Transparency in Contracting Act of 2025 | ChamberLight
Bills · S 2809
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
Senate BillS 2809Armed Forces and National Security
Transparency in Contracting Act of 2025
INTRO SEP 16· LAST ACTION SEP 16
READING
2MIN
COSPONSORS
3BIPARTISAN
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
This bill matters because it addresses concerns about government spending and accountability, especially in defense contracting where large sums are often involved. When contracts are awarded without competition, there's a risk that prices might not be fair or that they could increase significantly over time without proper oversight. If this bill becomes law, it could help prevent wasteful spending by making sure the government is aware of major price changes on these special contracts. If it doesn't become law, the existing system, which some argue lacks sufficient transparency for non-competitive contracts, would continue, potentially leading to less oversight on how taxpayer dollars are spent on these deals.
KEY PROVISIONS
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PROVISION 01
Requires companies with non-competitive government contracts to report to a contracting officer within 30 days if the price of a product or service increases by specified percentages.
This aims to provide early warning to the government about potential cost escalations on contracts where there is no market competition.
PROVISION 02
Defines 'covered contract' as one awarded without competition under specific federal regulations.
This clearly targets the types of contracts where transparency about price changes is often most lacking.
PROVISION 03
Mandates that non-compliance with these reporting requirements, along with audit findings and specific cost details of unreported increases, be included in a federal database.
This creates a public record of non-compliant contractors, which could influence future contract awards and increase accountability.
This bill matters because it addresses concerns about government spending and accountability, especially in defense contracting where large sums are often involved. When contracts are awarded without competition, there's a risk that prices might not be fair or that they could increase significantly over time without proper oversight. If this bill becomes law, it could help prevent wasteful spending by making sure the government is aware of major price changes on these special contracts. If it doesn't become law, the existing system, which some argue lacks sufficient transparency for non-competitive contracts, would continue, potentially leading to less oversight on how taxpayer dollars are spent on these deals.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Requires companies with non-competitive government contracts to report to a contracting officer within 30 days if the price of a product or service increases by specified percentages.
This aims to provide early warning to the government about potential cost escalations on contracts where there is no market competition.
med
Defines 'covered contract' as one awarded without competition under specific federal regulations.
This clearly targets the types of contracts where transparency about price changes is often most lacking.
high
Mandates that non-compliance with these reporting requirements, along with audit findings and specific cost details of unreported increases, be included in a federal database.
This creates a public record of non-compliant contractors, which could influence future contract awards and increase accountability.
Information regarding non-compliance (failure to report price increases, audit findings, details of unreported increases) will be included in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), a public federal database.
Contractors who fail to report price increases as required
GLOSSARY
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Offeror
A company or individual that submits a proposal or bid to the government to provide goods or services.
Contracting Officer
A government employee with the authority to enter into, administer, or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings.
Covered contract
A government contract that was awarded without competition, meaning other companies did not bid for the work.
Noncompetitive contract
A contract awarded to a single source without open bidding from multiple companies, often due to unique requirements, urgency, or lack of other qualified suppliers.
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
The primary set of rules used by all federal executive agencies in the United States for their acquisition of supplies and services.
Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)
An agency of the U.S. Department of Defense that performs all contract audits for the Department of Defense and provides accounting and financial advisory services regarding contracts and subcontracts to all DoD components and other federal agencies.
Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTS
SEP 16, 25
Introduced in Senate
INTROREFERRAL
SEP 16, 25
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
A federal database that contains information on the performance and integrity of recipients of federal awards (contracts and grants), including any instances of non-compliance or poor performance.
National Stock Number (NSN)
A 13-digit identification number applied to all standardized material items that are repetitively procured, stocked, stored, issued, and used throughout the federal supply system.
