The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council on Thursday issued new model deviation text for four parts of the FAR as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, or RFO, initiative.
In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to amend FAR to streamline the federal procurement process and eliminate barriers to doing business with the government.
The FAR Council released new text for Part 3 – Improper Business Practices and Personal Conflicts of Interest; Part 17 – Special Contracting Methods; Part 27 – Patents, Data, and Copyrights; and Part 45 – Government Property. These parts are open for feedback through Oct. 27.
Meanwhile, FAR Part 8: Required Sources of Supplies and Services was updated to conform with Aug. 29 updates to the model deviation text.
Special Contracting Methods
FAR Part 3 concerning special contracting methods has been streamlined to organize information in a way that is easier to use and understand; combine related topics and remove repeated information; and make the language clearer through simpler sentences and better formating.
Subpart 17.1 that covers multiyear contracting, for instance, has been restructured. A subpart that addresses interagency acquisitions has been updated for clarity.
The council has removed the criteria for identifying management and operating contracts.
Patents, Data & Copyrights
FAR Part 27 governing intellectual property rights in government contracts has been updated for clarity.
A section covering royalties and a subpart tackling patent rights under government contracts have been streamlined.
The council has eliminated a section that provides unnecesary detail of the U.S. government’s policy and objectives for patent rights and title under contracts.
A subsection addressing the status of a small business or nonprofit organization has been removed as the content is duplicative of FAR Part 19.
