Overview
Part 21 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is currently designated as "Reserved." This means that the section contains no active regulatory material, requirements, or guidance and serves primarily as a structural placeholder within the FAR’s numerical sequence.
Key Rules
- No Active Regulations: There are currently no clauses, provisions, or subparts codified within Part 21.
- Structural Placeholder: The "Reserved" status is used to maintain the numbering continuity of the FAR, ensuring that subsequent parts (like Part 22) remain consistently numbered even if a previous part is deleted or held for future implementation.
- No Compliance Requirements: Since the part is empty, there are no regulatory mandates that contractors or agencies must follow under this specific heading.
Responsibilities
- FAR Council: Holds the authority to populate this part with new regulations should future federal acquisition needs require a new dedicated section.
- Contracting Officers & Program Managers: Currently have no duties or oversight responsibilities associated with this part.
- Legal Counsel/Compliance Officers: Should disregard this section during regulatory reviews or audits, as it contains no enforceable language.
Practical Implications
- Verification of References: If a solicitation, contract, or internal training manual references "FAR Part 21," it is likely an error, a legacy reference to a rescinded regulation, or a typographical mistake, as there is no current content to cite.
- Efficiency in Research: Acquisition professionals should skip this part and proceed to Part 22 (Application of Labor Laws to Government Acquisitions) or other relevant sections for actionable guidance.
- Future Updates: Contractors should monitor Federal Register notices for any "Proposed Rules" that might seek to utilize Part 21 for new acquisition policies in the future.