Bill Would Require DoD to Contract with Online Marketplaces for COTS Parts

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More commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics components such as commodity semiconductors, passives, and connectors could be purchased for Department of Defense (DoD) programs through online marketplaces if a bill that has been passed by the House of Representatives becomes law.

The legislation is part of the appropriations bill for the DoD, which is awaiting action in the Senate. Section 801 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018, H.R. 2811 requires the administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to establish a program to procure commercial products through online marketplaces. The idea of the bill is to make it easier and quicker to purchase commercial products, including electronic components for DOD programs.

If the bill becomes law, it means “all government procurement of commercial off-the-shelf items could be purchased through any online marketplace that meets the criteria set forth in the bill,” said Robin Gray, chief operating officer and general counsel for the Electronics Components Industry Association (ECIA).

Under the bill, the Defense Department would be required to use the marketplaces selected by GSA to purchase commercial products when appropriate. The GSA administrator would be required to contract with one or more commercial online markets for the purchase of COTS products, according to the House summary of the bill.

 The bill defines an online marketplace provider as a “commercial, non-government entity providing an online portal for the purchase of commercial products aggregated, distributed, sold or manufactured by such entity,” the summary said. The GSA administrator would be required to choose marketplaces that are commonly used by businesses.

The proposed legislation sti[CENSORED]tes that marketplaces must provide “the ability to search suppliers and products and identify such suppliers and products as authorized or not authorized.”

 

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Edited August 28, 2017 by FaLLeNNNN'
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