Defense audit agencies: Small Business Ombudsmen

10 U.S.C. § 3848

• Title: 10 — Armed Forces
• Chapter: 279 — CONTRACTOR AUDITS AND ACCOUNTING

Text

(a) Small Business Ombudsman.—The Secretary of Defense shall designate within each defense audit agency an official as the Small Business Ombudsman to have the duties described in subsection (b) and such other responsibilities as may be determined by the Secretary.
(b) Duties.—The Small Business Ombudsman of a defense audit agency shall—
(1) advise the Director of the defense audit agency on policy issues related to small business concerns;
(2) serve as the defense audit agency's primary point of contact and source of information for small business concerns;
(3) collect and monitor relevant data regarding the defense audit agency's conduct of audits of small business concerns, including—
(A) data regarding the timeliness of audit closeouts for small business concerns; and
(B) data regarding the responsiveness of the defense audit agency to issues or other matters raised by small business concerns; and
(4) make recommendations to the Director regarding policies, processes, and procedures related to the timeliness of audits of small business concerns and the responsiveness of the defense audit agency to issues or other matters raised by small business concerns.
(c) Audit Independence.—The Small Business Ombudsman of a defense audit agency shall be segregated from ongoing audits in the field and shall not engage in activities with regard to particular audits that could compromise the independence of the defense audit agency or undermine compliance with applicable audit standards.
(d) Defense Audit Agency Defined.—In this section, the term "defense audit agency" means the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Defense Contract Management Agency.

History

(Added Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, §1612(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2064, §204; renumbered §3848 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §1835(c), (d)(4), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4240.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions
A prior section 3848, added Pub. L. 85–861, §1(94), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1485; amended Pub. L. 86–559, §1(26), June 30, 1960, 74 Stat. 272; Pub. L. 90–130, §1(12)(B), Nov. 8, 1967, 81 Stat. 376; Pub. L. 90–486, §9(1), Aug. 13, 1968, 82 Stat. 760; Pub. L. 95–485, title VIII, §820(h), Oct. 20, 1978, 92 Stat. 1627; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, §512(8), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2929; Pub. L. 99–145, title V, §522(a)(1), title XIII, §1303(a)(20)(B), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 631, 739; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, §1234(a)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059, related to transfer or discharge of reserve first lieutenants, captains, majors, and lieutenant colonels with 28 years of service, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, §§1629(a)(3), 1691(b)(1), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2963, 3026, effective Oct. 1, 1996. See section 14501 et seq. of this title.
A prior section 3849, added Pub. L. 85–861, §1(94), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1485, related to separation or transfer to retired reserve of officers in the reserve grade of lieutenant colonel assigned to the Women's Army Corps upon completion of 28 years of service, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 86–559, §1(27), June 30, 1960, 74 Stat. 272.
Prior sections 3850 to 3855 were repealed by Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, §§1629(a)(3), 1691(b)(1), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2963, 3026, effective Oct. 1, 1996.
Section 3850, added Pub. L. 85–861, §1(94), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1485; amended Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, §1501(c)(25), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 499, related to transfer or discharge of excessive reserve commissioned officers in active status with thirty or more years of service. See sections 14514 and 14704 of this title.
Section 3851, added Pub. L. 85–861, §1(94), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1486; amended Pub. L. 86–559, §1(28), June 30, 1960, 74 Stat. 272; Pub. L. 90–486, §9(1), Aug. 13, 1968, 82 Stat. 760; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, §512(8), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2929; Pub. L. 98–525, title V, §513, Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2522; Pub. L. 99–145, title V, §522(a)(2), title XIII, §1303(a)(20)(B), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 631, 739; Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title XIII, §1342(g), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3992; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, §1234(a)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059, related to transfer or discharge of reserve colonels and brigadier generals with 30 years of service or five years in grade. See section 14508(a), (e) of this title.
Section 3852, added Pub. L. 85–861, §1(94), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1486; amended Pub. L. 86–559, §1(29), June 30, 1960, 74 Stat. 272; Pub. L. 99–145, title V, §523, title XIII, §1303(a)(20)(B), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 632, 739; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, §1234(a)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059, related to transfer or discharge of reserve major generals with 35 years of service or five years in grade. See section 14508(b), (f) of this title.
Section 3853, added Pub. L. 85–861, §1(94), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1486; amended Pub. L. 86–559, §1(30), June 30, 1960, 74 Stat. 273; Pub. L. 86–651, title I, §115, Sept. 7, 1962, 76 Stat. 513; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, §512(9), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2929; Pub. L. 98–94, title X, §1016(a), Sept. 24, 1983, 97 Stat. 668; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, §1635(a), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2968, related to computation of years of service. See section 14706 of this title.
Section 3854, added Pub. L. 85–861, §1(94), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1486, authorized Secretary of the Army to prescribe regulations to carry out this chapter.
Section 3855, added Pub. L. 86–559, §1(31), June 30, 1960, 74 Stat. 273; amended Pub. L. 96–107, title IV, §403(a), Nov. 9, 1979, 93 Stat. 808; Pub. L. 96–513, title II, §215(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2885; Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title VII, §717(a), (d)(1)(A), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1113, 1114; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VII, §§710(a), 711(a), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1476, 1477, related to retention in active status of certain reserve officers. See section 14703(a)(1), (b) of this title.

Amendments
2021—Pub. L. 116–283 renumbered section 204 of this title as this section and substituted "Defense audit agencies: Small Business Ombudsmen" for "Small Business Ombudsman for defense audit agencies" in section catchline.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2021 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions
A prior chapter 281 "CLAIMS AND DISPUTES", as added by Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §801(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1828, and consisting of reserved section 3861, was repealed by Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §1836(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4241.

Amendments
2025—Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, §801(a), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 939, added item 3864. Amendment was made pursuant to operation of section 102 of this title.
2022—Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title VIII, §805(b), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2702, added item 3862 and struck out former item 3862 "Requests for equitable adjustment or other relief: certification".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Ability To Withhold Contract Payments During Period of Pendancy of a Bid Protest
Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VIII, §875, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1004, provided that:
"(a) Authority to Withhold Certain Payments.—
"(1) Procedures.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2025], the Secretary of Defense shall revise the Department of Defense Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation to establish procedures for a contracting officer of the Department of Defense to withhold payment of covered amounts to an incumbent contractor during the period of pendency resulting from a bid protest by such incumbent contractor.
"(2) Forfeit.—The procedures developed in accordance with this section shall provide that payment amounts withheld under paragraph (1) from an incumbent contractor during a period of pendency resulting from a bid protest by such incumbent contractor shall be forfeited by the incumbent contractor upon the determination by the Comptroller General of the United States to dismiss such bid protest based on a lack of any reasonable legal or factual basis becoming a final determination.
"(b) Definitions.—In this section:
"(1) The term 'covered amounts' means an amount that is not greater than five percent of the total amount to be paid to an incumbent contractor but for the withholding of payment under subsection (a)(1).
"(2) The term 'covered contract' means a contract entered into by the Secretary of Defense with an incumbent contractor for the procurement of goods or services during the period of pendency that are the same or substantially similar to goods or services to be acquired by the Department under the contract previously awarded to the incumbent contractor.
"(3) The term 'final determination', with respect to the dismissal of a bid protest, means such dismissal—
"(A) was not the subject of a request for reconsideration and the time period for requesting reconsideration has expired; or
"(B) was the subject of a request for reconsideration and the reconsideration processes for which is completed.
"(4) The term 'incumbent contractor' means a contractor for a contract with the Department of Defense for the acquisition of goods or services by the Department that are the same or substantially similar to goods or services to be acquired by the Department under a new or follow-on contract that is the subject of a bid protest.
"(5) The term 'period of pendency' means the period of performance under a contract that was awarded or extended because the Secretary of Defense—
"(A) received notice of a bid protest submitted by the incumbent contractor to the Comptroller General of the United States; and
"(B) was prohibited from awarding a new contract during the pendency of such bid protest under section 3553(c) of title 31, United States Code."