Overview
This section prescribes the requirements for maintaining and using the System for Award Management (SAM) exclusion list, which serves as the official government-wide database of entities debarred, suspended, or otherwise declared ineligible for federal contracts. It outlines the specific data elements required for exclusion records and mandates strict reporting timelines and compliance procedures for Federal agencies.
Key Rules
- System Ownership: The General Services Administration (GSA) operates SAM and provides technical assistance to agencies, but individual agencies are responsible for the accuracy of their own data entries.
- Record Content: Each exclusion record must include identifying information (Name, Address, Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and TIN if permitted), the acting agency, the legal cause and effect of the action, the termination date, and an agency point of contact.
- Reporting Timelines: Agencies must enter information into SAM within 3 working days after an action becomes effective and update records within 5 working days of a modification or rescission.
- Mandatory Agency Procedures: Agencies are required to establish internal controls to ensure they do not solicit offers from, award contracts to, or consent to subcontracts with entities having an active exclusion record.
- Administrative Management: Agencies must proactively manage SAM user roles, removing access for individuals who change functions or leave the organization.
Practical Implications
- Mandatory Compliance Check: Contracting Officers must verify SAM exclusions before making any award or consenting to a subcontract to ensure the government does not do business with prohibited entities.
- Real-Time Data Reliance: The strict 3-day entry requirement is designed to ensure that a contractor suspended by one agency is immediately visible to all other agencies, preventing "agency hopping" by non-responsible contractors.