The following definitions apply to this part:
Adequate evidence. Information sufficient to support the reasonable
belief that a particular act or omission has occurred.
Affiliate. Persons are affiliates of each other if, directly or
indirectly, either one controls or has the power to control the other,
or, a third person controls or has the power to control both. Indicia of
control include, but are not limited to: interlocking management or
ownership, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities
and equipment, common use of employees, or a business entity organized
following the suspension or debarment of a person which has the same or
similar management, ownership, or principal employees as the suspended,
debarred, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded person.
Agency. Any executive department, military department or defense
agency or other agency of the executive branch, excluding the
independent regulatory agencies.
Civil judgment. The disposition of a civil action by any court of
competent jurisdiction, whether entered by verdict, decision,
settlement, stipulation, or otherwise creating a civil liability for the
wrongful acts complained of; or a final determination of liability under
the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1988 (31 U.S.C. 3801-12).
Conviction. A judgment or conviction of a criminal offense by any
court of competent jurisdiction, whether entered upon a verdict or a
plea, including a plea of nolo contendere.
Debarment. An action taken by a debarring official in accordance
with these regulations to exclude a person from participating in covered
transactions. A person so excluded is debarred.
Debarring official. An official authorized to impose debarment. The
debarring official is either:
(1) The agency head, or
(2) An official designated by the agency head.
Indictment. Indictment for a criminal offense. An information or
other filing by competent authority charging a criminal offense shall be
given the same effect as an indictment.
Ineligible. Excluded from participation in Federal nonprocurement
programs pursuant to a determination of ineligibility under statutory,
executive order, or regulatory authority, other than Executive Order
12549 and its agency implementing regulations; for exemple, excluded
pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act and its implementing regulations, the
equal employment opportunity acts and executive orders, or the
environmental protection acts and executive orders. A person is
ineligible where the determination of ineligibility affects such
person's eligibility to participate in more than one covered
transaction.
Legal proceedings. Any criminal proceeding or any civil judicial
proceeding to which the Federal Government or a State or local
government or quasi-governmental authority is a party. The term includes
appeals from such proceedings.
List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement
Programs. A list compiled, maintained and distributed by the General
Services Administration (GSA) containing the names and other information
about persons who have been debarred, suspended, or voluntarily excluded
under Executive Orders 12549 and 12689 and these regulations or 48 CFR
part 9, subpart 9.4, persons who have been proposed for debarment under
48 CFR part 9, subpart 9.4, and those persons who have been determined
to be ineligible.
Notice. A written communication served in person or sent by
certified mail, return receipt requested, or its equivalent, to the last
known address of a party, its identified counsel, its agent for service
of process, or any partner, officer, director, owner, or
joint venturer of the party. Notice, if undeliverable, shall be
considered to have been received by the addressee five days after being
properly sent to the last address known by the agency.
Participant. Any person who submits a proposal for, enters into, or
reasonably may be expected to enter into a covered transaction. This
term also includes any person who acts on behalf of or is authorized to
commit a participant in a covered transaction as an agent or
representative of another participant.
Person. Any individual, corporation, partnership, association, unit
of government or legal entity, however organized, except: foreign
governments or foreign governmental entities, public international
organizations, foreign government owned (in whole or in part) or
controlled entities, and entities consisting wholly or partially of
foreign governments or foreign governmental entities.
Preponderance of the evidence. Proof by information that, compared
with that opposing it, leads to the conclusion that the fact at issue is
more probably true than not.
Principal. Officer, director, owner, partner, key employee, or other
person within a participant with primary management or supervisory
responsibilities; or a person who has a critical influence on or
substantive control over a covered transaction, whether or not employed
by the participant. Persons who have a critical influence on or
substantive control over a covered transaction are:
(1) Principal investigators.
Proposal. A solicited or unsolicited bid, application, request,
invitation to consider or similar communication by or on behalf of a
person seeking to participate or to receive a benefit, directly or
indirectly, in or under a covered transaction.
Respondent. A person against whom a debarment or suspension action
has been initiated.
State. Any of the States of the United States, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession
of the United States, or any agency of a State, exclusive of
institutions of higher education, hospitals, and units of local
government. A State instrumentality will be considered part of the State
government if it has a written determination from a State government
that such State considers that instrumentality to be an agency of the
State government.
Suspending official. An official authorized to impose suspension.
The suspending official is either:
(1) The agency head, or
(2) An official designated by the agency head.
Suspension. An action taken by a suspending official in accordance
with these regulations that immediately excludes a person from
participating in covered transactions for a temporary period, pending
completion of an investigation and such legal, debarment, or Program
Fraud Civil Remedies Act proceedings as may ensue. A person so excluded
is suspended.
Voluntary exclusion or voluntarily excluded. A status of
nonparticipation or limited participation in covered transactions
assumed by a person pursuant to the terms of a settlement.
[53 FR 19188, 19189, 19204, May 26, 1988, as amended at 60 FR 33040,
33052, June 26, 1995]
