Overview
FAR 1.303 establishes the mandatory standards for publishing and organizing agency-specific acquisition regulations to ensure they remain consistent with the structure and numbering of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
Key Rules
- Publication Requirements: Agency-wide acquisition regulations must be published in the Federal Register and codified within Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) under the agency's assigned chapter.
- Structural Alignment: Agency regulations must parallel the FAR in format, arrangement, and numbering system.
- Direct Implementation: Any agency coverage that implements a specific FAR section must use the corresponding FAR number and title.
- Supplementary Material: Unique agency rules that have no FAR counterpart must be numbered using "70" or higher (e.g., Part 1470 or subsection 1401.301-70).
- Internal Exemptions: Internal agency guidance and issuances intended for housekeeping or administrative purposes (under 1.301(a)(2)) are not required to be published in the Federal Register.
Practical Implications
- Ease of Navigation: Contractors can easily locate agency-specific rules because the numbering system is identical to the FAR; for example, if a contractor is looking for agency-specific "Definitions," they will consistently find them in the agency's Part 2 (e.g., DFARS Part 202).
- Regulatory Transparency: By requiring Federal Register publication for agency-wide rules, the government ensures that significant policy changes are subject to public notice and transparency before being codified in Title 48.