Streamlining Defense Acquisition Laws: Introduction

Abstract

Congress chartered the Section 800 Panel to assess laws affecting defense procurement. In early 1993, the Section 800 Panel proposed a variety of reforms, including stronger policy language favoring the use of commercial and non-developmental items; a new statutory definition of commercial items; and an expanded exemption for adequate price competition in the Truth in Negotiations Act. Following the efforts of the Section 800 Panel, Congress enacted a series of procurement reforms in the mid-1990s that were intended to enable the government to streamline the acquisition process and to obtain greater access to products and services available in the commercial market. These reforms primarily were introduced through the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (FASA) and the Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996 (FARA).