summary
Introduced
03/18/2015
03/18/2015
In Committee
03/18/2015
03/18/2015
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
01/03/2017
01/03/2017
Introduced Session
114th Congress
Bill Summary
Commonsense Contracting Act of 2015 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that, when used appropriately, with respect to federal agency procurement, an auction between a group of offerors who compete against each other by submitting offers for a contract or task or delivery order with the ability to submit revised offers with lower prices throughout the course of the auction (reverse auction) may improve the federal government's procurement of commercially available commodities by increasing competition, reducing prices, and improving opportunities for small businesses. The Small Business Act is amended to prohibit the use of reverse auction methods for certain Small Business Administration federal procurement contracts for: design and construction services; goods purchased to protect federal employees, members of the Armed Forces, or civilians from bodily harm; or goods or services other than these: (1) to be awarded based on factors other than price and technical responsibility, or (2) if awarding the contract requires the contracting officer to conduct discussions with the offerors about their offer.
AI Summary
This bill, the Commonsense Contracting Act of 2015, expresses Congress's view that a specific type of competitive bidding process called a "reverse auction" can be beneficial for the federal government when purchasing commercially available goods. A reverse auction involves multiple companies competing by submitting progressively lower prices for a contract, task, or order, potentially increasing competition and lowering costs, especially for small businesses. However, the bill amends the Small Business Act to prohibit the use of reverse auctions for certain federal procurement contracts, specifically those for design and construction services, goods intended to protect individuals from harm, or any other goods or services where the contract award is based on factors beyond just price and technical capability, or where the contracting officer would normally need to discuss the offer with bidders.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (4)
Last Action
Referred to the House Committee on Small Business. (on 03/18/2015)
Official Document
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