SUBCHAPTER III-OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO PROPRIETARY CONTRACTOR DATA AND RIGHTS IN TECHNICAL DATA

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021- Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, §1701(b)(12)(A), (f)(6), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2134 , 2139, made technical amendment to Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §1833(n), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4233 , which added this analysis, added "[Reserved]" for item 3792, and struck out former item 3792 "Technical data rights: non-FAR agreements".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Technical Data Rights Under Non-FAR Agreements

Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VIII, §822, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4532 , as amended by Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, §1075(e)(13), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4375 , provided that:

"(a) Policy Guidance.-Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 14, 2008], the Secretary of Defense shall issue policy guidance with respect to rights in technical data under a non-FAR agreement. The guidance shall-

"(1) establish criteria for defining the legitimate interests of the United States and the party concerned in technical data pertaining to an item or process to be developed under the agreement;

"(2) require that specific rights in technical data be established during agreement negotiations and be based upon negotiations between the United States and the potential party to the agreement, except in any case in which the Secretary of Defense determines, on the basis of criteria established in such policy guidance, that the establishment of rights during or through agreement negotiations would not be practicable; and

"(3) require the program manager for a major weapon system or an item of personnel protective equipment that is to be developed using a non-FAR agreement to assess the long-term technical data needs of such system or item.

"(b) Requirement to Include Provisions in Non-FAR Agreements.-A non-FAR agreement shall contain appropriate provisions relating to rights in technical data consistent with the policy guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a).

"(c) Definitions.-In this section:

"(1) The term 'non-FAR agreement' means an agreement that is not subject to laws pursuant to which the Federal Acquisition Regulation is prescribed, including-

"(A) a transaction authorized under section 2371 of title 10, United States Code [now 10 U.S.C. 4021]; and

"(B) a cooperative research and development agreement.

"(2) The term 'party', with respect to a non-FAR agreement, means a non-Federal entity and includes any of the following:

"(A) A contractor and its subcontractors (at any tier).

"(B) A joint venture.

"(C) A consortium.

"(d) Report on Life Cycle Planning for Technical Data Needs.-Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 14, 2008], the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the implementation of the requirements in section 2320(e) of title 10, United States Code [see 10 U.S.C. 3774(a), (b)], for the assessment of long-term technical data needs to sustain major weapon systems. Such report shall include-

"(1) a description of all relevant guidance or policies issued;

"(2) a description of the extent to which program managers have received training to better assess the long-term technical data needs of major weapon systems and subsystems; and

"(3) a description of one or more examples, if any, where a priced contract option has been used on major weapon systems for the future delivery of technical data and one or more examples, if any, where all relevant technical data were acquired upon contract award."