Emergency provisions added to FAR

The Office of Management and Budget announced today the release of Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 18, a FAR addition that includes emergency procurement information in a single source to help agencies effectively respond to emergencies.

After Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, many department officials were unfamiliar with acquisition flexibility regulations regarding emergency situations. So the Office of Federal Procurement Policy requested a new FAR part that would compile such procedures into one section.

“The publication of the new FAR Part concludes an important regulatory initiative designed to improve the government’s ability to acquire critical goods and services during an emergency,” said Robert Burton, associate administrator of OFPP.

FAR Part 18 does not change acquisition rules or policies but makes access to those rules and policies easier and less time-consuming.

Procurement officials will be able to use FAR Part 18 to streamline important processes such as proposal and payment measures during emergencies or other major disasters.

Previously, information on emergency procurement measures was not consolidated in the FAR.

“Our concern was that it took too much time to identify all the measures and resources available to agencies during an emergency,” Burton said. “This new FAR part addresses those concerns and provides a valuable tool needed by agencies to quickly respond to disasters.”