10041 [2OC], S13356 [17DE]

———revise requirements for procurement of products to meet needs of Federal agencies (S. 1295), S8591, S8592 [1AU]

Government: increase flexibility in the procurement of property and services to facilitate the defense against terrorism (S. 1780), S12553 [6DE]

———preserve open competition and neutrality towards the labor relations of Federal Government contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects (S. 962), S5636 [24MY]

Health: ensure that health insurance contracts are binding, S7045, S7046 [28JN]

Medicare: contractor payment delay, S7058-S7062 [28JN], S7130 [29JN]

———provide regulatory relief, appeals process reforms, contracting flexibility, and education improvements (S. 1738), S12106, S12107 [28NO]

———provide regulatory relief and contracting flexibility (S. 1545), S10694 [15OC]

Motor vehicles: provide for greater fairness in the motor vehicle franchise contract arbitration process (S. 1140), S7195-S7197 [29JN]

National Energy Conservation Policy Act: enhance and extend authority relating to energy savings performance contracts of the Government (S. 72), S331 [22JA]

National security: allow exceptions to procurement laws during national emergencies to acquire necessary technology in a timely manner, S10268 [4OC]

Power resources: increase funding for low-income energy assistance, weatherization, and State energy conservation grant programs (S. Res. 26), S1536, S1537 [15FE]

SBA: tribute (S. Res. 86), S4582-S4584 [9MY], S4936 [15MY]

Small business: eliminate certain reporting requirements relative to bundled contracts and expand opportunities for businesses that locate in and hire from economically distressed communities, S9839 [26SE]

———enhance access to Federal contracting opportunities and provide technical advice and support that small businesses need to perform contracts awarded to them (S. 861), S4828 [10MY]

———provide Federal contract opportunities in economically distressed communities, S12655 [7DE]

Taxation: allow the use of completed contract method of accounting in the case of certain long-term naval vessel construction contracts (S. 666), S3217 [30MR]

———standards for determining employment status of independent contractors (S. 837), S4418-S4422 [7MY]

Reports filed

Medicare Regulatory, Appeals, Contracting, and Education Reform Act: Committee on Energy and Commerce (House) (H.R. 3046) (H. Rept. 107-313), H8841 [4DE]

Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act: Committee on Rules (House) (H.R. 2768) (H. Rept. 107-288), H8132 [13NO]

Motor Vehicle Franchise Contract Arbitration Fairness Act: Committee on the Judiciary (Senate) (S. 1140), S11286 [31OC]

Nomination of Angela Styles To Be OMB Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy: Committee on Governmental Affairs (Senate), S5542 [23MY]

Relief of Rabon Lowry: Committee on the Judiciary (House) (H.R. 807) (H. Rept. 107-128), H3861 [10JY]

Resolutions by organizations

GSA Capital Investment Program: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (House), H8138-H8142 [14NO]

Texts of

H. Res. 195, commend U.S. military and defense contractor personnel responsible for successful in-flight ballistic missile defense interceptor test, H4036 [17JY]

H.R. 807, relief of Rabon Lowry, H4029 [17JY]

H.R. 917, Federal Living Wage Responsibility Act, E554 [5AP]

H.R. 3391, Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act, H8778-H8793 [4DE]

S. 72, Energy Efficient Cost Savings Improvement Act, S332 [22JA]

S. 163, Civil Rights Procedures Protection Act, S530 [24JA]

S. 192, Consumer Credit Fair Dispute Resolution Act, S587 [25JA]

S. 352, Energy Emergency Response Act, S1494 [15FE]

S. 581, authorize Army arsenals to undertake orders or contracts for articles or services in advance of the receipt of payment under certain circumstances, S2594 [20MR]

S. 734, expand eligibility for large overseas diplomatic construction contracts to small businesses that have performed work at U.S. diplomatic or consular establishments abroad, S3717 [6AP]

S. 766, impose Buy American Act notification and reporting requirements on the Dept. of Defense, S3860 [24AP]

S. 837, Independent Contractor Determination Act, S4420 [7MY]

S. 842, Public Safety Act, S4512 [8MY]

S. 861, Governmentwide Mentor-Protege Program Act, S4829-S4831 [10MY]

S. 902, Freedom From Union Violence Act, S5017 [16MY]

S. 962, Government Neutrality in Contracting Act, S5758 [25MY]

S. 1140, Motor Vehicle Franchise Contract Arbitration Fairness Act, S7195 [29JN]

S. 1545, Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act, S10695-S10701 [15OC]

S. Res. 26, increase funding for low-income energy assistance, weatherization, and State energy conservation grant programs, S1528 [15FE]

S. Res. 86, tribute to SBA, S4613 [9MY]