Prohibition on Federal Protective Service Guard Services Contracts With Business Concerns Owned, Controlled, or Operated by an Individual Convicted of a Felony (DEC 2009)

(a) Prohibitions. Section 2 of the Federal Protective Service Guard Contracting Reform Act of 2008, Public Law 110-356, generally prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from entering into a contract for guard services under the Federal Protective Service (FPS) guard services program with any business concern owned, controlled, or operated by an individual convicted of a serious felony.

(b) Definitions. As used in this clause:

Business concern means a commercial enterprise and the people who constitute it.

Felony means an offense which, if committed by a natural person, would be punishable by death or imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

Individual means any person, corporation, partnership, or other entity with a legally independent status.

Convicted of a felony means any conviction of a felony in violation of state or federal criminal statutes, including the Uniform Code of Military Justice, whether entered on a verdict or plea, including a plea of nolo contendere, for which a sentence has been imposed.

(c) A business concern that is owned, controlled, or operated by an individual who has been convicted of any felony, and that wishes to submit a bid, proposal, or other offer on a solicitation to obtain a FPS contract for guard services, must submit with its offer an award request as specified in paragraph (d) of this clause.

(1) A financial, voting, operational, or employment interest in the business concern of the individual's spouse, child, or other family member, or person with whom the individual shares his or her household, will be imputed to the individual in determining whether the individual owns, controls, or operates a business concern.

(2) An individual owns, controls, or operates a business concern by fulfilling or holding the following types of roles or interests with respect to the business concern:

(i) Director or officer, including incumbents of boards and offices that perform duties ordinarily performed by a chairman or member of a board of directors, a secretary, treasurer, president, a vice president, or other chief official of a business concern, including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, or Chief contracting official.

(ii) Officials of comparable function and status to those described in paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this clause as exist in partnerships of all kind and other business organizations, including sole proprietorships.

(iii) A general partner in a general or limited partnership.

(iv) An individual with a limited partnership interest of 25% or more.

(v) An individual that has the:

(A) Power to vote, directly or indirectly, 25% or more interest in any class of voting stock of the business concern;

(B) Ability to direct in any manner the election of a majority of the business concern's directors or trustees; or

(C) Ability to exercise a controlling influence over the business concern's management and policies.

(3) Generally, the existence of one or more of the roles or interests set forth in paragraph (c)(2) of this clause, including roles or interests attributed to the individual, will be sufficient to determine that the individual owns, controls or operates the business concern. However, specific facts of the case may warrant a different determination by Government in light of all of the facts and circumstances. Conversely, ownership, control, or the ability to operate the business concern, if it exists in fact, can be reflected by other roles or interests, and the offeror or contractor should reveal the existence of felony convictions if there is doubt as to whether the individual owns, controls or operates the business concern.

(d) Award request. (1) A business concern owned, operated or controlled by an individual convicted of any felony may submit an award request to the Contracting Officer. The basis for such request shall be either that the subject felony is not a serious felony as defined in (HSAR) 48 CFR 3009.171-5; that such individual no longer owns, controls or operates the business concern; or that commission of the serious felony no longer calls into question the individual or business concern's integrity or business ethics and that an award would be consistent with the mission of FPS. The business concern shall bear the burden of proof for award requests.

(2) If the Contracting Officer in his or her sole discretion, is unable to affirmatively determine that the subject felony is not a serious felony as defined in (HSAR) 48 CFR 3009.171-5 or that such individual no longer owns, controls or operates the business concern, then the Contracting Officer shall deny the award request.

(3) The Head of the Contracting Activity has sole discretion to approve an award request.

(4) A copy of the award request with supporting documentation or a copy of a previously approved award request shall be attached with the bid or proposal.

(5) An award request shall contain the basis for the request (i.e., that the subject felony is not a serious felony as defined by this regulation; that the convicted individual does not or no longer owns, controls or operates the business concern; or that the commission of a serious felony no longer calls into question the individual or business concern's integrity or business ethics and that an award would be consistent with the mission of FPS). The award request shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

(i) Name and Date of Birth of Individual Convicted of a felony.

(ii) A full description of which roles or interests indicate that the individual owns, controls, or operates or may own control or operate the business concern.

(iii) Date sentenced.

(iv) Statute/Charge.

(v) Docket/Case Number.

(vi) Court/Jurisdiction.

(vii) The nature and circumstances surrounding the conviction.

(viii) Protective measures taken by the individual or business concern to reduce or eliminate the risk of further misconduct.

(ix) Whether the individual has made full restitution for the felony.

(x) Whether the individual has accepted responsibility for past misconduct resulting in the felony conviction.

(6) Upon the request of the Contracting Officer, and prior to contract award, in addition to information described in paragraph (d)(5) of this clause, the business concern must provide such other documentation as is requested by the Contracting Officer to use in determining and evaluating ownership, control, or operation; the nature of the felonies committed; and such other information as is needed to make a decision on whether award should be made to the offeror under the Federal Protective Service Guard Contracting Reform Act of 2008. The refusal to timely provide such documentation may serve as grounds to preclude contract award.

(e)(1) Privacy Statement. The offeror shall provide the following statement to any individual whose information will be submitted in an award request pursuant to (d)(5) and (6) of this clause.

(2) Privacy Notice. The collection of this information is authorized by the Federal Protective Service Guard Contracting Reform Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-356) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implementing regulations at Homeland Security Acquisition Regulation (HSAR) 48 CFR 3009.171. This information is being collected to determine whether an individual that owns, controls, or operates the business concern submitting this offer has been convicted of a felony that would disqualify the offeror from receiving an award. This information will be used by and disclosed to DHS personnel and contractors or other agents who require this information to determine whether an award request should be approved or denied. Additionally, DHS may share this personal information with the U.S. Justice Department and other Federal and State agencies for collection, enforcement, investigatory, or litigation purposes, or as otherwise authorized. Submission of this information by the individual is voluntary, however, failure to provide it may result in denial of an award to the offeror. Individuals who wish to correct inaccurate information in or to remove their information from an offer that has been submitted should contact the business concern submitting the offer and request correction. Should individuals seek to correct inaccurate information or remove their information from an offer that has been submitted in response to a solicitation for FPS guard services prior to contract award, an authorized representative of the business concern submitting the offer must contact the contracting officer of record and request that the firm's offer be formally withdrawn or submit a correction to the award request. After contract award, it is recommended that an authorized representative of the business concern that submitted the inaccurate or erroneous information contact the contracting officer of record. The contracting officer will handle such requests on a case by case basis.

(f) Disclosure. The offeror under this solicitation represents that [Check one]:

_It is not a business concern owned, controlled, or operated by an individual convicted of a felony.

_It is a business concern owned, controlled, or operated by an individual convicted of a felony, and has submitted an award request pursuant to paragraph (d) of this clause.

(g) If an award request is applied for, the offeror shall attach the request with supporting documentation, to the bid or proposal. The supporting documentation may include copies of prior award requests granted to the offeror.

(h) The notification in this paragraph applies if this is an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, blanket purchase agreement, or other contractual instrument that may result in the issuance of task orders, calls or option to extend the terms of a contract. The Contractor must immediately notify the Contracting Officer in writing upon any felony conviction of personnel who own, control or operate a business concern as defined in paragraph (c) of this clause at any time during the performance of this contract. Upon notification of a felony conviction the Contracting Officer will review and make a new determination of eligibility prior to the issuance of any task order, call or exercise of an option.