Comments on S. 1882

GAO was asked to comment on a Senate bill which would prohibit, with certain exceptions, federal agencies from contracting with persons who have been debarred or suspended by another agency. Under the bill, agencies would be able to accept another agency's debarment and suspension determination without having to conduct separate administrative proceedings. Also, the bill would enhance accountability by requiring agencies to justify any decisions not to honor another agency's debarment action. The bill would make the General Services Administration (GSA) responsible for maintaining and making available for public record agency notifications that contracts will not be awarded to debarred or suspended persons. GAO supports the bill and believes that passage would: (1) decrease the paperwork and regulatory burdens on the government; (2) enable agencies to avoid the burden of conducting a separate administrative proceeding if they wish to eliminate from consideration a contractor or subcontractor who has been debarred by another federal agency; and (3) improve administrative controls over the procurement process. Further, the savings created from fewer administrative proceedings would outweigh the effort needed to notify GSA when an agency chooses not to honor another agency's action.