- § 3781. Technical data: contractor justification for restrictions; review of restrictions
- § 3782. Technical data: challenges to contractor restrictions
- § 3783. Technical data: time for contractors to submit justifications
- § 3784. Technical data under contracts for commercial items: presumption of development exclusively at private expense
- § 3785. Technical data: decision by contracting officer; claims; rights and liability upon final disposition
- § 3786. Use or release restriction: definition
§ 3781. Technical data: contractor justification for restrictions; review of restrictions
(a)Contracts Covered by Subchapter.—This subchapter applies to any contract for supplies or services entered into by the Department of Defense that includes provisions for the delivery of technical data.
(b)Contractor Justification for Restrictions.—A contract subject to this subchapter shall provide that a contractor under the contract and any subcontractor under the contract at any tier shall be prepared to furnish to the contracting officer a written justification for any use or release restriction (as defined in section 3786 of this title) asserted by the contractor or subcontractor.
(c)Review of Restrictions.—
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that there is a thorough review of the appropriateness of any use or release restriction asserted with respect to technical data by a contractor or subcontractor at any tier under a contract subject to this subchapter.
(2) The review of an asserted use or release restriction under paragraph (1) shall be conducted before the end of the three-year period beginning on the later of—
(A) the date on which final payment is made on the contract under which the technical data is required to be delivered; or
(B) the date on which the technical data is delivered under the contract.
(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1833(g), (h), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4231.)
§ 3782. Technical data: challenges to contractor restrictions
(a)Challenges by Secretary of Defense.—The Secretary of Defense may challenge a use or release restriction asserted with respect to technical data by a contractor or subcontractor at any tier under a contract subject to this subchapter if the Secretary finds that—
(1) reasonable grounds exist to question the current validity of the asserted restriction; and
(2) the continued adherence by the United States to the asserted restriction would make it impracticable to procure the item to which the technical data pertain competitively at a later time.
(b)Time Limit for Challenges; Exceptions.—
(1) A challenge to a use or release restriction asserted by the contractor in accordance with applicable regulations may not be made under subsection (a) after the end of the six-year period described in paragraph (2) unless the technical data involved—
(A) are publicly available;
(B) have been furnished to the United States without restriction;
(C) have been otherwise made available without restriction; or
(D) are the subject of a fraudulently asserted use or release restriction.
(2) The six-year period referred to in paragraph (1) is the six-year period beginning on the later of—
(A) the date on which final payment is made on the contract under which the technical data are required to be delivered; or
(B) the date on which the technical data are delivered under the contract.
(c)Written Notice to Contractor or Subcontractor.—If the Secretary challenges an asserted use or release restriction under subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide written notice of the challenge to the contractor or subcontractor asserting the restriction. Any such notice shall—
(1) state the specific grounds for challenging the asserted restriction;
(2) require a response within 60 days justifying the current validity of the asserted restriction; and
(3) state that evidence of a justification described in subsection (d) may be submitted.
(d)Justification.—It is a justification of an asserted use or release restriction challenged under subsection (a) that, within the three-year period preceding the challenge to the restriction, the Department of Defense validated a restriction identical to the asserted restriction if—
(1) such validation occurred after a challenge to the validated restriction under this section; and
(2) the validated restriction was asserted by the same contractor or subcontractor (or a licensee of such contractor or subcontractor).
(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1833(g), (i), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4231.)
§ 3783. Technical data: time for contractors to submit justifications
(a)Additional Time to Submit Justifications.—If a contractor or subcontractor asserting a use or release restriction submits to the contracting officer a written request, showing the need for additional time to comply with the requirement to justify the current validity of the asserted restriction, additional time to adequately permit the submission of such justification shall be provided by the contracting officer as appropriate.
(b)Multiple Challenges; Schedule of Responses.—If a party asserting a restriction receives notices of challenges to restrictions on technical data from more than one contracting officer, and notifies each contracting officer of the existence of more than one challenge, the contracting officer initiating the first in time challenge, after consultation with the party asserting the restriction and the other contracting officers, shall formulate a schedule of responses to each of the challenges that will afford the party asserting the restriction with an equitable opportunity to respond to each such challenge.
(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1833(g), (j), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4231, 4232.)
§ 3784. Technical data under contracts for commercial items: presumption of development exclusively at private expense
In the case of a challenge to a use or release restriction that is asserted with respect to technical data of a contractor or subcontractor under a contract for commercial products, the contracting officer shall presume that the contractor or subcontractor has justified the restriction on the basis that the commercial product was developed exclusively at private expense, whether or not the contractor or subcontractor submits a justification in response to the notice provided pursuant to section 3782(c) of this title. In such a case, the challenge to the use or release restriction may be sustained only if information provided by the Department of Defense demonstrates that the commercial product was not developed exclusively at private expense.
(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1833(g), (k), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4231, 4233.)
§ 3785. Technical data: decision by contracting officer; claims; rights and liability upon final disposition
(a)Decision by Contracting Officer.—
(1) Upon failure by the contractor or subcontractor to submit any response under section 3782(c) of this title, the contracting officer shall issue a decision pertaining to the validity of the asserted restriction.
(2) After review of any justification submitted in response to the notice provided pursuant to section 3782(c) of this title, the contracting officer shall, within 60 days of receipt of any justification submitted, issue a decision or notify the party asserting the restriction of the time within which a decision will be issued.
(b)Claims.—If a claim pertaining to the validity of the asserted restriction is submitted in writing to a contracting officer by a contractor or subcontractor at any tier, such claim shall be considered a claim within the meaning of chapter 71 of title 41.
(c)Rights and Liability Upon Final Disposition.—
(1) If, upon final disposition, the contracting officer’s challenge to the use or release restriction is sustained—
(A) the restriction shall be cancelled; and
(B) if the asserted restriction is found not to be substantially justified, the contractor or subcontractor asserting the restriction shall be liable to the United States for payment of the cost to the United States of reviewing the asserted restriction and the fees and other expenses (as defined in section 2412(d)(2)(A) of title 28) incurred by the United States in challenging the asserted restriction, unless special circumstances would make such payment unjust.
(2) If, upon final disposition, the contracting officer’s challenge to the use or release restriction is not sustained—
(A) the United States shall continue to be bound by the restriction; and
(B) the United States shall be liable for payment to the party asserting the restriction for fees and other expenses (as defined in section 2412(d)(2)(A) of title 28) incurred by the party asserting the restriction in defending the asserted restriction if the challenge by the United States is found not to be made in good faith.
(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1833(g), (l), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4231, 4233.)
§ 3786. Use or release restriction: definition
In this subchapter, the term “use or release restriction”, with respect to technical data delivered to the United States under a contract subject to this section, means a restriction by the contractor or subcontractor on the right of the United States—
(1) to use such technical data; or
(2) to release or disclose such technical data to persons outside the Government or permit the use of such technical data by persons outside the Government.
(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1833(g), (m), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4231, 4233.)