(a)

(1) Acquisition regulations—(i) Department-wide acquisition regulations. The Department of Transportation's (DOT's) Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) is the individual having authority to issue or authorize the issuance of agency regulations that implement or supplement the FAR to include agency-unique policies, procedures, contract clauses, solicitation provisions, and forms that govern the contracting process. This authority is re-delegated from the Assistant Secretary for Administration to the SPE.

(ii) Operating Administration (OA) acquisition regulations. OA supplemental acquisition regulations proposed to be inserted in the TAR as a TAR supplement regulation shall be reviewed and approved by the SPE. If approved by the SPE, the Office of the Senior Procurement Executive will prepare the rule for publication in the Federal Register in accordance with FAR 1.501. OA regulations may be more restrictive or require higher approval levels than those required by the TAR unless otherwise specified.

(2) Acquisition procedures. The SPE issues or authorizes the issuance of internal agency guidance at any organizational level. DOT internal operating procedures are contained in the TAM. OA procedures necessary to implement or supplement the FAR, TAR, or TAM may be issued by the head of the contracting activity (HCA), who may delegate this authority to any organizational level deemed appropriate. OA procedures may be more restrictive or require higher approval levels than those permitted by the TAM unless otherwise specified.

(b) The authority of the agency head under FAR 1.301(b) to establish procedures to ensure that agency acquisition regulations are published for comment in the Federal Register in conformance with the procedures in FAR subpart 1.5 is delegated to the Office of the General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel for Regulation.