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Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act

Public Law 117-324 · S. 3905 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 27, 2022 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)

Cosponsors (3): Sen. Chuck Grassley,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 219 yea, 205 nay219–205
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This act addresses conflicts of interest in federal acquisitions.

Specifically, the act directs the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to revise the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to provide and update

• definitions related to specific types of organizational conflicts of interest;

• definitions, guidance, and illustrative examples related to relationships of contractors with public, private, domestic, and foreign entities that may cause contract support to be subject to potential organizational conflicts; and

• illustrative examples of situations related to the potential organizational conflicts identified.

Further, the council must revise the FAR to

• provide executive agencies with solicitation provisions and contract clauses to avoid or mitigate organizational conflicts, for agency use as needed, that require contractors to disclose information relevant to potential organizational conflicts and limit future contracting with respect to potential conflicts with the work to be performed under awarded contracts;

• allow agencies to tailor such solicitation provisions and contract clauses as necessary to address risks associated with conflicts of interest and other considerations that may be unique to the agency;

• require agencies to establish or update agency conflict of interest procedures to implement the revisions to the FAR made under this act and periodically assess and update such procedures as needed to address agency-specific conflict issues; and

• update FAR procedures to permit contracting officers to take into consideration professional standards and procedures to prevent organizational conflicts of interest to which an offeror or contractor is subject.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 219 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

219 yea205 nay6 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(216)

Republicans who voted yea(3)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 971 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 7602Identical bill

    Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act

  • H.Res. 1518Procedurally-relatedRelated bill

    Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1948) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration; providing for co…

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Dec 27, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-324.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 23, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 14, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. FloorFloor · On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 219 - 205 (Roll no. 524).House roll call 524
  6. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  7. FloorFloor · POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on S. 3905, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Keller demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announ…
  8. FloorFloor · The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on S. 3905.
  10. FloorFloor · Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1948, S. 3905 and S. 4003. Rule provides for one hour of general debate each for H.R. 1948, S. 3905, S. 4003. Rule provides for one hour of general debate on the Senate amendment to H.R. 1437. Rule provides that H. Res. 1516 and H. Con. Re…
  11. FloorFloor · Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1518.
  12. FloorFloor · Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1518 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1948, S. 3905 and S. 4003. Rule provides for one hour of general debate each for H.R. 1948, S. 3905, S. 4003. Rule provides for one hour of general debate on the Senate amendment t…
  13. Aug 2, 2022FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  14. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  15. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  16. Aug 1, 2022FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  17. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  19. May 25, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  20. Mar 23, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 5187SenateSen. Gary PetersD-MI· offered Aug 1, 2022Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Aug 1, 2022: Amendment SA 5187 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.