Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 105 Part 2.djvu/467

 PUBLIC LAW 102-190—DEC. 5, 1991 105 STAT. 1419 (D) This paragraph shall apply with respect to any Department of Defense contract that is in effect on the date of promulgation of the regulations under this subsection or that is awarded after such date. (b) REGULATIONS DEADUNES.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall publish proposed regulations under subsection (a) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) The Secretary of Defense shall publish final regulations under subsection (a) not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) GOVERNMENT-WIDE APPLICABILITY AUTHORIZED. — If the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (established by section 25(a) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act) determines that it would be more appropriate for the requirements described in subsection (a) to apply Government-wide, the regulations required by subsection (a) may be prescribed as modifications to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (issued pursuant to section 25(c)(1) of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 421(c)(l)). (d) ASSISTANCE TO SMALL BUSINESS (DONCERNS.— Paragraph (5) of section 15(k) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(k)(5)) is amended to read as follows: "(5) assist small business concerns to obtain payments, required late payment interest penalties, or information regarding payments due to such concerns from an executive agency or a contractor, in conformity with chapter 39 of title 31, United States Clode, or any other protection for contractors or subcontractors (including suppliers) that is included in the Federal Acquisition Regulation or any individual agency supplement to such Government-wide regulation;". (e) GAO REPORT. — (1) The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an assessment of the matters described in paragraph (2) and submit a report pursuant to paragraph (3). (2) In addition to such other related matters as the Comptroller General considers appropriate, the matters to be assessed pursuant to paragraph (1) are the following: (A) Timely payment of progress or other periodic payments to subcontractors and suppliers by prime contractors on Federal contracts by— (i) identifying all existing statutory and regulatory provisions, categorized by types of contracts covered by such provisions; (ii) evaluating the feasibility and desirability of requiring that a prime contractor (other than a construction prime contractor subject to the provisions of sections 3903(b) and 3905 of title 31, United States Code) be required to— (I) include in its subcontracts a payment term requiring payment within 7 days (or some other fixed term) after receiving payment from the Government; and (II) submit with its payment request to the Government a certification that it has timely paid its subcontractors in accordance with their subcontracts from funds previously received as progress payments and will timely make required payments to such subcontractors from the proceeds of the progress payment covered by the certification; (iii) evaluating the feasibility and desirability of requiring that all prime contractors (other than a construction prime

�