§ 1780.75 - Contract provisions.

§ 1780.75 Contract provisions.

In addition to provisions required for a valid and legally binding contract, any recipient of Agency funds shall include the following contract provisions in all contracts.

(a) Remedies. Contracts for more than the Simplified Acquisition Threshold shall contain provisions or conditions which will allow for administrative, contractual, or legal remedies in instances where contractors violate or breach contract terms, and provide for such sanctions and penalties as may be appropriate. A realistic liquidated damage provision should be included in all contracts for construction.

(b) Termination. All contracts exceeding $10,000, shall contain suitable provisions for termination by the owner including the manner by which it will be effected and the basis for settlement. In addition, such contracts shall describe conditions under which the contract may be terminated for default as well as conditions where the contract may be terminated because of circumstances beyond the control of the contractor.

(c) Surety. In all contracts for construction or facility improvements exceeding the Simplified Acquisition Threshold, the owner shall require bonds or cash deposit in escrow assuring performance and payment each in the amount of 100 percent of the contract cost. The surety will be in the form of performance bonds and payment bonds. For contracts of lesser amounts, the owner may require surety. When a surety is not provided, contractors will furnish evidence of payment in full for all materials, labor, and any other items procured under the contract. Form RD 1924-10, “Release by Claimants,” and Form RD 1924-9, “Certificate of Contractor's Release,” may be used for this purpose. Companies providing performance bonds and payment bonds must hold a certificate of authority as an acceptable surety on Federal bonds as listed in Treasury Circular 570 as amended and the surety must be listed as having a license to do business in the State where the facility is located.

(d) Equal employment opportunity. All contracts awarded in excess of $10,000 by owners shall contain a provision requiring compliance with Executive Order 11246 (3 CFR, 1966 Comp., p.339), entitled, “Equal Employment Opportunity,” as amended by Executive Order 11375 (3 CFR, 1968 Comp., p. 321), and as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations 41 CFR chapter 60.

(e) Anti-kickback. All contracts for construction shall include a provision for compliance with the Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act (18 U.S.C. 874). This Act provides that each contractor shall be prohibited from inducing, by any means, any person employed in the construction, completion, or repair of public work, to give up any part of the compensation to which they are otherwise entitled. The owner shall report suspected or reported violations to the Agency.

(f)-(g) [Reserved]

(h) Change orders. The construction contract shall require that all contract change orders be concurred in by the Agency.

(i) Agency concurrence. All contracts must contain a provision that they shall not be effective unless and until the State program official or designee concurs in writing.

(j) Retainage. All construction contracts shall contain adequate provisions for retainage. No payments will be made that would deplete the retainage nor place in escrow any funds that are required for retainage nor invest the retainage for the benefit of the contractor. The retainage shall not be less than an amount equal to 5 percent of an approved partial payment estimate until the project is substantially complete and accepted by the owner, consulting engineer and Agency. The contract must provide that additional amounts may be retained if the job is not proceeding satisfactorily.

(k) Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251-1388). Contracts and subgrants of amounts in excess of $150,000 must contain a provision that requires the contractor to agree to comply with all applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387). Violations must be reported to the Federal awarding agency and the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

(l) Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 3701-3708). Where applicable, all contracts awarded by the non-Federal entity in excess of $100,000 that involve the employment of mechanics or laborers must include a provision for compliance with 40 U.S.C. 3702 and 3704, as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR part 5). Under 40 U.S.C. 3702, each contractor must be required to compute the wages of every mechanic and laborer on the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess of the standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is compensated at a rate of not less than one and a half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in the work week. The requirements of 40 U.S.C. 3704 are applicable to construction work and provide that no laborer or mechanic must be required to work in surroundings or under working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous. These requirements do not apply to the purchases of supplies or materials or articles ordinarily available on the open market.

(m) Debarment and suspension. A contract award (see 2 CFR 180.220) must not be made to parties listed on the governmentwide exclusions in the System for Award Management (SAM), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR part 180, as supplemented by 2 CFR part 417, “Debarment and Suspension.” SAM exclusion records contain the names of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, as well as parties declared ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority other than Executive Order 12549.

(n) Byrd anti-lobbying amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352). Contractors that apply or bid for an award exceeding $100,000 must file the required certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. 1352. Each tier must also disclose any lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded from tier to tier up to the non-Federal award.

(o) Procurement of recovered materials. A public body, such as a state government, state agency, municipality, county, district, authority, or other political subdivision of a state, territory or commonwealth, must ensure its contracts include provisions requiring compliance with section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The requirements of Section 6002 include procuring only items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition, where the purchase price of the item exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired during the preceding fiscal year exceeded $10,000; procuring solid waste management services in a manner that maximizes energy and resource recovery; and establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines.

[62 FR 33478, June 19, 1997, as amended at 81 FR 7697, Feb. 16, 2016]