(a)

(1) Acquisition regulations—

(i) Departmentwide acquisition regulations. The Department of Transportation's (DOT's) Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) is the individual having authority to issue or authorize the issuance of agency regulations that implement or supplement the FAR and to include agency-unique policies, etc. that govern the contracting process. This authority was re-delegated from the Assistant Secretary for Administration.

(ii) Operating Administration (OA) acquisition regulations. OA acquisition regulations, and any changes thereto, shall be reviewed and approved by the Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) for insertion into the (TAR) 48 CFR chapter 12 as a TAR supplemental regulation before the SPE submits the proposed coverage for publication in the Federal Register in accordance with (FAR) 48 CFR 1.501. OA regulations may be more restrictive or require higher approval levels than those permitted by (TAR) 48 CFR chapter 12 unless otherwise specified.

(2) Acquisition procedures. The SPE is the individual who issues or authorizes the issuance of internal agency guidance at any organizational level. DOT internal operating procedures are contained in the Transportation Acquisition Manual (TAM). OA procedures necessary to implement or supplement the (FAR) 48 CFR chapter 1, (TAR) 48 CFR chapter 12, or TAM may be issued by the Head of the Contracting Agency (HCA), who may delegate this authority to any organizational level deemed appropriate. OA procedures may be more restrictive or require higher approval levels than those permitted by the TAM unless otherwise specified.

(b) The authority of the agency head under (FAR) 48 CFR 1.301(b) to establish procedures to ensure that agency acquisition regulations are published for comment in the Federal Register in conformance with the procedures in FAR Subpart 1.5 is delegated to the Office of the General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement (C-50).