[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 16, 1995)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 42657-42659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-19860]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
48 CFR Parts 31, 42, and 52

[FAC 90-31; FAR Case 94-751; Item III]
RIN 9000-AG20


Federal Acquisition Regulation; Penalties on Unallowable Indirect 
Costs

AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration 
(GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule is issued pursuant to the Federal Acquisition 
Streamlining Act of 1994 to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation 
(FAR) to implement the requirements for penalties for unallowable 
costs. This regulatory action was subject to Office of Management and 
Budget review under Executive Order 12866, dated September 30, 1993.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Clarence Belton, Cost Principles Team Leader, at (703) 602-2357 in 
reference to this FAR case. For general information, contact the FAR 
Secretariat, Room 4037, GS Building, Washington, DC 20405 (202) 501-
4755. Please cite FAC 90-31, FAR case 94-751.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background

    The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, Pub. L. 103-355 
(the Act), provides authorities that streamline the acquisition process 
and minimize burdensome Government-unique requirements. Major changes 
that can be expected in the acquisition process as a result of the 
Act's implementation include changes in the areas of Commercial Item 
Acquisition, the Truth in Negotiations Act, and introduction of the 
Federal Acquisition Computer Network (FACNET).
    Sections 2101 and 2151 of the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act 
of 1994 change the contract value threshold for assessment of penalties 
on unallowable costs from $100,000 to $500,000 and expand the coverage 
from the Department of Defense to all executive agencies. This final 
rule makes the required changes. With the exception of the threshold 
value, the penalty 

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provisions in the new law are the same as those implemented in the 
current Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement.

B. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration certify that this 
final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 
601, et seq., because most contracts awarded to small businesses are 
awarded competitively on a firm-fixed-price basis and, therefore, are 
not subject to the FAR cost principles.

C. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The Paperwork Reduction Act does not apply because the changes to 
the FAR do not impose recordkeeping or information collection 
requirements, or collections of information from offerors, contractors, 
or members of the public which require the approval of the Office of 
Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.

D. Public Comments

    Twelve public comments were received in response to the proposed 
rule published in the Federal Register on December 19, 1994 (59 FR 
65460). The comments were considered in the formulation of this final 
rule.

List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 31, 42, and 52

    Government procurement.

    Dated: August 7, 1995.
Edward C. Loeb,
Deputy Project Manager for the Implementation of the Federal 
Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994.

    Therefore, 48 CFR Parts 31, 42, and 52 are amended as set forth 
below:
    1. The authority citation for 48 CFR Parts 31, 42, and 52 continues 
to read as follows:

    Authority: 40 U.S.C. 486(c); 10 U.S.C. chapter 137; and 42 
U.S.C. 2473(c).

PART 31--CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

    2. Section 31.110 is added to read as follows:


31.110  Indirect cost rate certification and penalties on unallowable 
costs.

    (a) Certain contracts require certification of the indirect cost 
rates proposed for progress, billing, or final payment purposes. See 
42.703-2 for administrative procedures regarding the certification 
provisions and the related contract clause prescription.
    (b) If unallowable costs are included in final indirect cost 
settlement proposals, penalties may be assessed. See 42.709 for 
administrative procedures regarding the penalty assessment provisions 
and the related contract clause prescription.

PART 42--CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

    3. Sections 42.709 thru 42.709-6 are added to read as follows:

Sec.
42.709  Scope.
42.709-1  General.
42.709-2  Responsibilities.
42.709-3  Assessing the penalty.
42.709-4  Computing interest.
42.709-5  Waiver of the penalty.
42.709-6  Contract clause.


42.709  Scope.

    (a) This section implements 10 U.S.C. 2324 (a) through (d) and 41 
U.S.C. 256 (a) through (d). It covers the assessment of penalties 
against contractors which include unallowable indirect costs in--
    (1) Final indirect cost rate proposals; or
    (2) The final statement of costs incurred or estimated to be 
incurred under a fixed-price incentive contract.
    (b) This section applies to all contracts in excess of $500,000, 
except fixed-price contracts without cost incentives or any firm-fixed-
price contracts for the purchase of commercial items.


42.709-1  General.

    (a) The following penalties apply to contracts covered by this 
section:
    (1) If the indirect cost is expressly unallowable under a cost 
principle in the FAR, or an executive agency supplement to the FAR, 
that defines the allowability of specific selected costs, the penalty 
is equal to--
    (i) The amount of the disallowed costs allocated to contracts that 
are subject to this section for which an indirect cost proposal has 
been submitted; plus
    (ii) Interest on the paid portion, if any, of the disallowance.
    (2) If the indirect cost was determined to be unallowable for that 
contractor before proposal submission, the penalty is two times the 
amount in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section.
    (b) These penalties are in addition to other administrative, civil, 
and criminal penalties provided by law.
    (c) It is not necessary for unallowable costs to have been paid to 
the contractor in order to assess a penalty.


42.709-2  Responsibilities.

    (a) The cognizant contracting officer is responsible for--
    (1) Determining whether the penalties in 42.709-1(a) should be 
assessed;
    (2) Determining whether such penalties should be waived pursuant to 
42.709-5; and
    (3) Referring the matter to the appropriate criminal investigative 
organization for review and for appropriate coordination of remedies, 
if there is evidence that the contractor knowingly submitted 
unallowable costs.
    (b) The contract auditor, in the review and/or the determination of 
final indirect cost proposals for contracts subject to this section, is 
responsible for--
    (1) Recommending to the contracting officer which costs may be 
unallowable and subject to the penalties in 42.709-1(a);
    (2) Providing rationale and supporting documentation for any 
recommendation; and
    (3) Referring the matter to the appropriate criminal investigative 
organization for review and for appropriate coordination of remedies, 
if there is evidence that the contractor knowingly submitted 
unallowable costs.


42.709-3  Assessing the penalty.

    Unless a waiver is granted pursuant to 42.709-5, the cognizant 
contracting officer shall--
    (a) Assess the penalty in 42.709-1(a)(1), when the submitted cost 
is expressly unallowable under a cost principle in the FAR or an 
executive agency supplement that defines the allowability of specific 
selected costs; or
    (b) Assess the penalty in 42.709-1(a)(2), when the submitted cost 
was determined to be unallowable for that contractor prior to 
submission of the proposal. Prior determinations of unallowability may 
be evidenced by--
    (1) A DCAA Form 1, Notice of Contract Costs Suspended and/or 
Disapproved (see 48 CFR 242.705-2), or any similar notice which the 
contractor elected not to appeal and was not withdrawn by the cognizant 
Government agency;
    (2) A contracting officer final decision which was not appealed;
    (3) A prior executive agency Board of Contract Appeals or court 
decision involving the contractor, which upheld the cost disallowance; 
or
    (4) A determination or agreement of unallowability under 31.201-6.
    (c) Issue a final decision (see 33.211) which includes a demand for 
payment of any penalty assessed under paragraph (a) or (b) of this 
section. The letter shall state that the determination is a final 

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decision under the Disputes clause of the contract. (Demanding payment 
of the penalty is separate from demanding repayment of any paid portion 
of the disallowed cost.)


42.709-4  Computing interest.

    For 42.709-1(a)(1)(ii), compute interest on any paid portion of the 
disallowed cost as follows:
    (a) Consider the overpayment to have occurred, and interest to have 
begun accumulating, from the midpoint of the contractor's fiscal year. 
Use an alternate equitable method if the cost was not paid evenly over 
the fiscal year.
    (b) Use the interest rate specified by the Secretary of the 
Treasury pursuant to Pub. L. 92-41 (85 Stat. 97).
    (c) Compute interest from the date of overpayment to the date of 
the demand letter for payment of the penalty.
    (d) Determine the paid portion of the disallowed costs in 
consultation with the contract auditor.


42.709-5  Waiver of the penalty.

    The cognizant contracting officer shall waive the penalties at 
42.709-1(a) when--
    (a) The contractor withdraws the proposal before the Government 
formally initiates an audit of the proposal and the contractor submits 
a revised proposal (an audit will be deemed to be formally initiated 
when the Government provides the contractor with written notice, or 
holds an entrance conference, indicating that audit work on a specific 
final indirect cost proposal has begun);
    (b) The amount of the unallowable costs under the proposal which 
are subject to the penalty is $10,000 or less (i.e., if the amount of 
expressly or previously determined unallowable costs which would be 
allocated to the contracts specified in 42.709(b) is $10,000 or less); 
or
    (c) The contractor demonstrates, to the cognizant contracting 
officer's satisfaction, that--
    (1) It has established policies and personnel training and an 
internal control and review system that provide assurance that 
unallowable costs subject to penalties are precluded from being 
included in the contractor's final indirect cost rate proposals (e.g., 
the types of controls required for satisfactory participation in the 
Department of Defense sponsored self-governance programs, specific 
accounting controls over indirect costs, compliance tests which 
demonstrate that the controls are effective, and Government audits 
which have not disclosed recurring instances of expressly unallowable 
costs); and
    (2) The unallowable costs subject to the penalty were inadvertently 
incorporated into the proposal; i.e., their inclusion resulted from an 
unintentional error, notwithstanding the exercise of due care.


42.709-6  Contract clause.

    Use the clause at 52.242-3, Penalties for Unallowable Costs, in all 
solicitations and contracts over $500,000 except fixed-price contracts 
without cost incentives or any firm-fixed-price contract for the 
purchase of commercial items. Generally, covered contracts are those 
which contain one of the clauses at 52.216-7, 52.216-13, 52.216-16, or 
52.216-17, or a similar clause from an executive agency's supplement to 
the FAR.

PART 52--SOLICITATION PROVISIONS AND CONTRACT CLAUSES

    5. Section 52.242-3 is added to read as follows:


52.242-3  Penalties for Unallowable Costs.

    As prescribed in 42.709-6, use the following clause:

Penalties for Unallowable Costs (Oct 1995)

    (a) Definition. Proposal, as used in this clause, means either--
    (1) A final indirect cost rate proposal submitted by the 
Contractor after the expiration of its fiscal year which--
    (i) Relates to any payment made on the basis of billing rates; 
or
    (ii) Will be used in negotiating the final contract price; or
    (2) The final statement of costs incurred and estimated to be 
incurred under the Incentive Price Revision clause (if applicable), 
which is used to establish the final contract price.
    (b) Contractors which include unallowable indirect costs in a 
proposal may be subject to penalties. The penalties are prescribed 
in 10 U.S.C. 2324 or 41 U.S.C. 256, as applicable, which is 
implemented in Section 42.709 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation 
(FAR).
    (c) The Contractor shall not include in any proposal any cost 
which is unallowable, as defined in Part 31 of the FAR, or an 
executive agency supplement to Part 31 of the FAR.
    (d) If the Contracting Officer determines that a cost submitted 
by the Contractor in its proposal is expressly unallowable under a 
cost principle in the FAR, or an executive agency supplement to the 
FAR, that defines the allowability of specific selected costs, the 
Contractor shall be assessed a penalty equal to--
    (1) The amount of the disallowed cost allocated to this 
contract; plus
    (2) Simple interest, to be computed--
    (i) On the amount the Contractor was paid (whether as a progress 
or billing payment) in excess of the amount to which the Contractor 
was entitled; and
    (ii) Using the applicable rate effective for each six-month 
interval prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to 
Pub. L. 92-41 (85 Stat. 97).
    (e) If the Contracting Officer determines that a cost submitted 
by the Contractor in its proposal includes a cost previously 
determined to be unallowable for that Contractor, then the 
Contractor will be assessed a penalty in an amount equal to two 
times the amount of the disallowed cost allocated to this contract.
    (f) Determinations under paragraphs (d) and (e) of this clause 
are final decisions within the meaning of the Contract Disputes Act 
of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 601, et seq.).
    (g) Pursuant to the criteria in FAR 42.709-5, the Contracting 
Officer may waive the penalties in paragraph (d) or (e) of this 
clause.
    (h) Payment by the Contractor of any penalty assessed under this 
clause does not constitute repayment to the Government of any 
unallowable cost which has been paid by the Government to the 
Contractor.

(End of clause)

[FR Doc. 95-19860 Filed 8-15-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-EP-M