I. Background

United States laws provide for special emergency procurement authorities to be used-

(a) In support of a contingency operation;

(b) To facilitate the defense against or recovery from nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack against the United States; and

The first two of the authorities above were made available for use by agencies in addition to DoD by placing them at 41 U.S.C. 1903 (formerly 41 U.S.C. 428a). The latter authority resides solely in DoD.

The three special emergency procurement authorities are specified in statute:

Contingency operation: 10 U.S.C. 101(13) and 41 U.S.C. 1903 (formerly 41 U.S.C. 428a).

Defense against or recovery from nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack against the United States: 41 U.S.C. 1903 (formerly 41 U.S.C. 428a).

Humanitarian or peacekeeping operation: 10 U.S.C. 2302(7).

After September 11, 2001, the Governmentwide special emergency procurement authorities were enacted (41 U.S.C. 1903 (formerly 41 U.S.C. 428a). These authorities provided for increases in the simplified acquisition threshold and/or micropurchase threshold depending on what type of special emergency is declared. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) was revised to implement the authority to increase thresholds when supporting a contingency operation or facilitating the defense against or recovery from nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack against the United States.

While the definition of a humanitarian or peacekeeping operation is included in the FAR at 2.101, 41 U.S.C. 1903 does not provide Governmentwide authority for raising the simplified acquisition threshold in support of such operations. Therefore, its authority is included in the DFARS. Specific to the authority to support a humanitarian or peacekeeping operation, the simplified acquisition threshold can be increased to double the current basic simplified acquisition threshold, currently $150,000 as specified in FAR 2.101, but only when the purchase is made, or the contract is awarded and performed, outside the United States. There is no comparable authority to increase the micropurchase threshold for acquisitions in support of a humanitarian or peacekeeping operation.